Taking children out of school to go travelling

[katyszarko]

Hi,
We would like to take our children travelling to South East Asia (my husband has family in Thailand) for 2 months. My DS is 6 and my DD is 9. We are planning to go next December. Our daughter will be taking her SATS in the May. I've read the blogs about the relevance of SATS etc but we don't think this opportunity will ever present itself to us again and we think it will be an amazing experience for our kids.

Would we be making a big mistake and could we jeopardise our DDs secondary education? Any teachers out there that have an opinion on this?
Our meeting with the head teacher has left us a bit deflated.
Thank you

I think the loss of the school place is a risk worth taking. It's not the end of the world. Personally I feel the chance to live in alternative country and culture is an educative opportunity that should not not be missed.

It does depend a lot on the size and nature of the risk.

If your DC's primary is undersubscribed, and in an area stuffed full of alternative good undersubscribed schools, the timing doesn't cause a problem with residence for secondary application, and the OP has time to HE until the following school year (or longer for the younger child, until a place comes up again) - that is one scenario.

However, if it is oversubscribed, surrounded by other oversubscribed or very poor schools, and if the OP has a full-time job that would make HE on their return impossible, and if the dates mean that the LA will treat you as non-resident when it comes to secondary application - then that is a very diofferent scenario.

It is up to the OP to weigh the risks - and perhaps to explain why the same trip cannot be done over the school summer holiday, when very few of the 'downside' risks would be incurred.

Many thanks for your messages, lots of food for thought here.

With regards to places, the HT gave us two choices...take the DCs out of school and pay the fine on our return or un register from the school and hope that there is a place for them on our return.

She did suggest going over the 6 weeks hols and missing 2 weeks either side but it will be monsoon season and we really don't want to go during this time.

So apart from the weather there is no other reason for not going during the summer holidays?

The weather is pretty damn fundamental in Thailand. Tee summer holidays are a wash out in much of the country, and can be down right dangerous in other parts, with mudslides and torrential rain/flooding. If I was planning a trip of 8 weeks to Thailand there is no way I'd go in August!
I'd go if I were you op, and I hope to do the same with dd when she's in year 6.

The
Ht said you could just pay the fine?

That spuds like a great option, £120 per child sounds cheap if she's holding your place open.

Go.

Education is not just about school, it is a fantastic opportunity for you and them.

In areas where a lot of children have relatives in India and Pakistan this is fairly normal.

I would ask the older one to keep a journal so she keeps up with writing, or these days maybe a blog

Isn't the 120 per week?

It's per parent per child per week isn't it? So two kids and two parents it's £480 a week. Might be wrong though!

Go.

You can't ever replicate this experience in a classroom.

SATs, school places, etc etc..... Meh.

I know a few families who have taken time off to travel and have all said it was more than worth it. I would if I could.

This is my dream, I would love to show the DC something of the world and yours sound like they would be the perfect age. We just need the funds to do it.

How much is the fine?

Meh. Two months - that's neither one thing nor the other, is it? It might be a life-changing experience for your children (we're assuming change for the better, of course), or it might just be 'that long holiday we took when we were in primary school which we can barely remember because we much preferred the week in a caravan in Tenby'.

Noctambulist

If your going in December school will be shut for over 2 weeks any way due to Christmas, plus about 2 weeks before that doing not much at school other than watching DVDs ect.
Would def go for it, think some people on here are a little jealous!!
I know somebody who did similar for a month, their children learnt so much and she did put them back into school again after only to remove them to home educate in the end.

travelling is just a long holiday. Chances probably better if this is going to involve some real seeing how the other half lives, but that is quite difficult for tourists.

if it is just two months by the beach, feeding the odd elephant etc then it is of no educational value although it will be very pleasant.

I cna answer purely about the SATS bit - it won't matter in thr slightest. We took our DD out to home ed in Y6 and she didn't take SATS. Fast forward to Y7 and it hasn't been a problem in the slightest. The secondary contacted the primary to ifnd out what her expected SATs level would have been and they do their own baseline tests anyway. Sure, they might get put in a set that's a bit too hard/easy for a short while but it will soon be spotted and they'll be put in the right set. It's been no big deal at all and I'm glad she missed them, tbh.

You're imposing a lot of change on them for the sake of a long holiday. Changing schools is tough on children. I'm not sure the benefits of 6 weeks in Thailand outweighs the negatives.

Go to thailanf for Christmas and then take them out for two weeks- one week either side of the Christmas break. That would give you a four and a half week holiday. ten fewer days than you intend.

I don't agree with there being no educational benefit. We went for three weeks during the summer (didn't rain much). My children picked up a few Thai words, tried different foods, I remember talking about weather cycles in this part of the world, my dd tried to write Thai words, both their swimming improved no end. They now know the various religions to be found there, not just Buddhism as I had previously thought . We shopped and saw all the different fruit and veg and ingredients they'd never otherwise have seen or known of. They got to send off huge Chinese lanterns from a beach at midnight, they made friends with Thai kids on the beach. I wasn't particularly trying to "educate" them but the above are just the things I can think of, I am sure there is far more.

I think most people do make the effort to get out there and DO. I have never been on a holiday where I just lay on the beach for three weeks.

NickiFury but would 4 weeks in Thailand be very much less educational than 6 weeks?

Not sure Henry. Why don't you ask Chen what he thinks? Might be a way in to making contact don't you think? I know they're different countries but he might be able to help. Let me know what he says won't you?

Do it. I would love to do this but we could just never afford it :(

Nicki Still no reply from Chen. I fear my email conjured unhappy memories for him and he must blame me. Even though it was my job to hold his head submerged, I NEVER flushed the chain.