Taking child out of school for holiday

[ramanw]

We are off on holiday next week so my Daughter (5) won't be attending school for that week. The holiday was only £400 compared to £1600 if it had been during term time.

I didn't really think anything of it until I mentioned it to a few people and they were all horrified that I would take my Daughter out of school. They were saying I needed to try and cover myself and give an excuse as to why we needed to go on holiday now e.g can't afford it any other time of year.

I didn't really think it was necessary to come up with an excuse?! It's only a week? However I am now questioning if I am doing something completely awful?! She's never missed a day of school.

I wouldn't have an "excuse" I would be straight with the school so they know your child won't be in.

Unfortunately the gov. In England are likely to fine you if it is a full week which is why some people end up lying.

The fine is still cheaper than going in the holidays though in your case!

I live in Wales and assume the fines apply here too, although I know my neighbour took her kids out of the same school for 3 weeks to go abroad and no mention of a fine so fingers crossed!!

I took my then 5 year old out for 6 weeks to go to NZ and Australia. No problems from school. But Im in Ireland so maybe different.

Oh ignore them! Some people will just be like that. Speaking as a mum who saw my dd missing months of schooling due to Covid lockdown and then experienced ineffective teaching in her remaining primary school due to unmanaged Sen and poor behaviour in class, I really wouldn’t think twice about taking my kids out of primary school nowadays, because I will

id tell school straight up you’re going on vacation, apologise for the inconvenience, ask broadly what topics are being covered that week so you can pull similar stuff of bbc bitesize and help dc keep up. Then do some hours at weekends either side of the holiday or on the journey or something.

As a teacher in a state primary, I’ve got to be honest and say that I don’t agree with parents taking their kids out of school for a holiday. Learning, particularly in subjects like Maths, is a series of building blocks. The school will have to scrabble to catch your child up when they return. Realistically you’re not going to do any work when you’re away.

We had the opportunity to go to Australia when my DD was in primary school. It was the whole of the first term in the New Year. My DD's Head Teacher gave me maths and English workbooks to be done on a daily basis and an exercise book so DD could keep a diary. Great holiday with a really good keepsake in the diary, plus DD had to tell the class all about her adventures and take in some Australian cakes she baked to share.

Exceptional circumstances, I know, but the Head could easily have said "No" or placed a charge. We had one other instance when I took 2 DD's out of school for a few days. Again, Head Teacher was happy to allow this.

It all depends on your school. Speak to the Head Teacher and factor in the payment for taking children out of school during term time. Always best to be honest as the truth will always out, leaving you having to explain yourself as well as paying the fine.

I think this view was previously somewhat relevant but since lockdowns and now the numerous strike days does another 5 days make a scrap of difference ?
As long as you don't expect school to help with any catching up your child may need and you do that yourself (often as good a job as being in school ) then i think go for it , i wouldn't think twice about it ,I've not done this for years due to important exam times etc with 3 kids in different years but when my oldest 2 were in primary i did.
School is not the only place of learning and childhood is short.

OP was travelling in February so I imagine they're back by now. 😂

Here in Ireland we don't have any of that uptight 'no holidays in term time' nonsense.
It doesn't seem to cause any problems although I don't think many people take kids out of school as our summer holidays are much longer than in the UK.

We're already on our school holidays here. Just finished week 4 and only another 8 weeks to go till the Autumn term. 😁

They’re not likely to fine you at all. Most schools will deliver a mini lecture and then forget about it. If you make a habit of it then yes, fines will probably ensue. I took my children out once a year, every year throughout primary. Never fined. Stopped for secondary though. Much good it did dd, her schools staff retention is horrendous and she has only had teachers who remained in post throughout GCSEs in two of her subjects. Rest was provided by ever changing cover teachers.

I teach and we always have children taken out for holidays. Always have had and tbh, if anything, since the fines were introduced we probably have more doing it! The fine is just part of the holiday cost.

In my experience most teachers I know really don't care and usually understand why parents do it. Just don't expect work to be set or marked, or much catch up to happen. Though this time of year it really wouldn't be an issue anyway. Especially at primary there is nothing essential a child will miss which won't naturally be revisited at some point.

I wouldn't take a gcse or a level student out ideally, but behind that your average child isn't going to be negatively affected by missing 1-2 weeks a year for a family break.

Our Lea doesn't fine until day 5. It is a daily constant fine system here but the savings on the holiday will more than cover it.

Fwiw I missed 1-2 weeks a year for a holiday as a child. Dad's work had factory shutdown and that's when you could go away. It was then it not at all. So we did go away / we didn't have the money for holidays abroad, but always went somewhere for a few days. It didn't mean we didn't respect education and, Infact, we all did well at school - May siblings and I all got decent grades, all went to university and all went on to decent jobs. We value education. To the extent that I went in to teach, as has my Dd.