Taking child out for holiday?

[flossletsfloss]

I'm new to all of this so would appreciate some advice. My eldest starts reception in Sept and we want to take him out of school for a week around Oct but not in Oct half term for a holiday. The reason being is that my husband is on a building job that cannot accommodate him being off during the half term. I gather from some research that I need to ask the head teacher for permission and it's unlikely they will agree. I will then get a fine which if I pay in time means everything is settled. Donmany people do this? Is it frowned upon? Surely in reception age it's not a big deal. Could there be anything worse than a fine? Surely if the fine is £120 its worth it for a lot of people to do this as the cost difference is huge. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

I think it is actually a big deal. They’re missing a (little) part of their education.
It’s frowned upon definitely.
But it’s your choice.

Is the fine not £60 per day per parent?

We did it when dd started reception 2 years ago

It was cheaper to go during school term than the holidays even with the £120 fine. Which we paid

She caught up to her schooling pretty quick too.

I think as long as it isn’t an exam year or GCSE years, it’s no big deal

@FelicityPike

Is the fine not £60 per day per parent?

No it’s £60 per parent per child.

So £120 for one child with two parents

£60 for one child with one parent etc

You could take your DC out, but I think that right at the beginning of reception, DC would benefit more from settling into school than being on holiday.

AFAIK you will only be fined if child is 5.

I may be wrong and this may be out of date advice but I believe that a child need not attend full time education until they are 5 so unless your child has a birthday before your planned break you are free to take them away.
My youngest daughter is a very late August birthday and was a tiny tired person for many months at the start of her education, we were given the option to do part days/weeks for as long as was required.
May be worth checking

I really wouldn’t take a week out of reception so soon on, especially in a term which is likely to be as different as next will be. They need a chance to learn routines and settle in

Thanks @Soubriquet we don’t have the fining system so I wasn’t sure.

I did that in reception year. I took ds out for four days. He was under 5yo so they didn’t fine me.

Key here is when your child is 5...if not till next year then it will be far less of an issue as not term in which turn 5.Therefore can get away with in reception.

You néed to ask for permission... Explaining that husband can't get holidays in school holidays. You may get permission.
Even if you don't get permission... You may not be fined.. Its the LA decision not the school.. .& they all do things differently...

Its quite disruptive as they start school.
Are you planning to go abroad? If so would the date potentially mean time off for holiday, 2 weeks isolation if requirements change and then a week for half term? .. If so I'd rethink as that's a lot of time to miss early on...

Previous posters are correct- they don’t need to be in school full time until the term after they turn 5 so if your DC’s birthday is after Christmas you’ll be fine. Also if you keep the absence to 4.5 days or fewer then you don’t get fined either.
I’m a teacher and fairly laid back about absences like that- so long as you’re not doing it every term
I think it’s fine and so long as you attempt to catch up any phonics they missed. Happy holidays!

How old is your child? School is only compulsory the term after they turn 5. They can be part time til this point legally. I took my child out in reception and the class teacher agreed and did the same with her same aged child.

Thanks for all the responses so far. Unfortunately he's an early Sept bday so he will be five. We won't be going abroad so hoping isolation wouldn't be a problem, although I do need to have a good think about whether it's too early in the term to do it. It's so hard to balance it all, isn't it!

Personally, I think next term has the potential to be horrendous. Your child could have been sent home with covid symptoms or a case in their class by that point (so two weeks of isolation) Or their teacher gone off sick after a week, so had a supply teacher in so may only have had a couple of weeks Of ‘normal’ school before you take them out for a holiday.

Yes, your child might be fine, but it can be hugely stressful for a child to start school and then to have so many changes to cope with makes it even harder, so I wouldn’t take them out for a holiday, especially so near to the start of term.
Obviously, your child’s class might be one of the really lucky ones and the ‘bubble’ stays intact, with the same teacher for the whole term, but I think those ones are going to be few and far between tbh.

@flossletsfloss

Thanks for all the responses so far. Unfortunately he's an early Sept bday so he will be five. We won't be going abroad so hoping isolation wouldn't be a problem, although I do need to have a good think about whether it's too early in the term to do it. It's so hard to balance it all, isn't it!

If you can afford the fine - go on holiday. This has really been a shit year.

@flossletsfloss - it’s the term AFTER they turn 5. A child cannot be compulsory school age in the autumn of their Reception year (unless summer born & retained). School won’t like it, it will be frowned upon, but you won’t be fined.

Look on your local authority’s website. It will be there. Ours will fine you if the child is over 5 and they miss 10 half day session per term or per six week period. Although, we didn’t get fined for the latter on our most recent holiday that was longer than the school holidays. Schools definitely do not like children missing school because it affects their attendance stats and potential ofsted ratings.

We took ours out occasion during primary but I wouldn’t have done it so soon in their first term.
They may have a staggered start so the timing of your holiday could be really disruptive to him settling in.

I'm an primary teacher and I would have no hesitation taking my child out for a week

Worth the fine IMO as it's so much cheaper

Your child is not legally obligated to be at school until the term after the turn five, so you wouldn't be fined.
Our reception teacher said to us if the choice was a holiday during school time or no holiday, ALWAYS take them on holiday.

I will be taking my child out of school for a holiday that’s not in term time. He won’t miss a couple of weeks in May! I refused to pay extortionate holiday prices... after all the time the kids have or potentially will be having off this year I think it’s fine! OP

I’m a teacher and I do it every summer as my private school breaks up much earlier than my dc’s school!

Hello. I'm an EWO. My job is to tell people the reasons why the law was changed to fine people for doing this. However I doubt you want to hear that!! So I will tell you the facts. You will be fined - if your child is over statutory school age (the start of the long term following their 5th birthday), if the holiday is unauthorised by the head of the school, and if it is already written into clear polices at both the school and your local authority. In our local authority we only fine for holidays of 10 consecutive absences (so 5 days), in some local authorities that is 6 sessions (so 3 days). It's a legal process so this is all very tight. The fine is most definitely £120, issued per parent per child, but this is lowered to £60 per parent per child if you pay within 21 days. I hope this helps to have the facts. Ultimately it's your choice but the law around attendance is there based on the evidence and research we have about the importance of good attendance.

I've just seen that your child's birthday is September. So he isn't of statutory school age until January, and you cannot be fined. even so it's whether you really want him to miss a week of school - it doesn't really matter whether the holiday is authorised or not - the point is that he isn't there and will miss what the rest of the class are doing.