Taking children out of school

[decena]

I know some folk regularly take their child out of school for holidays but it's not something I do other than perhaps the last Friday and that's only been twice in years. However, next year we are having a big holiday after older daughter highers and we have saved avios and have 2 companion tickets that we must use in 2019. In order to stand any chance of getting the reward flights with avios, I'll need to have them miss the last 3 days or possibly the whole of the last week before summer hols. I've never pulled them out for several days before and I already feel bad about the possibility!
Should I feel guilty or is it really quite a common thing? This will be our only chance to have a Big holiday as we will never have all these avios and companion voucher again.
Do the school/council bother about a week unauthorised absence? Kids otherwise never off, they aren't even sick in years.

Very common in my area. Quite often kids are off on school trips in the last week anyway. They do start S6 work however so many kids recourse post exam results or forget over the summer that it is repeated anyway. So I wouldn't be at all worried.

I wouldn't worry about it either, I've never taken mine out either but they have missed the odd last half day and mostly even in in exam years and at an academic school, they've spent most of the last week watching videos. Your eldest will have moved int 6th year (if she decides to stay on) and probably wont be following a full timetable anyway and as ttl says, they may well change their mind on courses over the summer depending on results etc. My Ds2 changed his courses quite a lot between 4th and 5th and might do again between 5th and 6th.

What year is your younger DC in? It probably matters even less :)

Hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Very common where I am too. At primary school, I made sure to develop good relationships with the school and there was never an issue taking time off (usually for skiing around the February long weekend - but we also went in March in P7 because we'd not been able to go in February due to dh's dad dying).

Never actually took time off at secondary - but had got agreement in principle one year that we nearly went.

Attitude seems to be very different in Scotland compared to England.

I actually applied to take my DD out of school for the first time this year. Shes in year 10 and questioned prior to asking when exams were to be on the safe side. School were really supportive and consented leave due to us never applying previously. Tbh the last week of summer term is usually none entertity so don't worry.

I really wouldn’t feel guilty, they seem to do absolutely no proper work during the last week whether in secondary or primary.

We've taken our kids out of school every year to go skiing. As our kids had perfect attendance apart from that the school were not bothered about it at all.

We do it for a couple of holidays a year. 3-4 days at a time. Nobody cares, it’s fine.

Really common here. Lots of parents who work offshore or are tied to certain dates because of shift patterns.

It looks like we will have z couple of big holidays this year because of family events. Within reason, the head of DD’s school is supportive as she views family home as important too.

My DC is in early years of secondary in Scotland and has taken loads of time off school. This is for educational purposes though. In 1 school year she took 4 months out of school, with consent from the school. She is at or near the top of the year, which I'm sure makes a big difference. We wouldn't expect to do this in the exam years. Presumably this wouldn't be allowed in England.

Do it. And I'm speaking as a secondary teacher. Absence rates are so high in the final week, we can't do anything particularly meaningful with the pupils so they won't miss out in terms of coursework etc. Our school just marks it down as a parental holiday and nothing more is ever said/done about it. Family time is important!