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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

dd on holiday when school year starts - advice???

27 replies

emandjules · 21/11/2007 10:22

My dd is going into year one in sept. I need her to have first three days off school as we are not coming back from hols til wed. Mon and maybe tues are usually inset days anyway so may only miss 1-2 days. Has anyone else taken them off at this time and what was effect???

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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RustyBear · 21/11/2007 10:28

Sorry, but all the teachers at the school I work at agree that this really is the worst time to miss school. 1 day may not be too bad, but if it actually was the first three days I really would advise against it.

dramaqueen · 21/11/2007 10:29

Why do you NEED her to have the first three days off? I would not let my dc miss the start of term (although they have missed other days for holidays occasionally).

themoon66 · 21/11/2007 10:30

It's year one... not GCSE year or anything. I wouldn't worry too much. I did it once or twice in primary school (although did check with the head first before booking, just to make sure of course).

Original poster

emandjules · 21/11/2007 10:38

I am not paying prices for summer hols. Ridiculous - £450 more for week before. She has had such a rough year anyway, being seen by loads of health professionals for special needs, she doesn't know if she is coming or going.

OP posts:

sarah573 · 21/11/2007 10:39

I have no problem taking my DCs out of school for family holidays, but I wouldn't do it within the first couple of weeks of a new school year.

Is there anyway you can change dates on your holiday? Its along way in advance, and travel companies are usually flexible.

Original poster

emandjules · 21/11/2007 10:42

The only time we were told you could not take them was between easter hols and half term.

OP posts:

Mistymoo · 21/11/2007 10:43

At our school they do a staggered intake over a few days. Why don't you check if this is the case and if so ask if she could go in the last intake.

sarah573 · 21/11/2007 10:44

Hi, cross posted with you. If she's having problems at school then all the more reason no to take her out right at the beginnning of term (sorry you asked ). Could you postpone until a little further into term? DS1 has special needs (aspergers) and missed a week last half term without any problems. I would have hated the fall out though if he'd gone back to a new class of already settled kids.

bozza · 21/11/2007 10:45

Because she is not starting school, she is already there. Maybe choose a different holiday that is not £450 difference....

Original poster

emandjules · 21/11/2007 10:47

the kids will be the same and she is always introduced to the teacher b4 summer hols due to her sen.

OP posts:

Mistymoo · 21/11/2007 10:49

Sorry I still don't understand the English class names. Am in Scotland and have different terminology

nimnom · 21/11/2007 11:03

I don't think you should take kids out of school in term time but especially at the beginning of a new year with a new teacher.
Sorry to be so brutal but think you should maybe go for a different holiday.

bozza · 21/11/2007 11:10

Can see why the term "year one" could cause confusion misty. We're just not so straightforwards south of the border.

hildegard · 21/11/2007 11:14

Well, I don't think it is the end of the world to miss the first couple of days of school. If it was the first two weeks it would be another matter. It is not an ideal situation, but you have to think of how nice and educational it is on holiday. When I was a teacher, on two occasions children missed the first day because their parents had got the wrong date! They didn't suffer.

I realise I am particularly relaxed about these matters, not all teachers or schools feel the same

pigsinmud · 21/11/2007 12:09

Wouldn't miss the start of term myself- especially beginning of school year. I've never taken them out of school for a holiday. If you're going to take her out of school can't you do it just before end of summer term?

roisin · 21/11/2007 17:05

I think it's the worst time to take them out tbh. It's such an important time for teachers to establish rules and boundaries in the classroom and to outline new topics.

I would never do this. End of term is much better if you really have to take them out of school.

Smithagain · 21/11/2007 17:08

Going into year 1 was quite a big shock for DD1 - much more formal than Reception and a very different set-up in the classroom. Ask around at your school and see what the current Year 1 parents think of the transition. It may be more gentle at your school. But I would certainly be very wary of missing those first few days. I think it could make it very hard for her to settle into the new routine.

wheresthehamster · 21/11/2007 17:14

Completely agree with roisin. Year 1 is their first year of 'real' learning and there are lots of rules to be established. Your child will be bewildered!!
I agree about the price drop in holidays that week, it's so tempting, but if it's absolutely necessary I would leave it a week or two.

cat64 · 21/11/2007 17:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Blandmum · 21/11/2007 17:33

It really is the very worst time of year to be missing.

LIZS · 21/11/2007 17:33

Agree the first week or so of Year 1 is relatively gentle compared to the rest, so if she were to miss it she could be thrown straight into the formality (such as sitting formally at tables, routines, spelling tests) which may or may not suit her. Also teachers use this time to assess the children both academically and socially so as to establish children in suitable groups.

LadyMuck · 21/11/2007 18:20

Ds1 missed the first day of Year 1. If we had come back the previous day it would have added over 10 hours to the journey time as we would have needed to take indirect flights. We did check with the recpetion teacher before booking - she indicated that it would be fine. I don't think that his time in Year 1 was adversely affected, but all the children get to meet their new teacher in their new classroom at the end of the previous term.

3 days would be less than ideal but presumably kids still get ill even at the end of the summer holdiays.

pointydog · 21/11/2007 18:38

why ask the effects once you've booked the holiday? Surely you;re not going to cancel if someone gives you a reason why it's a bad idea?

Original poster

emandjules · 21/11/2007 20:08

i have not booked yet. first post bit misleading, sorry.

OP posts:

Blandmum · 21/11/2007 20:12

TBH, it can be grim for them if they miss the first week. I work in secondary and have seen quite a few kids miss out on the first week. It takes them quite a while to get back into the swing of things. They do spend time playing catch up.

I'd be inetersted what primary teacgers would say, as they would have a better handle on the case in year 1.

It just sort of throws them for a bit of a spin.

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