Take son out for one day

[Dancingatthepinkponyclub]

My son is in year 1 and we would like to take him out for one day to go to LEGOLAND. At the weekend the queues are ridiculous and I just know he won’t want to wait around in them!

There are holidays forms you can complete for this but will this likely be rejected? We don’t have a real reason other than massive queues! I don’t want to pretend he is poorly as this feels like bad karma and also he will tell his mates where he was!!

He hasn’t had any time off this school year and I feel he won’t miss loads for one day.

Other parents I know take their kids out for whole weeks for skiing etc!

Of course he can miss one day in year 1
Tell the school you're away for a long weekend, they won't authorise it because they can't. But he is your son, not the schools.
Have a great time

Go for it.
Sometimes we need to prioritise other things and it's ok for a child to learn that.

It's ok for children to learn that they can skip a day of school if they fancy it and go to Legoland instead? Okay... I don't think you'll ever convince me that this is a good lesson for children.

Imagine if the teacher or TA fancied a jolly to Legoland with their own family on a school day. I'm sure parents would be up in arms. Or is it only ok for some people to 'prioritise other things', over school? By choosing to work in a school, staff agree to abide by term dates and attend unless ill. By choosing to send your child to school, instead of home schooling them, you choose to abide by their term dates.

I'm sorry but I think this airy fairy attitude of 'it's ok to prioritise other things over school' is shocking. If school isn't for you and your family that's fine, home school. If you don't wish to do that, you send them to school unless they're ill. It's quite simple. The only lesson random days off teaches your kids is that school isn't important and skiving is ok.

You are literally given 13 weeks to do whatever you want as a family (14 if you count the 5 individual training days dotted throughout the year). People are quick to moan it's too much, yet so many seem to think nothing of skiving a day of school for frivolous things which can easily be done in the holidays.

If an otherwise dedicated parent or staff member decided to take one day off, what's the issue?
School is definitely a priority for me. My dc do fine and I'd have no issues taking them out for a day to do something else.
I know the teacher isn't the only person responsible for my dcs education so it wouldn't bother me at all if they take a day off.
If it's a regular occurrence, then yes, it's a problem but I have no issue with anyone taking a day off once in a blue moon to do something fun or out of the ordinary. Life doesn't have to be so rigid.

Whilst I agree that school staff are definitely not the only ones responsible for a child's education, you're not telling me that every parent who lets their child skive off in favour of a jolly out (which is basically what this is) will make an effort to catch them up on what they've missed (which is actually a total pain in the for teachers, filling individual parents in on exactly what their child missed that day. Most won't be willing to have those conversations, as it's incredibly time consuming). Very few actually would bother to catch their child up. For those who do, it kind of defeats the object of taking a day off if you're going to work over, say, Saturday to make up for it. You may as well have just sent them to school! Again, if you don't want their set school days to be rigid, you have the option to home school. If you choose the education system, you choose to abide by the dates set.

I don't for one second believe that you actually would be ok with a member of staff skiving off. The reasons why this is not ok are totally obvious and don't need me going into details.

@BoleynMemories13 I would be totally ok with it. One day in a year, or even per term, isn't going to mess up an otherwise engaged child. It's ridiculous to even think that a days absence for a teacher or a child makes a massive difference.
Those who who care, make sure their children are supported at home. Those who don't care, well it makes no difference to them either.
I hate the school fining system. Look into why families and children aren't engaging with the school, and stop penalising those who take a random day off here and there.
I appreciate my dcs school and I'm thankful that we receive a good free education but there's a lot that goes on outside of school that more than make up for a day missed at school.

The absence of a teacher has a massive impact on the school, with them either having to find internal cover (which impacts other classes) or dip in to vital depleted funds to pay for a supply. Whether you have a problem with it personally is quite irrelevant. There's a reason why it's not ok.

Despite what so many on here spout, odd days off school definitely do impact children. It really can't be helped if they're ill, but it's not ideal. It will never be something I support when they're well.

I personally am not a fan of the fining system either. You wouldn't be fined for one odd day, so that's not really relevant to the conversation, but it still doesn't make it ok in terms of the message it sends out to the kids. I will never agree that it's ok to take a day out to go to Legoland, no matter how good a child's attendance or how supportive of their education their parents are throughout the rest of the year. It just doesn't sit right with me. Kids who skive school (even if just occasionally) are likely to become adults who skive work (even if just occasionally). It should never ever be encouraged.

So glad I teach (and live) outside the UK education system. What a lovely day that sounds! It's not like you're proposing doing this once a fortnight the entire year. I assume it's an occasional treat. How wonderful.

our reasons for absence when we take attendance are Illness / Unexplained / extended holiday (eg a week or more planned holiday) and Family/Cultural. This would very much be treated as Family and if this child were in my class, I'd wish them a wonderful day. Life is way too short to not enjoy a day like this once or twice a year.

@BoleynMemories13 I appreciate your views and it takes all sorts in a functioning society.
I just feel we needn't be in servitude when it comes to rules around school and work too, although at least there, you're free to choose days off when you want them.
I'm not talking about taking the piss but there's more to life.
We'll all be older one day and I doubt many look back guilt ridden over a fun day out of school.

At the end of the day, you do you (it's a phase I hate, but it gets the point across). We're all different and have different views and values. I'm sure many on here do and have let their kids have the odd cheeky day off when they're not ill. It's just seeing people actively encouraging other people to let their kids skive that doesn't sit right with me. Phases like "sometimes we need to prioritise other things" and "one day off really isn't going to hurt", devalue the importance of education so much. I totally get that many do do it. I even understand why they do it to an extent. I guess I just don't like to see it encouraged.