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

shellsuit

sunshinetours wrote: »

Sounds to me like you are talking about the price !

I would go on a cheaper holiday in the school holidays -camping etc
I would find cheap £10 travelodge deals and visit a few different places
I would try and live within my means

Those who can afford a cheapish term time holiday probably can afford an even cheaper style summer time holiday

Very often this is entirely about wanting flash foreign holidays otherwise it doesn't count as a real holiday - that's my point

It's not about wanting a flash foreign holiday for us at, although the main reason we go abroad is so that we are guaranteed good weather, wheras if we holidayed here, we'd have to cross our fingers that it didn't chuck down for a week.

sunshinetours

shellsuit wrote: »

It's not about wanting a flash foreign holiday for us at, although the main reason we go abroad is so that we are guaranteed good weather, wheras if we holidayed here, we'd have to cross our fingers that it didn't chuck down for a week.

Holidays are about spending family time together. I can understand those that take their kids out after a traumatic time for instance, and the rules make exception for things like that.

Bottom line is you are just sticking two fingers up at the authorities and regulations because you want to sit a on a beach in the sun, and that teaches your kids certain things.

This is going in circles and clearly some won't see the wrong of this and some will

shellsuit

sunshinetours wrote: »

Holidays are about spending family time together. I can understand those that take their kids out after a traumatic time for instance, and the rules make exception for things like that.

Bottom line is you are just sticking two fingers up at the authorities and regulations because you want to sit a on a beach in the sun, and that teaches your kids certain things.

This is going in circles and clearly some won't see the wrong of this and some will

I'm not sticking my fingers up at anyone, so we'll have to agree to disagree on that.

Who said I want to sit on a beach in the sun? Just because we go abroad for sun doesn't mean we lie in it sunning ourselves, infact that's one thing I can't stand and do not do.

My husband hates the beach and the last time we all went away, we only spent 3 hours on the beach in the whole week we were there, and that was only to play vollyball, have a swim and bury each other in the sand ~ no sunbathing at all!

It's just nice to be able to go out for walks, go sight seeing, go to a waterpark, eat outside etc, without worrying whether ours plans will be ruined by rain.

I've always said, if UK weather was guaranteed, we'd never bother to go abroad.

As for teaching the kids certain things, well I can think of worse things than having a few days out of school for a family holiday!

flimsier

poet123 wrote: »

Then refute it with evidence.

So, you could construct a cohesive case for arguing that a gap in learning of six weeks could/would be equivalent to a gap of say five days?

Now evidence does count! :T

No, of course I agree that the 6 weeks makes a difference, but again not in every case. I would certainly welcome a more even spread of the terms.

Sadly, this would result in summer holidays (and probably all holidays) being even more expensive in holiday time.

As for your kids, in common with the others, it's impossible to know if their outcomes would have been even better. I'm in no position to make a judgement. I'm pleased you're very proud though, and you've every right to be!

flimsier

shellsuit wrote: »

If you had a choice of having a family weeks holiday in term time, or no holiday because you can't afford to go in the school holidays, what would you choose?

I do choose no holiday. Or rather I used to. This year we went camping because it was all we could afford.

flimsier

gregg1 wrote: »

With respect, I have yet to hear of a parent who has taken their kids out of school during term time who does NOT have super intelligent offspring.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

This is 100% true. And all parents who have ever taken their kids out have made sure they catch up with 100% of the work (and not just rushed a few worksheets) for the entire 25 hours plus home learning they have missed. So it never affects them. Or it might have. But a miniscule amount. So don't anyone dare provide evidence to the contrary.

sunshinetours

shellsuit wrote: »

I'm not sticking my fingers up at anyone, so we'll have to agree to disagree on that.

Who said I want to sit on a beach in the sun? Just because we go abroad for sun doesn't mean we lie in it sunning ourselves, infact that's one thing I can't stand and do not do.

My husband hates the beach and the last time we all went away, we only spent 3 hours on the beach in the whole week we were there, and that was only to play vollyball, have a swim and bury each other in the sand ~ no sunbathing at all!

It's just nice to be able to go out for walks, go sight seeing, go to a waterpark, eat outside etc, without worrying whether ours plans will be ruined by rain.

I've always said, if UK weather was guaranteed, we'd never bother to go abroad.

As for teaching the kids certain things, well I can think of worse things than having a few days out of school for a family holiday!

You take things very literally don't you! It isn't really relevant what you do or don't do on holiday, lovely as though I am sure it is, its about taking children out during term time by choice.

Life is all about choices and I wish some would stand by those choices and at least say they are what they are, and not hide behind some pretence

poet123

gregg1 wrote: »

I do not think for one moment that you are suggesting this would be any different for my kids

No more than you were suggesting in your comment below that those few days when others were absent from school were the reason why they may not be so;)
"but then they had very little time off during term time and turned up to every lesson, so maybe that explains why they were running on empty come July!"

gregg1 wrote: »

They too have had healthy diets all their lives and a good balance between work, rest and play. Maybe some just need to put more effort into their work than others. It does not always come easy for everyone and it is a fact that some have to work harder than others in order to achieve. However, the end result is that, for my kids, the holidays were always a much needed respite for them to recharge their batteries.

Then you know your children best, and your decision to keep them in school would seem correct. That does not mean others cannot think differently and be correct for their kids.

gregg1 wrote: »

It certainly does not imply there is something "badly wrong", merely that they have had to put more effort in to achieve their aims.

High achievement is not always due to innate talent, it is also down to hard work and motivation, but I am sure you werent implying that my kids achieved because of natural brilliance despite lacking effort.;)

gregg1 wrote: »

However, I see no problem with reducing the summer holidays to maybe four weeks - some schools near me are already reducing them to five weeks which I do not see a problem with at all so I am not completely blinkered on this issue.

I agree.

janninew

As a parent it wouldn't ever occur to me to take my child out of school for a holiday! I was never taken out of school by my parents, I was never allowed time off unless I was at death's door. It would of been very hypocritical if my parents said actually as we can get a cheap deal you can miss 2 weeks this half term!

Plus what happens if you take your child out of school for 2 weeks holiday, then you come back and have a proper family emergency and need more time off school? Children get more than enough holiday time and we know as parents that school should be attended unless a child is poorly or there are exceptional circumstances.

poet123

flimsier wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

This is 100% true. And all parents who have ever taken their kids out have made sure they catch up with 100% of the work (and not just rushed a few worksheets) for the entire 25 hours plus home learning they have missed. So it never affects them. Or it might have. But a miniscule amount. So don't anyone dare provide evidence to the contrary.

But you haven't provided evidence.

flimsier wrote: »

Now evidence does count! :T

No, of course I agree that the 6 weeks makes a difference, but again not in every case. I would certainly welcome a more even spread of the terms.

Sadly, this would result in summer holidays (and probably all holidays) being even more expensive in holiday time.

As for your kids, in common with the others, it's impossible to know if their outcomes would have been even better. I'm in no position to make a judgement. I'm pleased you're very proud though, and you've every right to be!

Logical to assume it makes more of a difference than say five days though?

As for my kids, perhaps I could have turned out another lawyer!;)had we not holidayed for those extra five days, who knows!!

All that matters is that they achieved their aims and I am proud they worked hard and have a life plan, and are (on the whole!) nice people, not particularly of their job titles or quals per se.