taking children out of school for holidays in term time

74jax

My daughter is out of school every Novemeber for 1 week. We have to write to the school and the Head then calls me in to discuss the reasons why.

I don't mind going in and explaining, the Head is very approachable and opening to discussion of ways my daughter can catch up on work.

She goes away with her Dad during this week and always takes school work with her to do a little a day.

I think because it is close to the Christmas holidays and she isn't involved in exams etc yet this is ok, obviously there will come a time when unfortunately she won't be able to, but at the moment the Head is very accommodating.

It works out ok for me too, as I get a week away with my partner for some sun without paying school holiday prices!

dizziblonde

Fluffi wrote: »

Totally agree ... but at least people would be able to book 2 week breaks without their children missing any school.

I find it crazy that children don't have textbooks any more though ... not even for Maths? How are parents meant to keep track of exactly what their children are learning and be able to support their kids learning? If I was a parent I'd definately want access to a detailed curriculum and learning objectives so that I could check on my child's progress and make sure the school didn't miss anything!

Know those letters that are generally a rumpled mess at the bottom of your child's bookbag? Those generally. Haven't been in many schools where they don't send a curriculum update up on a termly/half-termly basis - or put it on the school website with the topics being done.

If you're feeling particularly obsessional (or bored), go onto the internet, google the literacy and numeracy framework, ask the school what block and unit they're on at that time and you can sit at home and highlight it all off to your heart's content (note, recommend printing it out first - highlighter on PC monitors might be a touch messy). The curriculum stuff is all out there in the public domain (we don't just pull ideas of what to teach off the top of our head) - you just need to look it up and realize that schools swap units around on occasion - particularly with Maths, I used to switch the unit order around for the simple reason that otherwise you ended up with all of KS2 doing measurement in the same 2-3 weeks and had to get to the maths cupboard at 7am to get dibs on all the metre sticks. Google literacy and numeracy frameworks and you should be able to find it pretty quickly. For phonics Google "letters and sounds" - might need to ask the school what phase they're on to work out exactly where they're at through that. Heck if you want to - you can go to a bookshop and buy the National Curriculum for £25 - but it's not really going to be much use in terms of a master checklist as lots of it is very general and backed up by other documentation/guidance.

I use textbooks, but I use them selectively and dip in and out of a fair few. Lots of schools use schemes like Abacus but with how things have changed lots of it tends to be practical or paired work rather than page 4 of book 1 (they do come with textbooks though). The days like when I was at primary school of starting at one end, working through to the other end and bring it out to the teacher at the end of each page for a set of ticks (in RED PEN shockingly - how we weren't scarred for life is beyond me) are long gone. Shame cos I never did win the race to see who could get through the purple book fastest. I think schools are more wary of buying into schemes of textbooks these days as they get obsoleted with curriculum changes pretty easily - and it's not that long since they changed the Literacy/Numeracy frameworks in Primary. Lots of teaching materials as well are online on subscription services that schools have bought into as well these days with how the world's changed.

kelloggs36

Our school still marks with red pen!!!

milliebear00001

sh1305 wrote: »

I would refuse to do this:
In year 11, I was off ill for 3 weeks. I was given no work - my parents requested this. When I got back and asked what I'd missed, I got told not to worry and that I would get no help in catching up.

One teacher did blame me for being off (I had no choice - I was recovering from an operation) and said I should've come in. Yeah, I was in so much pain from dressing changes and did have problems with dressing changes and first aid weren't allowed to do anything. (because it was an existing wound - if I'd hurt myself at school, they would've done something)

I feel more sorry for the kids who have to give up two lunchtimes to sit the boring tests while their mates are in the playground!

milliebear00001

Fluffi wrote: »

Totally agree ... but at least people would be able to book 2 week breaks without their children missing any school.

I find it crazy that children don't have textbooks any more though ... not even for Maths? How are parents meant to keep track of exactly what their children are learning and be able to support their kids learning? If I was a parent I'd definately want access to a detailed curriculum and learning objectives so that I could check on my child's progress and make sure the school didn't miss anything!

Erm - how about asking your kid's teacher? Parents' Eve? Reports? If you want a week-by-week, blow-by-blow record of everything your child learns/does not learn, then I think you'd be better off home-edding - that way you get to control absolutely everything! Parents are not meant to 'keep track of exactly what their children are learning...' - that's surely why you entrust their formal education to a qualified teacher and send them to school?

Believe me, a text-book is NOT the best way to track your child's progress.

mum2one

I'm a single parent and as well as being penailised for my daughter having to pay an adult rate as hotel rooms are sold on the basis of 2 adults, but once you see the brochere prices for peak periods its almost double in some areas.

I personally think that the goverment should target the holiday companies, and pull them in line with the rest of the pricing structure and then we won't take our children out.

Our school was 10 days but they have reduced it to 5days with discretion, so for the last 2 years used a couple of the days at the start or the end of the easter holidays, even those couple of days make a difference financially, but I do try to make sure that my daughter does some eductional material while away, and also try to see places the best that we can. Doesn't help being disabled on crutches, so thats fun and games booking a holiday.

evergreen

I am a grand parent and to be honest I think because of the fact that these days both parents need to work to pay everyday bills, a holiday is essential to give a family time to enjoy together. Whether its cost or work committments that mean the hoiliday needs to be in term time, most younger children will not suffer missing 2 weeks of school and travelling educates them in a different way from sitting in the class. As the child gets older then this may not be the case, but surely most parents are aware of their childrens capability and would consider whether or not their education would suffer.

jdvhsully

The debate about school's and allowing holiday's in term time is a big issue. As a support staff member in a secondary school I cannot take anytime off. I am stuck to the school holidays on a salary that is pro-rata.
I understand that for parents to be fined £50 or £100 is not a lot compared to the cost savings by having a holiday in term time.
At my school we will authorise up to 10 days per academic year depending on the childs attendance percentage. We do not issue work.
Surely what needs to happen is that the costs for a holiday should not double/treble when school's out. When you look at a brochure you don't need to look at the dates- look at the prices and that tells you when the school holidays are!!!!

Lotus-eater

jdvhsully wrote: »

Surely what needs to happen is that the costs for a holiday should not double/treble when school's out. When you look at a brochure you don't need to look at the dates- look at the prices and that tells you when the school holidays are!!!!

People keep saying that, but obviously that's not going to happen, the travel industry is a miriad of different firms getting them to agree to anything is just daft to think about.
The school system is run by one authority afaik and could be changed.

Whether it should be, is a moot point, the fact that you are blaming the travel industry is not.

squashy

It would be one thing if the children were just absent from school for 2 weeks but had 100% attendance the rest of the time. The reality is that the families requesting holidays in general tend to have a pattern of days off for trivial reasons- a couple of days off because uncle is ill, a photograph sitting, a fortnight off for a cold "just to be on the safe side", late return from half term break as they "missed the ferry back from Ireland". Is it any wonder schools are getting strict about it?

Also, there are plenty of opportunities for holidays throughout the year. There is one 6 week break, two 2 week breaks and three 1 week breaks. Anyway what is wrong with a caravan in Skegness or a long weekend in the Yorkshire Dales?