Secondary school and taking leave during term time

[sleepwouldbenice]

Hello all

my DD is in year 6. We usually take about 5-6 days (authorised) absence during term time. Something like a couple of weekends with the fri or monday (centre parks or recently a weekend away for my mums 70th) and perhaps a couple of days if going away over half term and flight times dont fit

I notice the wording around the secondary school policies is stricter than for her current primary (where they authorise leave if it doesnt clash with SATs or is excessive) and wondered if there was a "norm" to whats agreed and whats not and if schools usually authorise leave even though they say they dont

Thanks very much

I think there is not so much to worry about for a couple of days off here or there. I have been a teacher (secondary level most of the time but a little in Primary) and I have children myself in Primary and Secondary schools. We are planning a long trip next Easter and because the first day of the Easter holidays is Good Friday and the flights are not very good then we will be going the day before. I will inform the Primary school (and we have never had holiday time before so I can't see this being a problem) but I shall probably phone in a 'sick' to the secondary school as they are always more strict.

Though as a teacher you don't want pupils missing, it is a mistake to assume every lesson missed will be important. Sorry if other teachers take offense but you can lose your lesson if the Christmas play needs an extra rehersal, a large number of children go down with the same sick bug, the teacher is ill or on a school trip etc. The end of the Christmas term and Summer term are the best though the child may miss some fun school events at those times.

Schools do not want the hassle of taking parents to court. They don't want the publicity. They don't want to try and prove a child was not ill but on holiday. If your personal cirumstances mean you can't take holiday out of term time I would do it. Just stick to a few days and write a sick note.

To add to that, as a teacher I was very happy to set work in advance if there was any that was appropriate to set. Some Jewish boys had several religious holidays and were very good and getting work and actually doing it. I was more bothered by children that collected work and then didn't do it. I had rather they had not wasted my time. I was a maths teacher in case anyone was interested in knowing.

ll yy

Effing "top" universities my arse.