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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Term time holidays are we alone?

38 replies

rs82uk · 26/04/2018 09:21

My wife and I are quite old school, we believe that during term time the kids are at school and we go on whatever holiday we can afford during the breaks.
The only time they have had time off school is to attend a funeral.
However it would appear we are firmly in the minority now, not a week goes by without one of our boys saying that x or y is off this week on holiday, it must be terribly disrupting for the teacher, and potentially our kids if the teacher is having to keep going over topics.
Are we the only ones that are still sticking to the rules? we are beginning to think we should just join them and save some cash every year.

OP posts:

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Playdohonmysocks · 26/04/2018 09:32

We stick by the rules too but the cost difference is huge!

I think I'm just old school as my parents never took me and my sibling out of school when we were younger.

I do see the argument on both sides though.

Grumpbum · 26/04/2018 09:34

I’m a total rule follower compounded by having teacher family who tell me how disruptive it is, however I infuriate myselfthat I cant let myself break the rules as the cost difference means the difference between a holiday and no holiday

Screaminginsideme · 26/04/2018 09:43

It had always driven me made that we stick to the rules when others don’t.
But this year I will be taking my kids out for a long weekend. The eldest will miss the last day of her Y6 residential and it is really near the end of term.
We have had an incredibly stressful year with my eldests rare diagnosis and are joining the rest of the family for a weekend away.

Original poster

rs82uk · 26/04/2018 09:48

I think the days of Social media makes it worse than it used to be as we now have it rubbed in our faces what a lovely time people are having that are "breaking the rules"

OP posts:

MsGameandWatching · 26/04/2018 09:58

I'd try just minding your own business and not worrying about what others get up to. You seem very sure you're doing the right thing so you must surely believe your children will reap the rewards of those extra five days in school. So just pat yourself on the back and feel convinced that your children will do better in life in general, that's surely worth missing out on cheaper holidays isn't it? I wouldn't worry too much about teachers going over and over topics, the curriculum is differentiated and there are always kids moving more slowly than others so children that have been cavorting round Disney will just work at the level of those other slow pokes for a couple of weeks and it won't affect your child hugely.

Figgygal · 26/04/2018 10:02

I am a rule follower too so not just you we are foregoing holiday this year as I refuse to pay thousands of pounds for a mediocre self catering holiday in Spain just because it's in the holidays

tortelliniforever · 26/04/2018 10:04

Well I would say we are quite old school - my parents used to take us out of school (for a few days, not two weeks) and we do the same.

SeeKnievelHitThe17thBus · 26/04/2018 10:06

We don't see this at DS' school but I suspect that's because we're in an area where we break up a week ahead of most schools in the summer, so we can get holidays a bit cheaper than most parents come July.

If it was causing an issue in terms of teacher having to keep stopping in class to recap for [DC back from the Costa Del Sol] and so disrupting your DC' learning, I'd be miffed but if it's only your DC mentioning it, stick with "that's nice dear, we're going to X in July aren't we" and carry on with what you were doing.

DaveswifeDawn · 26/04/2018 10:08

OP - i really don't believe your sons tell you that every week some child or other is off on holiday. Either they're fibbing or you are.

haba · 26/04/2018 10:11

Why worry what others do?
Do the right thing for your children.

Original poster

rs82uk · 26/04/2018 10:16

@DavesWifeDawn Of course not every week, but its really not far off there are only 39 school weeks a year and over the two children's two school years there are 60 potential kids taking time off.
Add to that the fact that there are some that take their kids out multiple times a year. One family are on their second of 3 breaks this year.

OP posts:

gillybeanz · 26/04/2018 10:17

We go on holiday before schools break up in the summer, because dd finishes at end of June/first days of July, and it's cheaper.

I don't think a few days off before they break up is any big deal, they are only watching dvd's and playing games etc.
If you are prepared to pay the fine, and you think the kids will benefit then why bother what other people do?

Original poster

rs82uk · 26/04/2018 10:20

@haba why worry?
of course I worry, I worry that maybe my kids are missing out because i'm sticking to the rules. I also worry that their education is getting interrupted despite sticking to the rules, because the teacher is having to spend extra time with their classmate going over what they missed while they were having fun the previous week.

OP posts:

AuntLydia · 26/04/2018 10:21

We take our main holiday in the summer holidays but it's more because I'd rather have a break then while they're off for 6 weeks. We tend to take a day or 2 off for a long weekend break though so I can't get on my high horse. I'll leave the teachers to worry about how disruptive it is, I really can't feel it's any of my business.

Backinthetallgrass · 26/04/2018 10:21

My parents did take me out during term time and honestly I have done the same. It's quite common here but there are no fines so that might be why.

I will continue doing it so long as my kids aren't struggling at school. I remember missing stuff at school and therefore spending time at home studying and catching up. I actually think it helped me learn good study habits. The memories from the holidays were worth it!

You worry about the teacher having to keep going over topics but surely that happens anyway if people are off sick and kids work at different paces.

haba · 26/04/2018 10:23

Your children aren't missing out by being in school!

gillybeanz · 26/04/2018 10:25

It doesn't work like that, your dc aren't missing any education if they are at school.
If the teacher is going over covered material then your dc are getting a recap and a chance to consolidate their learning.

If you have a holiday your kids aren't missing out, if you don't have one then you are like lots of others who don't have holidays.
We went years without having one because we couldn't afford it whether term time or not.
Should I worry that mine missed out because others went either term time or holidays? Or do you find other things to do and stop comparing your life to others all the time.

UrbiEtOrbi · 26/04/2018 10:34

We stick by the rules. We can't afford a holiday in or out of term time....
I admit I once took both DCs out of primary school for a day trip to a theme park. It was a couple of months after their dad died and we were completely miserable and I wanted to do something spontaneous to cheer them up. I prefer to think of it as a mental health day rather than a holiday/ skive.

reluctantbrit · 26/04/2018 11:37

We saw term time holidays more in Infant times than now, DD is in Y6. Some miss the odd day before or after a holiday but not the typical 2 weeks in June.

I think children do miss out, friends’ DD missed a dance show as she wasn’t in school for the time before when they practiced really hard. In other cases they missed out when roles for a play were auditions and announced.

I also do not really get when parents say the trip is educational when all they do is being at a beach resort.

DaveswifeDawn · 26/04/2018 11:53

OP - wait til your kids get to secondary school and see the number of times lessons are taken by a Cover Supervisor. They get to spend an hour drawing posters because there's no-one there to actually teach them.

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 26/04/2018 12:03

I follow all rules lol.

bobstersmum · 26/04/2018 12:09

We simply can't afford a holiday in the school holidays. But we haven't taken our ds out. I would do it but dh is against it.
I personally think that unless it's at an important time for the child (exams or very start of term) that to be taken out for one week in a whole school year is acceptable. But I understand the reasons it's not allowed. It's not the schools fault it's the bloody holiday companies!

bobstersmum · 26/04/2018 12:11

Daveswife, I have heard the same from ds, its very regular that someone is off.

BakedBeans47 · 26/04/2018 12:13

We’ve never taken ours out of school. My eldest is now in his final year of primary. I am in Scotland mind you so it’s generally cheaper going away at the start of our hols as the schools in England are still in.

We used to get taken out of school as my dad had fixed holidays and they weren’t always in holiday time. I hated how much it made me stand out. Didn’t affect my education but I would still rather it hadn’t happened.

MollyDaydream · 26/04/2018 12:13

We take about a week out every year. I'd pay a fine if I had to but its never been an issue.

My parents took us out for two weeks every year in primary school.

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