holidays in term time

Mrs_Arcanum

NickyBat wrote: »

No it's not about affording it, as i have already said it's the principle of it (in my case anyway).
I also don't think it's my god given right to take mine out of school, but also don't think it's that bigger deal either (as long as it's not done frequently).
I have taken mine out of school for a holiday i also asked the teacher to give me the work he would miss while we were away and he did it when we came back.
As a child, i never had a holiday with my parents because they simply could not afford it, and whilst education is very important, so is a bit of time out and a bit of fun!

Same here. Only had 2 family holidays, once when I was 6 to Cornwall in early May and then when 13 in September to Italy as a final family holiday (father died in the November).

Took ours out of school for 2 weeks 5 years ago (with full approval) for a once in a lifetime trip (cost would have gone up to triple in school holidays and forever beyond the reach of our savings). Just seen DS teachers & in year 7 he is on a minimum level 6 in each subject with English level 7 maths close to level 8 (the average for the year is level 5). DD is predicted to get A or A* for her GCSEs. So they lost sooo much education by being away from school - NOT!

Zoetoes

I can't think of any holiday we've had in the school holidays, there are kids that are off more for having the sniffles than mine have been off for a holiday.

The holiday we had last year the teachers couldn't wait to hear all about and see the photos.

This year I admit is it more of just lying on the beach and having some time together, (although we will go to see the roman parts etc), my kids are bright and are/were never off sick.

We are having a week in June this year.

Also, the school's policy is 10 days per year (at head's discretion) but for some reason they won't authorise 2 lots of 5 days.

carolpinkdreamer

To be fair, a lot of school have attendance commented upon by Ofsted inspectors and they have to show that they are TRYING to deter people from taking term time holidays. All that happens at our school is the absence is marked as unauthorised holiday (which is a spearate code to just general unauthorised). No other repurcussions at all.

throughtherain

NickyBat wrote: »

No it's not about affording it, as i have already said it's the principle of it (in my case anyway).
I also don't think it's my god given right to take mine out of school, but also don't think it's that bigger deal either (as long as it's not done frequently).
I have taken mine out of school for a holiday i also asked the teacher to give me the work he would miss while we were away and he did it when we came back.
As a child, i never had a holiday with my parents because they simply could not afford it, and whilst education is very important, so is a bit of time out and a bit of fun!

I cannot actually believe that anybody would have the audacity to ask the teacher to provide work for while the child is on holiday. Why should a teacher's time and energy be taken away from the class as a whole because one particular child is going on holiday?! I can understand absence due to illness but I'm sorry, if you take your child out of school by choice, the responsibility to educate them should fall on your shoulders, not the teacher's.

We didn't go on holidays every year as parents couldn't afford it, but did go occasionally. Never would I have been taken out of school and I would have hated my parents to have done so. I would have felt very anxious that I had missed work and I can say from experience that when children are absent, even for one day, they do not achieve the same success as students who are present.

I don't want to make anyone feel bad, it's each parent's own decision how to raise their children, I just hope that they make a reasoned decision and don't just decide to take children out of school because it fits their finances better.

NickyBat

throughtherain wrote: »

I cannot actually believe that anybody would have the audacity to ask the teacher to provide work for while the child is on holiday. Why should a teacher's time and energy be taken away from the class as a whole because one particular child is going on holiday?! I can understand absence due to illness but I'm sorry, if you take your child out of school by choice, the responsibility to educate them should fall on your shoulders, not the teacher's.

We didn't go on holidays every year as parents couldn't afford it, but did go occasionally. Never would I have been taken out of school and I would have hated my parents to have done so. I would have felt very anxious that I had missed work and I can say from experience that when children are absent, even for one day, they do not achieve the same success as students who are present.

I don't want to make anyone feel bad, it's each parent's own decision how to raise their children, I just hope that they make a reasoned decision and don't just decide to take children out of school because it fits their finances better.

Oh get down off your high horse, it is actually something our school promotes - if your child is out of school (for whatever reason) speak to the class teacher and any work that is missed can be given to catch up on.

Zoetoes

NickyBat wrote: »

Oh get down off your high horse, it is actually something our school promotes - if your child is out of school (for whatever reason) speak to the class teacher and any work that is missed can be given to catch up on.

You'd get stick if you said you didn't ask for work :cool:

NickyBat

Zoetoes wrote: »

You'd get stick if you said you didn't ask for work :cool:

Some people just want to have a go whatever the case

ShAnE

I used to miss a week every year, as my parents could only afford to go then. Never did me any harm. I graduated with first class (hons) in BSc Computer Science. The real harm came when I need an operation 2 months before my GCSEs and missed out on the last 6 weeks of school.
I'm not sure what the repercussions are these days, although it would be an unfortunate coincidence if they fell ill at the time they were due to go on holiday Just nothing bad enough to waste a doctors time.

throughtherain

NickyBat wrote: »

Oh get down off your high horse, it is actually something our school promotes - if your child is out of school (for whatever reason) speak to the class teacher and any work that is missed can be given to catch up on.

The school promotes it because they want to minimise the damage that is inflicted on children by being taken out of school.

I am sorry if you think I'm on my high horse, but this is evidently a very polarising issue.

ShAnE - it's great that missing school did you no harm, but it would be incorrect to suggest it's the same for all children. I don't doubt that there are children who can still succeed but there are (and I know from experience) lots of children whose educations suffer significantly from being taken out of school for holidays, and children who learn to not value education as a result of this.

Guess we'll all have to agree to disagree.

chaosweddings

we went away last october, my ds only needed 2 1/2 days off school for our 2 week florida holiday because we were going over half term and there was 1 non pupil day and 1 half day,

my ds only started the at the senior school year 7 in september 2010 so i got a holiday request form in april 2010 and handed it in, to which they said i can not hand it in as he has not started school yet,
The 1st day of school in september i handed it in, it took 4 weeks for them to reply and it was not authorised as not enough notice was given.:mad:

i contacted the school and was told that the educaton welfare officer would be contacting me about the 2 1/2 days off , she did but said it was a one off as ds has never been off school before and no action would be taken.

on our return from holiday ds set of for school on the monday to find the school closed for a teacher training day other paretns only got the letter about it on the thursday before

we are going away again next year but have already had it authorised as dh is in the services and is posted abroad for 8 months so we are going over to see him for 2 weeks