Kids hols during termtime - 10 days max ?

zolablue25

These rules are generally a nonsense. As already stated kids can benefit enormously from foreign travel/culture. I accept that SATS and during exams in secondary school time shouldn't be taken but really, stopping kids as young as 4 from taking time off is ridiculous. What are they missing?? Finger painting??
I believe the rules were put in place to help prevent truancy but one block of 10 or 11 days is not the same as persistant absences where the child is just 'bunking off'.

jockettuk

spursman wrote:

My wife is a Primary School Head
she informs me no days are allowed for holidays it is just that some schools bend & let a maximum of 10 days a year. As for the £100 a day fine this is illegal you can get fined once £50 a child payable within 28 days if not paid court proceedings are instigated with worse case scenario a prison spell for 1 of the parents. depending on your childrens attendance record 2 days unauthorised absence should be no problem BUT if this goes to over 10 days unauthorised absence in a school year an EDUCATIONAL WELFARE OFFICER(Truancy Officer) will be called in & they are much tougher than dealing with the school> My wife says she is always getting request's for term time holidays & she reviews each case individually & quite often refuses the request(one of her arguments is how would parents feel if the Teachers took 10 days holiday cos the prices were cheaper in term time) if you request the holiday & it is refused but you still take your children out expect a fine & a visit from an EWO. schools are now asking for Doctors certificates for absences of more than 3 days.
no doubt i will now get my head bitten off but i'm only reporting facts of course different schools bend the rules in different ways.
As for Tony Blairs children if they go to private school the rules are different & if you have Parents whose jobs require specific times for holidays the rules are different again so TONY B LIAR may get round it by 1 of the 2 above rules
hope this helps
all the best
Spursman
btw my wife works in a KCC school but the absence from school laws are nationwide(england)

this sounds very much the rules at our primary school and also the secondary schools ive been looking at.. oh and what does KCC stand for .. presuming the cc is county council

spursman

Kent County Council

cheekymole

Family holidays during term
Wherever possible, you should take your holidays during school holidays. Avoid taking your child on holiday at critical times during their education, e.g. at the beginning of the academic year - especially if they change schools, or when your child should be taking exams or tests.

You should not expect your child's school to agree to a family holiday during term time. The school will carefully consider your request and they may take your child's attendance record into account. Schools will not agree to your child missing more than a total of 10 school days for family holidays in any one school year, unless there is a very good reason.

If your child is off school for more than 10 days, the school may set work for them to do while you are away.

from

http://www.parentscentre.gov.uk/rightsandresponsibilities/behaviourandattendanceyourresponsibilities/schoolattendanceyourresponsibilities/

spursman

thanks cheeky mole although i'm married to a teacher still doesnt make me literate you said it so much better than i could

cheekymole

Thanks spursman for trying to make me look clever but that was taken from the government website (at least one of them must be clever then?!!!)

Norman-B

cheekymole wrote:

Family holidays during term
Wherever possible, you should take your holidays during school holidays. Avoid taking your child on holiday at critical times during their education, e.g. at the beginning of the academic year - especially if they change schools, or when your child should be taking exams or tests.

You should not expect your child's school to agree to a family holiday during term time. The school will carefully consider your request and they may take your child's attendance record into account. Schools will not agree to your child missing more than a total of 10 school days for family holidays in any one school year, unless there is a very good reason.

If your child is off school for more than 10 days, the school may set work for them to do while you are away.

from

http://www.parentscentre.gov.uk/rightsandresponsibilities/behaviourandattendanceyourresponsibilities/schoolattendanceyourresponsibilities/

Perhaps it's me (or the glass of Irish!) but I see a contradiction here.

Schools will not agree to your child missing more than 10 days etc.
Followed by, If your child is off for more than 10 days etc.

Funny thing is in my grandson's case, we were informed that there is no exceptions to children requesting to have time off between Jan and June and yet two families have just returned from a holiday in Thailand! Funny old world.

?

hammy_the_hammer

i don't see the educational benefits of travel for children when they experience 14 days sitting and playing around a swimming pool combined with 14 nights sat outside the kings head on one of the costas. the experience of travel isn't heightened because you've gone 6 weeks earlier than others but paid £500 less. i'm afraid that those who haven't 'abused' the system fall foul of it when they are totally genuine with their request.

ka7e

My sister had to pull out of a holiday with friends last year as her children's school refused to sign a release for them during term time. It didn't coincide with an SATs, it is just recently-introduced school policy. She tried again in Oct for a few days tacked on to half-term to go to Barcelona (obviously not a sun and sand type of holiday at that time of year) and was refused again. She had a wrtten reprimand from the school when she went ahead anyway.
She says given the same circumstances again she would just write them a sick note!

divadee

We go off in 3 weeks for a trip to florida, i did try and incorporate the half term but ballsed up and got the wrong week, so little miss divadee will be having 3 weeks off in total - ooppsss

I got permission and actually asked for 11 days, we return the sunday but thought she might be to tired to go to school the monday. This was refused but 10 days was allowed. When i explained to the school secretary that we actually come back the sunday so she might come in depending how she feels. she said to me 'well jet lag is an illness ya know' wink wink nudge nudge!!!

So i have got the permission and if she cant make the monday will phone in sick

I dont think there is anything wrong in having 2 weeks off at a quiet time of the school year.