Can I take leave to watch my own child's nativity?

[wreckedteacher]

As the title says, can I ask for time off to watch my own children's nativities? I have to spend hours on end rehearsing my class to present their Xmas show to their parents; can I watch my own?

I would normally try to swap ppa with someone but maybe you can only do that in primary...

I don't work in a school. We have a block on annual leave in December due to demand. We do allow leave but you have to apply at the start if the year and it is worked out on who had the last 2 years off. Parents won't know when their kids nativity is when they put the request.

I'm with smartie, If our head stays then I'm never leaving my current school. She always lets us go tonthings like this and she goes to her own children's. Everyone foes above and beyond and it's nice to feel it's appreciated and given back.

You can always ask OP or if you think the answer will likely be no you could lie. Honestly, I'd be very tempted if the only other choice was to miss my own DC in their nativity.
Think these threads appear in active, that's why everyone sees them to comment.

Sorry OP, perhaps you should have put in capitals in your OP that you are only interested in help, opinions or suggestions from teachers and other people are not welcome to post.

Oh, and by the way, the reason I posted is because I am an employment law expert and also a director of a multi-academy trust, and very familiar with the Burgundy Book & STPCD. And I thought my view might be helpful.

But I’m not a teacher so do ignore my obviously irrelevant posts.

My advice would be to ask your department first, would anyone be willing to cover and then offer the favour back. Then go to SLT with a plan as has been suggested upthread. I have been lucky with my DCs when they were younger as Nativities etc were always in the evenings so I could go. I have though swapped around in the summer term for sports days, easier because GCSE students would have left. I would happily cover for a parent/teacher, for Nativity, if I had a PPA. The weirdest request turned down, a long time ago was for me to take my DS, as a parent to the school I work in, to year 6 open evening.

Our Prin always lets parents go to school things (or other personal appointments/events) as required. Because of her flexibility, no one takes it for granted, and always goes in with a plan 'I spoke to Sally and she is willing to swap my APT on Tuesday with hers on Thursday and I promised I would take her Wednesday yard duty to make it up to her'. 'No problem.' If someone was pushing their luck, or staff weren't doing their fair share of hours (most staff are in by around 7am), then it could end up stopped, but if everyone does the right thing, then long may it continue.

Most professional parents get 5 weeks holiday a year; they can take a day's holiday to watch their precious little ones or make up the time.

A state school teacher gets 13 weeks holiday a year, which is why you are not entitled to request extra time off.

Have you ever been to a nativity? Do you still want to go?

Director of a multi-academy trust and you're not (never have been?) a teacher?

Therein lies the problem...

”Director of a multi-academy trust and you're not (never have been?) a teacher?

Therein lies the problem...”

You’re kidding, right? You think the OP not being able to get time off for her child’s nativity is because non-teachers are directors of MATs?

You think the MAT I help run would be run better if the board were solely composed of teachers? Instead of those with a wide range of experience and skills?

It'w been a mixed bag in my experience.

But I have traded PPA time to enable a friend to get out for their DC's performance. In nice schools/department there's quite a bit of goodwill between colleagues.

I'm a private school teacher so I actually get 17 weeks off. Doesn't mean I want to be a part of my own kids school lives (hence it resigning), teachers holidays don't make us less entitled to see our own children at school events.

Don't feel bad- any working parent who works a traditional 9-5 can't get 230 nativity show easily in Christmas run up unless they can take holiday- which in many sectors is impossible and especially at short notice, which schools seem to be totally unable to comprehend! (2 weeks is short notice for most yes?)

teachers holidays don't make us less entitled to see our own children at school events.

The key point that’s been made already is that no one is entitled to time off to watch their children’s school play.

Teaching has never been flexible term time for things like that. You must have known this going in.

In my MAT, we have been given a day off to be taken between now and Christmas. We will cover for each other. The goodwill it has engendered is significant. We can do it because we are a tiny school (alternative provision) and it is not the staffing nightmare it would be in a mainstream secondary. I have however always viewed having the holidays with my children as adequate compensation for missing daytime events. My DH went to those. He worked through much of their holidays.

Sorry but its not just teachers who have to work when their children have things on at school or if they do get to go you have to beg.

No point in asking in my school as the answer would always be no. I even had to submit a request to the chair of governors to be allowed to attend my mother's funeral. No guarantee that I would be given the time, it is madness. Needless to say I don't work there anymore.

”Director of a multi-academy trust and you're not (never have been?) a teacher?

Therein lies the problem...”

You’re kidding, right? You think the OP not being able to get time off for her child’s nativity is because non-teachers are directors of MATs?

Umm... nope. I'm pretty sure she meant therein lie many of the problems of the whole bloody education system. And rightly so.

MAT directors/trustees are involved in the governance of schools. Governors have always been recruited from outside teaching. In our MAT there are 2 staff trustees. Same as most governing bodies.

Sorry for the sharp comment flowery.
But I work in an academy and it's absolutely dreadful. Compared to my last three council-run schools, the academy well and truly feels like it's all about profit. Teachers are stretched beyond belief, and everything is so corporate and sterile. If you don't tow the party line or dare to question anything, you're out.
I'm leaving at Christmas.

All secondaries in my county are academies.

leccy unfortunately it’s pretty much the same in most schools at the moment, regardless of whether they’re state run or not.

Profit? We always feel like we are teetering on the edge of financial oblivion.

In my school this would not have been an issue until a couple of years ago. The head new all the extras we did far outweighed the occasional request for time off in term. Now, you would be allowed the time off but it would be unpaid, it’s starting to make staff less reluctant to do all the extras.