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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Time out for a family holiday

28 replies

Tracey321 · 17/04/2018 08:52

Hi everyone need your help should I or should I not take my 14yr old and 12yr old out of school for a family holiday we have not had a holiday this year and my mum has offered to pay for us to got to the algarve for a week with her and my dad wich I could not afford to take the kids there on my own
So should I or not

OP posts:
RoseAndRose · 17/04/2018 08:55

I wouldn't.

Could your DMum fund a holiday in the holidays?

HRTpatch · 17/04/2018 08:58

No.
Its only April...most people havent had a holiday this year.

TeenTimesTwo · 17/04/2018 09:01

What year is the 14yo? If y10 I wouldn't. If y9 I wouldn't be very keen either but only you can judge the benefits of a family holiday v having to catch up on schoolwork.
By the end of y9 many schools will have started GCSE syllabus for science so lessons missed now may not be 'repeated'. A quick-learning high achiever wouldn't be so much of an issue, but my DDs would struggle to catch up missed learning.

Original poster
Tracey321 · 17/04/2018 09:14

I would like to ask as the offer is so Generous as it stands and the prices rocket up in the school holidays

OP posts:
Original poster
Tracey321 · 17/04/2018 09:15

Last year I mean lol

OP posts:
Ragwort · 17/04/2018 09:20

Not for a whole week, I used to be really strict about never allowing my DS to have time off for holidays but must admit my approach has mellowed a little over the years and occasionally (well, twice in his school career - now 6th form) he has missed a couple of days at the beginning/end of term.

But I would not have taken him out for a whole week.

Holidays are lovely and fun but I never get the argument that they are 'educational' or 'essential for bonding as a family'.

MsGameandWatching · 17/04/2018 09:21

I would. If you're not going to make a habit of it and it's a one off I definitely would.

PhilODox · 17/04/2018 09:22

No, term time is term time.

RedSkyAtNight · 17/04/2018 10:57

I have the same age DC and absolutely wouldn't . The 14 year old in particular is already doing GCSE work, and I'd worry about his motivation to catch up.

The cost of a week in the Algarve off-season would pay for a school hoiliday holiday.

CraftyGin · 17/04/2018 19:16

Not for the Algarve.

If it sounds too good to be true...

emelsie · 17/04/2018 19:23

I would , especially if it's a one off opportunity.

DiplomaticDecorum · 17/04/2018 19:25

Last two days of term, nothing more imo.

Spam88 · 17/04/2018 19:28

You're the best person the judge whether your kids will catch up okay. I went on holidays during term time and didn't end up an academic failure 🙄 I'd do it as long as it didn't clash with anything particularly important (exams etc).

chickywoo · 17/04/2018 19:33

I would do it, one ‘whole week’ - five days of school - really how much will They realistically miss? Is the pace really that fast that they can’t catch up 5 days of work?

ScipioAfricanus · 17/04/2018 21:22

I’m a teacher and I don’t have a problem with it unless GCSE/A Level - so maybe for the 14 year old it’s iffy. It’s been miserable weather here for so long and will do you all good.

I think a week per year up to a year 11 out of school does no harm. Obviously the government and I disagree on this. What annoys me is parents then asking me for holiday work - I’m not going to be able to design mini lessons for their DC which enable them to teach themselves (and no one does it anyway, unsurprisingly).

Obviously a different matter if loads of other absences or if pupil is struggling a lot, etc.

Original poster
Tracey321 · 18/04/2018 20:22

Do secondary school children get to much homework ?

OP posts:
BrendansDanceShoes · 18/04/2018 21:23

Is it likely to be the cheap option if you then get fined by the local authority for taking your kids out? Last I knew it was £60 per day, per kid. Is it worth the risk? £600???

MsGameandWatching · 18/04/2018 21:26

Last I knew it was £60 per day, per kid. Is it worth the risk? £600???

Ridiculous. Of course it isn't!

It's £60 per period of absence, if they recommend a fine at all - highly unlikely for a one off where absence is otherwise good.

MsGameandWatching · 18/04/2018 21:35

attendance

tinytreefrog · 22/04/2018 11:32

I would, so long as it didn't clash with exams etc. My dd1 doesn't like missing school for holidays, so I've decided not to take her out this year, and am paying the higher school holiday price, but have done many times in the past. It's just so much cheaper, when the kids were younger, we couldn't have afforded to have a holiday at all if we hadn't taken them out of school. One week really does no harm.

TheLastNigel · 22/04/2018 11:35

I just took my 12 year old, year 7 out for 4 days. It doesn't seem to have ruined her education or caused many issues for School who were fine with it.
Not sure how they'd feel about older kids..

UsernameMum · 22/04/2018 12:09

No it’s just wrong. School is the priority on term time. You will be able to find a similar beach holiday in school holidays for the same price. Maybe not the Algarve but certainly Spain.

LockedOutOfMN · 22/04/2018 12:19

Definitely not. Go on holiday in the school holidays, there are at least 13 weeks of them per year.

Ratbagratty · 22/04/2018 12:29

When I was at secondary, I missed school y7 due to an illness. I really struggled to catch up esp with the maths. I ended up with a tutor to help me catch up. So I'd say no not a full week.

RowenaDedalus · 22/04/2018 12:35

What's their attendance percentage? That will tell you the likelihood of them getting a fine.