Taking reception child out one week early

[Playgrind]

My DC is 4.5, in reception and under compulsory school age. I want her to finish term one week early to see grandparents abroad. Do I just tell the school this is what I'm doing? Ask the Head and go anyway of they say no?

If the child is under 5 school is not compulsory so you won't be fined. It would be polite to tell the Head but it will probably be recorded as an unauthorised absence but that is no big deal at that age.

Yes just inform the school what you are doing and take her out.

Wondering the same thing with my DS. He’s 5 though…

Def inform the school, it can become a safeguarding concern if a child is MIA and then there is a holiday. It means a long gap without checking on a child’s well-being.

Hope you have a lovely time with grandparents. 🎄☃️

You'll probably need to fill in a holiday form. Your holiday request won't be authorised but at least the school will know where she is.

It depends on the school - they might authorise it. My Daughters primary school authorised an absence for a holiday abroad the week before half term when she was 4. I wanted to be honest.

At this age, I would say definitely fill in the forms and go anyway whether it is authorised or unauthorised. You must be honest though as it comes out later when your child tells the teacher. My teacher friends say they know everything that goes on with the little ones as they have no filter!

Doesn’t have to be there if under 5, just inform them.

Just do it - we have quite a few parents doing this
I'm sure that being under the age you have to be in school is irrelevant if you've registered her in school

As I understand it the under 5 thing is irrelevant once they're actually registered in school. That said, I would fill out the holiday form and go regardless of whether it was authorised or not.

School can’t authorise holiday in most local authorities but let them know. For people saying they’ve done it and not been fined, Parents can’t be fined until children are compulsory school age at 5 so it depends when your child is 5. We have had parents fined (not for holiday but for repeated poor attendance) during the reception year.

@Rosiiiiie

Wondering the same thing with my DS. He’s 5 though…

When was he 5? I took mine out the last week of the Christmas term for a few years ago and got a fine for the older ones, but not for my youngest DC who was 5 in the Autumn Term as apparently they can only fine for unauthorised absence from the term AFTER they are 5.

Thanks all, will let the school know.

If you are visiting family, it may be worth making sure you put it that way and not as "holiday". Heads can authorise absence in exceptional circumstances - I think it's usually for funeral/imminent demise - but they might be sympathetic if it's elderly relatives who are unable to travel to you and who might never meet the child born during the pandemic if you don't go soon. Probably not if they're only in their sixties and you visited in the summer, though!