taking children out of school at term time

vodkachick68

Hi all

Hope this is the right place to post this. We are off to Tunisia on the 15th July. This means i need to take my 2 children out of school for 6 days before the beginning of the summer holidays. Now i know i should have booked this within the school holidays but financially it was £500 more to go a week later! Anyway being the honest parent that i am,i filled in the request form,which came back today and they have refused her the time off.
What i want to know is has anyone else had this happen? Also will i get a fine?

Thanks

staffie1

Of course they've refused. Her education is more important than you saving 500 quid on a holiday. Isn't it..? You might get fined if you insist on disrupting her education.

sodamnfunky

I had this happen once, and I just went in and told them I was taking my daughter on holiday, as I couldnt afford to do it during the holidays. I then added unless they wanted to pay the extra, they were going.
I just took them anyway.

Never been refused since

Idiophreak

vodkachick68 wrote: »

Hi all

Hope this is the right place to post this. We are off to Tunisia on the 15th July. This means i need to take my 2 children out of school for 6 days before the beginning of the summer holidays. Now i know i should have booked this within the school holidays but financially it was £500 more to go a week later! Anyway being the honest parent that i am,i filled in the request form,which came back today and they have refused her the time off.
What i want to know is has anyone else had this happen? Also will i get a fine?

Thanks

Why not speak to the school and ask them what will happen?

Tell them that you've booked a place, so will be taking the kids out whatever happens.

You'll get an ear-bashing from them, most likely, but then I guess you've got to expect that...

vodkachick68

Staffie1
You are entitled to your opinion and i do respect that. My question was aimed at any other parents that this has happened to. Also everyones financial circumstances are different,and i along with alot of other people cannot afford to pay school holiday prices,especially in this current climate.
My other point i didn't add in my previous post,is that in the last few days of school all they do is watch dvds!

Kez100

I would also speak to them as they know the score and I certainly don't.

We choose to change our holiday type so it is affordable during school holidays and do feel quite strongly about it but, if I were ever to take them out, then the last few days before year end would be when I would do it. Everyone is gearing down, there appears to be less work done generally and very little, if any, homework. They probably miss the afternoon in their new class and maybe the odd concert(which depends on your childrens likely appearances in these) My daughter missed the class change move through sickness last year and it didn't affect her at all when she went back as everything seemed new after six weeks off anyway.

Schools are harrassed by ofsted about attendance so don't get shirty with them. It's not their fault. Be humble and accept it is your fault for wanting to save money but that is the way it is.

clairbear_3

I take my daughter out of school for 2 weeks every JAN and thought that 2 weeks per year was generally tolerated I write to school and have no probs
My partner works over XMAS/Easter so this suits us although when she goes to secondary school might reconsider
I think unapproved absence is taken seriosly and results in a least a fine
Pretty severe especially with the number of schoolda s lost to teacher training

boobyd

The standard penalty at the moment is £50 per child if the school has refused and then reports you to Local Authority.
If your childs absence is ok, and there schooling is fine speak to a teacher you know ?

Lady_E

We took DS1 out of school just before Christmas as his Grandma was not well,he is in Year 4. The school said that had we taken it as holiday as opposed to compassionate ,it would have been refused and the result of that would mean it went on his record. This in turn would mean that if his level of sickness was high(it isnt)then we would have received a letter from the LEA. I think it depends what age the child is, then you make an informed decision as to what action you take .

sturll

staffie1 wrote: »

Of course they've refused. Her education is more important than you saving 500 quid on a holiday. Isn't it..? You might get fined if you insist on disrupting her education.

What a lame comment to make.

2 weeks holiday and a saving of £500 - or 2 weeks schooling out of the 11 years the child will be at school.

The reality is for many parents its a case of holiday during term time or dont holiday.

Besides these days family values and bonding is dwindling. Nothing like a good holiday to reignite the love :kisses3:

vodkachick68

Thanks for all your swift replies.

I think i shall write a letter to my daughters tutor explaining that the holiday is already booked and unfortuntely i will have to take her out unauthorised. It does annoy me slightly as my daughter has had 100% attendance,and we have never taken her out in term time before. I don't think that the school my daughter goes fines anyway,but if i have to pay £50 then so be it.