Holiday in term-time cock up

[Loueytb3]

First of all, I know I don't deserve any sympathy for this as it's a mess of my own making, but would appreciate advice on what to do.

We are going on holiday for October half term. Flight leaves on Thursday afternoon. DS1 has an inset day on Friday so will only miss one day of school. DS2 will miss two days. I had intended they were going to come down with D&V on Thursday, thereby knocking DS2 out for the last 2 days of term. However, we have just got the calendar for this term and both schools have deliberately conveniently organised parents evening for the Thursday night. DS2 is at a new school, so we had no way of knowing that was when they did parents evening. DS1's is usually earlier in the week. He is also missing his school photo which is the same day.

So - do I 'fess up, knowing we won't get the holiday authorised, pay the fine (if we get one) and try and arrange to see their teachers at an alternative time (possibly pissing the teachers off in the process)

Or, do I organise slots for parents evening (knowing we are not going to be there) and run with plan A.

If you are a teacher - would you be v fed up with a parent asking for a separate meeting in these circumstances?

I have told DH in no uncertain terms that next year we are not pulling them out of school for those days if we go away.

Don't lie. I find it ridiculous that parents are claiming their children are ill then buggering off for a holiday. It does nothing to foster good relations with the school, is a bad message for the children and will probably mean random home visits when there are suspicious absences.
Either apply for holiday and pay the fine if issued or go on holiday in the actual holidays.
HTH.

Update - DS2's school have moved parents evening to the night before (result!) However, I've realised that DS2 is probably going to miss golden time plus that they have just before half term.

"will probably mean random home visits when there are suspicious absences." In 28 years of teaching, I've never come across that before.
My school always knows perfectly well when a family is away on holiday, yet claiming illness. The last conversation I had with the office staff about it was met with a shrug and "yup, of course they're on holiday, but they've said the kids are ill so there's nothing we can do about it."

I wouldn't lie about it. Where I am you don't get a fine until you've missed 8 sessions (4 full days) in a 10 week period.

Just for your information, schools usually do find out when you have lied about a holiday. Children nearly always slip up and tell. As a teacher, I would be highly upset if you booked an appointment with me knowing you weren't going to make the appointment. If I did that to you, you would not be happy.

Fess up and tell the truth!

Do people really think that teachers are thick? When children spend the week telling us all about their wonderful upcoming holiday and then amazingly come down with D&V (and it's always D&V) a day or so before we break for holidays.

We don't actually care that you're going on holiday. But we lose respect for you for thinking that we are so dumb that we're actually going to fall for your lies.

No not all midnite - but I have been told by two different teachers that they would rather have authorised absence due to illness than unauthorised absence due to holidays for ofsted purposes. They were suggesting that they would rather parents do the fake-sick child route. It's bonkers.

I think it depends what message you want to give your children.
Do you want to teach them positively about putting mistakes right, in a correct way? Do you want to teach them that lying to put mistakes right is the correct way? Children learn so much by example.

The schools I have taught in mark 'fake, or possibly fake' illness absence as unauthorised anyway (the system we use has an immediate recording of present / absent, then a slightyl later collection of 'why' information, and if we have any doubt at all about the 'why' it goes down as unauthorised absence), so it does no good to lie - apart from the obvious fact that the perfectly intelligent teacherl and office staff think the worse of you!