Holidays with kids in school time, have you done it?

milliebear00001

pigpen wrote: »

Other than schools cannot refuse a pupil if there is a space for them this would actually not be an issue. They also have to have 10 days as authorised absence for family holidays, unless it is sats/exams or something else they can prove is vital to the education of that child.

if the child will be away a month they are deregistered and can be reregistered on their return, providing there is still a vacancy this is the only time something like this could be said

So you are deliberately being inflammatory.

But given I have not had a holiday in 5 years I might not care and just go anyway because if 5 days of schooling would cause such a response I am sure one of the other 7 schools in my area would take them on their return.

Have you actually read my post and how many days my children have had off school for holidays ever???

That bit I've highlighted is not correct. Headteachers may allow up to 10 days discretionary absence each academic year, but they don't have to - it is up to the individual Head.

bestpud

Yeah I've taken mine out of school for holidays but a week is the longest and that was at primary age.

It has always been authorised at primary level and I've always told the truth.

At secondary they had a few long weekends. The school wouldn't authorise any absence so I just wrote saying I realise it will be unauthorised but I am taking them out on such and such dates for a family holiday. I did always point out how they had excellent attendance rates and that I'd ensure they found out what had been missed on their return and do any catching up that was necessary in their own time.

I wouldn't dream of lying - personally, I think that's a terrible example to set children! I also wouldn't dream of expecting the teachers to do anything extra to help them when they return, or set extra work before they go. Who wants to spend a holiday looking at worksheets with their children????

I'd far rather teach them to take responsibility for any missed time by catching up. I realise many think taking them out of school is little short of criminal, but I don't think it has that big an impact if you help them catch up.

pigpen

pollypenny wrote: »

Your first point is way off; the introduction and teaching of a topic is actually far more important than the exam which tests it. I know to my cost having missed the intro of algebra - pleurisy, not a holiday!

Secondly, I don't know how a teacher could go off on holiday, while pulling a sickie. In North Wales we are expected to phone in work daily.

And they do algebra at 6??? I don't think so!

If you missed for being ill I am sure the teacher wouldn't have minded going through it 1-2-1 with you like my teachers did me with long division when I had been off for 2 weeks unwell at about 8/9

Most primary teachers I know agree with me and I know 1 who allowed her daughter to go for 2 weeks holiday with her parents because it would be a better experience than 2 weeks of school (year 1) but I suppose as the mum was the childs class teacher she would catch her up anyway

It is just as easy to phone in sick from anywhere else in the world as it is home. When mine missed the 3 days of school I rang the school purely so they didn't ring me..

pigpen

milliebear00001 wrote: »

That bit I've highlighted is not correct. Headteachers may allow up to 10 days discretionary absence each academic year, but they don't have to - it is up to the individual Head.

Ours tells new intake parents she HAS to allow it unless it interferes with SAT's. or they have low attendance already

milliebear00001

pigpen wrote: »

Ours tells new intake parents she HAS to allow it unless it interferes with SAT's

Then she's wrong.

pigpen

I doubt it after 23 years as a head but maybe different local authorities have their own take on guidelines or maybe she isn't 100% b!tch

Money_maker

I was happy to take mine away during school hols when in primary school. Would never consider it for age 11+ when things are more important.

Just put in a request - you'll either get the ok or have it as unauthorised. We used to go early june rather than sept so kids could settle back at school better after the summer hols.

pinkandwhites

milliebear00001 wrote: »

That bit I've highlighted is not correct. Headteachers may allow up to 10 days discretionary absence each academic year, but they don't have to - it is up to the individual Head.

I agree that it up to the individual Headteacher. My sister has two children, one at a primary school and one a secondary school in the same town. The primary school's Head says she can authorise 10 days maximum in any school year if attendance is 90% or higher. But in September this year, it is going to increase to 95%. The secondary school's Head's policy is no holiday, none whatsoever. The only exception being 1 day for a funeral of a close family member. And guess what, that Secondary school has got consistently the best GCSE and A Level results in the town, and pretty much the county and people are falling over themselves to get their children into that school.

chompers

our new headteacher will not authorise even 1 day, as i found out when i took my children to London last February......although i did think this was slightly daft when the school had just 7 days off due to snow - although i made it in to work everyday after doing a round trip to drop the children off at my mums

milliebear00001

pigpen wrote: »

I doubt it after 23 years as a head but maybe different local authorities have their own take on guidelines or maybe she isn't 100% b!tch

The legal position:

What the Law says
The regulations make it clear that parents do not have any right or entitlement to take a child out of school for the purposes of a term-time holiday. The regulations do state that headteachers may, in certain circumstances, grant up to 10 school days leave in a school year for the purposes of an annual family holiday but parents should not expect such leave to be granted as a right.



The Head may be part of a local agreement to grant up to ten days, but there is no requirement in law for her to do this.



I can't comment on the likelihood that's she's a !!!!!.