Days off for religious festivals?

[humtumteetummmm]

One side of my family are Jewish and every year we travel to the city where they live for Passover, and most years we also go for Rosh Hashana. I'm not actually Jewish myself (my mum wasn't) or even religious, and neither are my DC but (for reasons I don't fully understand if I'm honest), its important to me that we go. The only year I've missed in my whole adult life was when I had just had a baby and couldn't travel, and it felt completely wrong not being there.

Anyway my oldest has been at a private school where this was never a problem until now when he will be starting in Y7 at secondary school. Are we likely to get any days off authorised for this, seeing as he is not actually Jewish?

You can ask. I would not tell the school that your children aren't technically jewish and just ask for the days off. How many days off you do you actually need? Certainly children have days of for religious festivals like Eid so it would be possible to get one or possibly two days.

Most places I have worked have allowed 2 days a year for religious holidays / celebrations.

Personally I think most religious celebrations are as much about celebrating culture.

The school has to give permission for religious festivals.

Current guidance for schools on attendance can be found here - www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/268648/advice_on_school_attendance_nov_2013.pdf

The relevant paragraph states

Schools must treat absence as authorised when it is due to religious observance. The day must be exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which the parents belong. Where necessary, schools should seek advice from the parents’ religious body about whether it has set the day apart for religious observance.

So the schools does not have to give consent. However, the OP's case may be slightly harder. However she could just tell the school that she is Jew(ish) and celebrates major festivals. Note the school doesn't have to give you time off to travel around festivals.

And may I be the first to wish you an early shana tova.