Taking children out of school in term time

jackieblack

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

It was Texas earlier this year & somewhere slightly less exotic in October. Next year, at this early stage, its looking like it will be acombination of Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia & Delaware. Probably in the weeks around half term at the end of May. It looks liek we'll wait a bit longer before we venture to Hawaii.

I'll keep an eye out for your planning thread for Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia & Delaware then Murphy as that's a trip we're planning for a couple of year's time!

Murphy_The_Cat

sunshinetours wrote: »

I am sorry but with Sun £9.50 holidays and such like I don't agree.

The "entitled to" culture we now live in has bred this belief that all and sundry are entitled to a plasma TV, foreign holidays and nice new shiny car as "basics" of life.

Some people can afford certain things in life and others can't - that is the world we live in. This has nothing to do with spending quality time with your family. You can do that without spending fortunes as many people used and still do

For me the only caveat would be those who are forced by employment or work requirements to holiday at certain times of year. I can see the argument there

(never apologise for saying something that you mean )
I've never taken a Sun £9.50 holiday, so I am unable to comment on their suitability for families (but I'm fairly sure that they are family suitable holidays), but some of my friends have told me that availability and date selection can sometimes be very patchy.

Quality time with the family - I'm at my absolute happiest doing stone skimming, 'on the swings' or building lego. All things that I unfortunately can't do most days of the week, for nearly all the weeks in the year. grrrrrrrrr.

I can't speak for others on this one, but I am "forced by employment or work requirements to holiday at certain times of year.". Whilst my children are still young, I'm going to take advantge of the goodwill of my childrens school for as long as I reasonably, which, if I'm honest, may be 2 years, may be 3 years:beer:

maemaesmummy

At our dd's school they are allowed 20 days from reception to leaving junior school :mad: which have to be applied for...after that its £50 fine per child per parent for "unauthorised leave"...

However I would have no hesitation to take her out if it meant this was the only way we could afford a holiday.

We went this year in August (in the summer hols) and paid nearly £8.5k for 18 nights... the exact same holiday for now was just over £5k which is just crazy.

chocolateteddy

Hi we booked xmas 09 for our feb 2011 holiday we are suffolk. In norfolk feb 1/2 term is the week beginning 14th feb so not all authorities are off same week. Friend of ours has one child in high school in norfolk and a child in primary school in suffolk, lives near border, so has children off different weeks in feb

Murphy_The_Cat

maemaesmummy wrote: »

At our dd's school they are allowed 20 days from reception to leaving junior school :mad: which have to be applied for...after that its £50 fine per child per parent for "unauthorised leave"...

That sounds like a schools policy, rather than from a Local Education Authority, am I correct ?

jackieblack

chocolateteddy wrote: »

Hi we booked xmas 09 for our feb 2011 holiday we are suffolk. In norfolk feb 1/2 term is the week beginning 14th feb so not all authorities are off same week. Friend of ours has one child in high school in norfolk and a child in primary school in suffolk, lives near border, so has children off different weeks in feb

Well I guess that's the chance your friend takes if they choose to send their children to schools in different Local Authority areas, however, I think you'll find both Norfolk & Suffolk have the same week in Feb 2011 (and it's not w/c 14th!)

http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/Schools/TermDates/TermDatesForAcademicYear2010-2011.htm

http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/Consumption/groups/public/documents/article/ncc073126.pdf

bestpud

I have to say I feel my eyes rolling slightly when I hear people talking about the education their child will have on the family holiday so I'm sure HT's feel the same.

They are bound to learn something but whether it will be as much, or as important, and what they'd learn in school is a moot point.

Doesn't stop me taking dd out in term time and tbh I would even if the school refused and/or I was fined because, for me, it's about avoiding crowds and it makes a massive difference to our experience (i.e. it is personal choice and not a necessity).

I usually put it is for personal, financial and practical reasons and I've never been questioned further but I'd tell it like it is if I were.

When my older two were at school, they were not allowed time off for holidays so I would write and say I acknowledge that and therefore they will be talking x unauthorised days. I was never questioned further then, either.

HT's aren't daft so we may as well be honest about it imo.

julie2710

I can understand not taking children out of school at critical times but as a full-time working single parent of a 5 and 2 year old I will for the first time be takimng my boys abroad this October. I will be taking the eldest out of school for one day which has saved me a total of £360 on flights!!! To be honest I couldn't afford a holiday abroad if I'd had to pay the extra.

I know some people will say that if I couldn't afford it then I shouldn't be feeling I'm entitled to a holiday but in the grand scheme of things I don't think an odd day off will produce a university drop-out compared to a top-lawyer?

I agree that the holiday companies and flight companies should not be able to get away with such dramatic proce increases just because they know it is half-term! Legalised robbery springs to mind!

jackieblack

julie2710 wrote: »

I agree that the holiday companies and flight companies should not be able to get away with such dramatic proce increases just because they know it is half-term! Legalised robbery springs to mind!

Surely the laws of 'supply and demand' dictate that prices will be higher at peak times, when demand is greatest.

If it were up to me I'd stagger the school holidays, county by county, to avoid the peaks of demand.:D

As long as people continue to pay peak-time prices (and some people do just accept that if they want to have a holiday during peak times then they have to pay peak prices) tour operators will continue to charge them!

maemaesmummy

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

That sounds like a schools policy, rather than from a Local Education Authority, am I correct ?

no its the LEA :mad: it came into force last year