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

onlyroz

balletshoes wrote: »

nope - my 13-year old nephew plays for a premier league boys team, and he gets out of school regularly (I'm talking at least one day per school month and at least once a year he is out for 3 or 4 school days when they are involved in overseas tournaments). He does have to maintain a certain grade level and get decent school reports regarding his behaviour etc to be able to stay in the team, but he certainly doesn't attend school as regularly as his sister does.

Well I think there's a difference between performing in a competition, and between sunning yourself in the costa-del-sol for a fortnight...

poet123

onlyroz wrote: »

Well I think there's a difference between performing in a competition, and between sunning yourself in the costa-del-sol for a fortnight...

Not if you accept the base assumption that attendance equals attainment without caveat. It either does for all and is quantifiable, or it may do, and as such those with other or additional talents are given the benefit of the doubt. It cannot be represented both ways honestly.

balletshoes

onlyroz wrote: »

Well I think there's a difference between performing in a competition, and between sunning yourself in the costa-del-sol for a fortnight...

I don't - in my nephews case his football team is not in his school county, so his football doesn't, as far as I can see, benefit the school at all (he can't play for the school because his league team takes priority and he is committed to that on the weekends and 2 evenings per week). His day off school once a month is for regular practice, not a competition.

He probably, over a school year, misses more school than a child who is off for 10 days in termtime on holiday.

onlyroz

balletshoes wrote: »

I don't - in my nephews case his football team is not in his school county, so his football doesn't, as far as I can see, benefit the school at all (he can't play for the school because his league team takes priority and he is committed to that on the weekends and 2 evenings per week). His day off school once a month is for regular practice, not a competition.

He probably, over a school year, misses more school than a child who is off for 10 days in termtime on holiday.

But he could end up with a real marketable skill at the end of it.

balletshoes

onlyroz wrote: »

But he could end up with a real marketable skill at the end of it.

absolutely he could - or he could coast through school not attempting to try his best there because he thinks his future is set - who knows ?

FBaby

poet123 wrote: »

For example, last year I took my youngest son out of school for 4 days, I wrote a note to his head of year explaining my reasons. The absence was unauthorised of course, but she rang me and thanked me for letter and ended our conversation with "as you know I cannot offically endorse the holiday, but off the record I hope you have a great time"

This reflects my situation, I also wrote a letter to explain the reason, I was also told why it wasn't exceptional enough to authorise it (which I totally accepted) but did wish me -and the kids- a nice holiday.

What saddens me is that not holidays are taken in term times for reasons of cost. It wasn't my incentive as our accommodation was free, so it was only flights which were a bit more expensive. In our case, we had planned the trip during May, going with my elderly OH mum and his sister. The plan was suddenly jeopardised when my ex announced that his girlfriend was pregnant and was due to give birth that week. I had three choices. Telling him tough, the kids will see the new baby when they are back which would have set him to up to resent me for thinking I was doing in purpose and that would have started a war again (which I have worked very hard since we separated to avoid). This would have had a lot more impact on the children then missing some days of school, that's certain. The other alternative would have been to cancel all together. That would have affected my OH and his family very sadly and I didn't feel it was right for me to have that control over them because of my ex. Of course I could have suggested they went without us, but they wouldn't have done so and again, my kids would have been emotionally affected. The other was to go a couple of weeks later. I chose this one after thinking it through and I have no regrets whatsoever.

Someone said that those who justify it always claim their kids are bright. I don't care what others do and how they justify it. My kids are bright so it made the decision easier. Would I've made the same choice if they were struggling, I really don't know.

FBaby

**Patty** wrote: »

*puts hand up*

I got a question:

How come, if your child, in their chosen sport, represents their country.....the school is able to permit time off with no reservation whatsoever......

And yet......put in a request for 6 days for a holiday & it's scorned upon?

Time off is time off.....the reason shouldn't matter.

This made me laugh! I can also confirm that they don't have to have extra tuition. One girl in my DD class did some filming (one Holywood film last year) and she missed a lot of days through it, all authorised and had no extra tuition imposed. The child does struggle a bit at school, but otherwise is a very well-balanced girl. Their parents (educated and highly caring) have clearly made the choice that this was a risk worth taking. It is their choice as parents indeed.

FBaby

ash28 wrote: »

Do parents who disagree with children being removed from school during term time let their own children go on these trips?

Very good point! That reminds me of something. In Y5, children in our school go on a weekly school trip. They supposedly get some tuition there, but my DD confirmed that they only did an hour there and there, and nothing that was really teaching...

In Y6, they go for a long week-end (missing Friday and Monday) and get no extra tuition. More interestingly, we were informed that children were not expected to come in on the Tuesday although after some complaints from parents, they added that they would offer some care for children who did come. To me, there was absolutely no justification for my DD not to go because she had 4 days of fun previously. Yes I was expected her to be exhausted, but that's life. She went (kicking and crying as she was indeed very tired) but was fine during the day. Out of 115 kids, she was only one of 5....

Just like the two days earlier in the year when the school was open, but attendance was optional because of some snow.

I think it says it all about picking and chosing when it is ok for kids not to come, ok for kids to miss out with the supposed certainty that their education will be affected somehow, but a sin when it is the parents' choice.

FBaby

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.

And how about the fact that my DD teacher told her that she had reached level 6 in Maths, but she couldn't teach her at that level because it was beyond her expectations in Y6, so my DD spent most of the last months of school doing things that she already knew how to do. I'm not angry with the school they did challenge her as best as they could and I am grateful for the time they spent to do so, but again, total double standards, ok for the school to say there is a limit to the level they can teach my child, but my claiming that she might not have missed anything by being away for a week and I am taken to pieces

poet123

onlyroz wrote: »

But he could end up with a real marketable skill at the end of it.

Here I have a huge problem. Lots of kids are picked up by Premier League clubs early in their lives, and then dropped just as quickly. To me it is a grave error to rely on this and let academic work slip down a rung. Even if (and what the stats are for this I have no idea, but probably very low) they do make it to the top, injury and age eventually catches up with them. Today even sportsmen need quals to fall back on.

My kids played table tennis and Rugby at county level and at least one of them could probably have gone further but it would have been at the expense of school work which we couldn't justify.