Help r.e letter to headmaster.

gregg1

peachyprice wrote: »

They'll be great candidates for the Travel & Leisure BTEC :rotfl::rotfl:

Hadn't thought of that! That's worrying - what's the betting that will be on the GCSE list before too long?

gregg1

dizziblonde wrote: »

As I explained - teachers actually aren't meant to plan too far ahead. All I'll generally know is that in week 5 of term I'm meant to be covering report writing and division or something, and it won't be till the end of week 4 (usually a weekend) that I sit down, look at how far we've got in the previous week's work, and work out exactly how I'll cover that day-by-day because it might be that stuff has had to be pushed forward and back because of school events, or it might be that the kids just didn't get it and I've got to go back over something.

As for a show of goodwill - give me a break. You're choosing to take her out of school, and going in telling the teacher "you're supposed to plan well ahead what will she be missing" and expecting work... no chance. The work will be set, available in school Monday to Friday - you're making the choice to deny your child that work, don't expect teachers to work around you choosing to remove your child from education for those weeks.

Excellent post.

gabyjane

gregg what's the prob with her being top of the class? honestly guys make your mind up either the teacher helps children catch up or they don't? I NEVER expect a teacher to especially set work for dd just ask out of goodwill..i also never hear of anyone suffering due to possibly someone having a holiday i know dd never has and of she has we have never noticed it. 3 of my good friends are teachers and have never heard of this tbh.
dd is now almost 11 and if she has done as well as she has with her 'numerous holidays every year' then great, maybe we are lucky hey?
Im noyt really interested anymore tbh as we are now going anyway so thanks to the sensibel useful posts!!

loftus

I normally stay away from "holiday in school time" threads because they always descend into these arguments.
However the last post by the OP irked me.

1) You had already decided you were taking your child out of school "anyway".
2) If this is a regular occurance as you seem to suggest why do you need help writing letters in the first place.
3) Sensible posts - this is usually forum shorthand for posts that agree with you. Don't post on a messageboard if you don't want conflicting opinions.

Nenen

Some further points for people to consider, which may give a little more insight into why most teachers think term time holidays are disruptive (both to the child being taken out and to the rest of the class) and therefore believe they should be avoided unless absolutely necessary:

The OP stated that she values education, however I don't think this is the message anyone taking term-time holidays is giving their child. In my opinion, taking a child out of school for anything other than ill health or a family emergency is giving a clear message to the child that their education is less important than whatever you are planning on doing. You are also effectively saying that the professional judgement of the education authority and the school (who usually make it very clear that they would prefer you not to do this) can be ignored, as can the effects of your decision upon the teacher and the other children in the class.

Teachers far more eloquent than I am have already explained the academic consequences upon the holidaying child and others but I would also consider the social difficulties term time absence cause. The change in group dynamics when a child is absent can often cause disruption, best friends left behind finding it particularly difficult, and this can cause a domino effect in the playground which inevitably spills over into the classroom. Teachers often have to rejig groups, sort out friendship issues and generally waste teaching time in order to compensate for the missing child. When the child returns from holiday all this has to be resorted, not always easy if a best friend has now formed a different friendship during the two weeks they were left alone. I have witnessed several occasions when a child returning from holiday has become distressed at being excluded from a friendship group by children who were understandably angry and jealous at being left in school while their friend went off on holiday.

In primary schools, a holidaying child often returns to school full of excitement, desparate to tell his/her teacher and classmates all about the holiday (often bringing artefacts and photographs to show) wasting yet more teaching time. Personally I have never been able to avoid letting them do this because I don't think it is fair on a young child, who would not understand why the teacher does not share their holiday excitement or feel that this is not the best use of lesson time. Before anyone tells me that discussing a holiday could be a golden teaching opportunity, I do know that and do it at the start of each term when every child has an opportunity to join in and talk about something they have done in the school holiday.

Having worked in both state maintained and private schools I am very aware of how parents who send their children to private schools are FAR less likely to request term-time holidays (even in schools where heads are amenable to this) as they realise the 'value' of their child's education when they are paying for it. Wasting 2 weeks school fees (usually in the region of £200- £350 per week) seems to focus their minds on its value! In a state maintained school parents who take their child out of school are effectively wasting tax payers money (albeit rather less than £350 per week) as the school has been funded to teach the number of children on role.

I think it is interesting that until relatively recently schools regularly sanctioned holidays in school time and the consent forms were a rubber stamping exercise. Since testing and league tables have come into force (although I am not for one minute saying I like them) many schools and/or education authorities have taken a much harder line on term-time holidays, enforcing fines etc. This suggests that holidays in term time have a significant detrimental effect upon exam results even at primary level.

Finally, if a parent chooses to take their child for two weeks holiday during term time every year then, over the course of 12 years compulsory schooling, the child will have missed 24 weeks, which is almost two thirds of a whole school year (38 teaching weeks).

gabyjane

loftus wrote: »

I normally stay away from "holiday in school time" threads because they always descend into these arguments.
However the last post by the OP irked me.

1) You had already decided you were taking your child out of school "anyway".
2) If this is a regular occurance as you seem to suggest why do you need help writing letters in the first place.
3) Sensible posts - this is usually forum shorthand for posts that agree with you. Don't post on a messageboard if you don't want conflicting opinions.

1) Yes i had already decided we were going to take her BUT we had previously written to the head r.e different dates but unfortunatly he did not respond as away. The trip we are doing is a cruise, they run certain times and you either go when they do or not at all..we decided to book as very few rooms left and hoped he would say yes.
2) It has been a regular occurance since she has been 1 however we have always booked after we have asked and got the all clear..this is diff too as she will be in yr 6 and her last year, it was important that i knew we weren't going at a crucial time.
3) I dont mind the negative replys to me but i do mind the ones between others saying..'yes the teacher works damn hard to bring the child up to speed while on holiday' and then another who says 'why should i catch up with a child who has been away and dirupt the other children'..not really sure what happens in dd's class but still to late now, we will ask for some work and if not then we will deal with it after then.

gregg1

gabyjane wrote: »

1) Yes i had already decided we were going to take her BUT we had previously written to the head r.e different dates but unfortunatly he did not respond as away. The trip we are doing is a cruise, they run certain times and you either go when they do or not at all..we decided to book as very few rooms left and hoped he would say yes.
2) It has been a regular occurance since she has been 1 however we have always booked after we have asked and got the all clear..this is diff too as she will be in yr 6 and her last year, it was important that i knew we weren't going at a crucial time.
3) I dont mind the negative replys to me but i do mind the ones between others saying..'yes the teacher works damn hard to bring the child up to speed while on holiday' and then another who says 'why should i catch up with a child who has been away and dirupt the other children'..not really sure what happens in dd's class but still to late now, we will ask for some work and if not then we will deal with it after then.

Loftus and Nenen have both hit the nail on the head with their posts. Like I said before, if you can't deal with the feedback, don't ask the question!

gabyjane

Where have i said i cant deal with the feedback? tbh now i 'm not really fussed as what will be will be.

bonty44

Gabyjane, I can't believe some of the responses you've had. Hope the Headteacher gets back to you and is understanding! They've all finished their SATS in Year 6 now so from that point of view she won't be missing out but I just hope that she doesn't miss any induction sessions to her Secondary School.

Best wishes.

gabyjane

Thankyou bonty44..we will have a fab holiday regardless! the letter is done, the holiday forms are filled in and i will drop into school this afternoon and await the outcome!!
thanks