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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

Time off school in Reception year for holiday - ok or not?

78 replies

madamy · 15/12/2007 20:56

DD1 starts reception in January and after looking at the price of going away in the school holidays, we are considering taking her out of school for 2 weeks in June. She will be 5 in May.

This will be the only time we do it, I wouldn't consider taking her out once she is in Year 1+.

Is this a bad thing (school 'allows' 10 days absence) or not? I assume she's not going to miss anything vital as it's only reception.

Just interested to hear views!

OP posts:

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fridayschild · 16/12/2007 15:08

I wouldn't do it.

NAB3littlemonkeys · 16/12/2007 15:24

I would check with your school before you go booking anything.

Blu · 16/12/2007 16:34

In our neighbouring borough if you are gone for more than 10 school days, you return t find the place on the school given to someone else.

Wisteria · 16/12/2007 16:39

personally I've never done it but have n o problem with parents doing it as long as it isn't in KS2 and above (unless special circumstances)....

ChasingSquirrelsUpTheXmasTree · 16/12/2007 16:42

I didn't so much ask as fill in the form so that they know he won't be there - I wasn't expecting it to be authorised.

AMerryScot · 16/12/2007 16:42

I took my DD out of reception at the end of last year for just over a week. It was for a family reunion in the USA - we had no control over the dates, and it had been seven years since we had attended this annual function.

I would not have done it for a holiday that I had control over.

Magrat · 16/12/2007 16:43

I've never taken my children out of school for holidays

but I increasingly look at people who do it with ease and feel rather jealous

I just can't help feeling it's the wrong message to be sending to children (your own and classmates) and the school and teachers

WhenScoobyGotStuckUpTheChimney · 16/12/2007 16:51

I would do it & to be quite frank until airlines & holiday destination stop doubling & tripiling there prices in school holidays i am sure people will keep doing this, what happens to people who don't have a lot of money & would love to take there kids away?

Why should we not have a family holiday because we are not "allowed" to take our child out of school in term time but it is ok for these stupid airlines to go conning parents knwoingly?

I will probably be taking ds out of reception this year if our pot for out holiday fund pulls off, there is no way on gods earth we could go away if it was term time, not so sure about 2 weeks but i would do it for 1 week.

I also would say Reception is very important, my ds has learn't alot & he only started in september he has come on leaps & bounds & has formed many good frienships.

Original poster

madamy · 16/12/2007 16:53

Cod - it was me, not emandjules asking. We were going to go in the school holidays but I nearly died when I saw the price difference, hence the question. TBH, I can see both points of view and am now wondering whether it's not as ok as I originally thought!
I think I'll have a chat with some parents and the reception staff tomorrow (dd goes to the adjoining nursery and it's run as a foundation unit so she knows all of the staff well).
I guess I'd better get used to having to save a bit harder throughout the year!

OP posts:

Magrat · 16/12/2007 17:03

but scooby it's supply and demand not a cynical marketing ploy and I say this as someone who can't afford holidays unless friends lend us their places and we can drive there

WhenScoobyGotStuckUpTheChimney · 16/12/2007 17:07

If this country actually had some summer weather we would not all want to run off to other places, everytime we book to go away to somewhere in england our holiday has been totally ruined by bad weather it rains every year we go away, it ruins what we want to do we want the children to run free on the beach & splash around in water with the sun shining.

Oblomov · 16/12/2007 17:07

Ds doesn't even start until next Sep, and I plan to do for as long as poosible, until school tells me I can't.
Go for it.
There will be years later than you will not be able to.
£££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

Magrat · 16/12/2007 17:08

don't kid yourself .. have you ever tried to book a holiday in the UK in peak summer .. it's bloody expensive

Magrat · 16/12/2007 17:09

but oblomov .. our school says we can't from reception .. it is disruptive to other children

WhenScoobyGotStuckUpTheChimney · 16/12/2007 17:10

Yes i know there still expensive but you have many option, with going abroad you have no cheap option apart from out of term time because flights just go sky high.

Anyway i will take ds out for a week if it means we get some quality holiday time together as a family in the sun, dp works bloody hard & works long hours he needs quality time with the children too.

RudolphtheredROSEreindeer · 16/12/2007 17:12

hi i had similar thread few months ago, lots off tutting and lots of go for its..i spoke to dd's reception teacher and she said that as dd was bright, picked things up quickly and was in top of class, she would say(but not on record) to take her and she would set me some work while we were there!..speak to them honestly, then make your decision

Oblomov · 16/12/2007 17:16

Magrat, we all know we shouldn't do it. Some people are upfront with schools. Some claim a week's illness, if they are that determinded and the school are totally unaccepting of it.

Oblomov · 16/12/2007 17:16

weeks is a long time. I was thinking more of a week.
Sorry missed that bit.

Magrat · 16/12/2007 17:17

I think claiming illness is appalling

if you are going to do it you take the responsibility for it and see the EWO if school deems it necessary BUT you don't teach your kids to lie to get one over on 'da establishment'

VanillaPumpkin · 16/12/2007 17:22

I don't think it is a good idea I am afraid, unless it is a trip of a lifetime (safari or perhaps even Disney?). To take a child out of school for a week lazing by the pool seems a bit much imo.
We have just had a week at Centre Parcs as dd1 starts school in Jan. Dh and I are fully expecting to not go on holiday for the next few years as there is no way we could afford it. We will have fun on trips to visit grandparents etc I hope.
I am in the camp of being jealous of those parents who do it with such ease though so perhaps I will change my mind when dd1 actually starts school .

WhenScoobyGotStuckUpTheChimney · 16/12/2007 17:23

I would never say my kids were ill & our holidays abroad would not be a yearly thing we have not been since 2005 when we went to see my sister who was living in Majorca & ds was in nursery then.

We will be going when we have saved so probably every couple of years unless we come into money anywhere along the line.

I would not take my kids out when they have SATS etc & will be writing a holiday form to request the time.

AwayInAMunker · 16/12/2007 17:23

How about school nursery? Is it OK to take them out of that, when they're 4.2? So before official "school" starts?

VanillaPumpkin · 16/12/2007 17:25

My daughter goes to a preschool nursery and I often pull her out to make a long weekend away or for a weeks holiday. I do not think twice about this.

RudolphtheredROSEreindeer · 16/12/2007 17:29

actually my thread while back was scupperd cos by he time we got our act together the free child palce had gone and it was another £500..however, your thread spurred me to have another look and the free child place somehow IS BACK ON!!!..dd's holiday form is already in and was accepted, so were having talks tomnight about booking it!

WhenScoobyGotStuckUpTheChimney · 16/12/2007 17:31

Hunker - We have taken ds out of nursery, when i did take the 5 mornings on for nursery the teacher actually said to me, if you don't feel like coming in one day you don't have too.

Ds stayed at nursery till he was 4.7 months!

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