Holiday in term time not authorised, will I be fined?

onlyroz

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

So that means my kids teachers got a days less holiday than their colleagues at neighbouring schools then,as they had the training day on monday when other teachers were off and were back teaching on tues whilst others were training...

No, the school will arrange 5 training days whenever they like spread over the whole year. The teachers don't get any extra pay for these days. As another poster said, they were introduced by Kenneth Baker, who thought that teachers would jump at the chance to work an extra 5 days per year for no extra pay.

My view is that if you don't like the rules that apply when sending your child to a state-funded school then either find a private one that meets your requirements, or home-educate. As with anything, I think it's wrong to pick and choose which rules you follow.

Bumpmakesfour

onlyroz wrote: »

My view is that if you don't like the rules that apply when sending your child to a state-funded school then either find a private one that meets your requirements, or home-educate. As with anything, I think it's wrong to pick and choose which rules you follow.

Yup because the very same people that can't afford the august holiday prices could easily fork out 2/3k a term for a private school..right??

thatgirlsam

onlyroz wrote: »

No, the school will arrange 5 training days whenever they like spread over the whole year. The teachers don't get any extra pay for these days. As another poster said, they were introduced by Kenneth Baker, who thought that teachers would jump at the chance to work an extra 5 days per year for no extra pay.

My view is that if you don't like the rules that apply when sending your child to a state-funded school then either find a private one that meets your requirements, or home-educate. As with anything, I think it's wrong to pick and choose which rules you follow.

What sort of simplistic world do you live in?!

It really is not as easy as deciding to go private or home educate

Rules are there for a reason, this I agree with - But I do not see why there is no flexibility

For instance, on the ward I work in we have visiting hours, these are fairly strict for good reason - However, we can bend the rules and be flexible in some instances - If we have parents who have a sick baby in nicu we can bend the rules and let the family visit for emotional support, or if a woman has had a particularly traumatic birth we can let her family in to support her, or any other hypothetical situation

Rules do not have to be so rigid all the time - people should be individuals and not statistics

poet123

SINBAD wrote: »

If you came and watched me teach, and saw the results I get at GCSE for my students, you might say the same about me too!

I am sorry, but as a teacher we facilitate students (to achieve) we do not get results for them.

onlyroz

thatgirlsam wrote: »

Rules are there for a reason, this I agree with - But I do not see why there is no flexibility

Because if you bend the rules for one person then you have to bend the rules for everyone. And in the case of school attendance the school will get fined or lowered down the league tables if it under-performs (and the rights or wrongs of this is a separate debate) which will be detrimental to ALL children attending the school. This is apart from sending the message to your child that school and/or rules aren't important and it's perfectly fine to do however you please.

flimsier

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

So that means my kids teachers got a days less holiday than their colleagues at neighbouring schools then,as they had the training day on monday when other teachers were off and were back teaching on tues whilst others were training...

Kids have to be in school 190 days (189 this year due to some Jubilee rubbish).

Teachers 195 days (194 this year).

It used to be 190 for both.

flimsier

aliasojo wrote: »

Can I just step in here and say I think it's all relative?

My daughter, quiet, lacks confidence, wimpy kid (I said that lovingly ) had time off for a special holiday when she was in primary school.

She swam with dolphins, learnt about wild animals in their own habitats and interacted with people and wildlife that she would never normally cross paths with.

We worried about keeping her off school, but her teacher at the time told us the trip would benefit her, much more than a week away from learning the times tables would harm her. And she was right. Our daughter experienced something that helped bring her out of herself and yes, she missed out on some work at school but she caught up again and no harm was caused to her education.

I think it's a very difficult subject and I can see both sides. Nothing in life is ever black and white though and I think schools are wrong for going down the 'blanket ban' route tbh.

Quite. I've already accepted that earlier in the thread. But I would maintan that the 175 days a child has off in a year (only 190 at school) is plenty to do those things. Finances, maybe not so. I'd also argue that the "no harm" statement - it really is impossible to tell that. I'd also be horrified if all she misssed was "her times tables".

Anyway, I should be working!!

Spendless

sunshinetours wrote: »

This has now gone way part what OP was posting. The crux of this particular thread was the failure of the OP to accept that they had made a mistake and now realised they would probably get away with it so weren't bothering to attempt to correct their error. Nothing more than that

No the crux of the thread is that the OP was asking if she'd face a fine since she had (reasonably) assummed that May half term was going to be in the same week as every other since 2002 which was before she had kids at school. I don't see anywhere where she asked anyone's opinion on whether she should take her kids out. There might be umpteen reasons why she can't/doesn't want to change.

Today I put some hols in at work, 1 for a school hols break. After it was authorised and my husband booked, one of the supervisors said to me 'you know that deadline you said you could meet? You do realise it includes doing xxxxxxx. Have we made that clear?' Well no they hadn't made it clear, and no I hadn't realised and though the hols will be honoured I'll get no more time off, so in the event of school hols changing,which is a possibilty since I'm using an inset day and I have known those change before at last minute (only once but it has happened) I wouldn't be able to change my hols and nor would I be doing so.

thatgirlsam

onlyroz wrote: »

Because if you bend the rules for one person then you have to bend the rules for everyone. And in the case of school attendance the school will get fined or lowered down the league tables if it under-performs (and the rights or wrongs of this is a separate debate) which will be detrimental to ALL children attending the school. This is apart from sending the message to your child that school and/or rules aren't important and it's perfectly fine to do however you please.

Of course you don't, again, far too simplistic, Why can't people be treated as individuals?

Of course its not fine to what you please whenever you like

However it is fine too think for oneself and not mindlessly follow rules that should be questioned - notice I said question, not break

I would like my children to grow up with an opinion and a voice and definitely not be a little grey robot

grumblybum

Bumpmakesfour wrote: »

There are molly coddled kids who get days off for fabricated tummy aches then you see them in kids world/tescos/the park by 11am ..my guys have to have their arm/leg/head hanging off to get a day off :rotfl:

I agree with you completely, my children think I'm dreadful because unless they are on verge of collapse, they will be going into school! It does irritate me when I see some children (and I am talking about friends children here ) that have a loosely termed ache here or there, and miss weeks of school at a time. I got an unauthorised absence for taking my children to their nans funeral, which I am not making excuses for, but have a heart LEA!!!