Holidays during termtime...opinion please

fluffybunny_2

I've read a few discussions where some schools fine families for taking children out of school.

I have three children.

My eldest is now in comprehensive school. My second child will be going to comprehensive next year. My third child will be starting primary school in about a year.

The problem is this. The comprehensive is about 2 miles from the primary BUT, its over the border and in a different county. This means that the holidays are at different times. Sometimes its just a day here, day there but other times the whole week is different!

EG, the primary finished last July four school days before the comprehensive did. the primary then started back 4 school days before the comp did.

another example is Christmas, last day of primary 20th December; last day of comp -23rd December (differ by 3 days)

Why don't the two counties just join forces to sort out the term dates!!!

With my third child starting primary next year and my second child starting comp, I am going to have this problem for years!!!

balletshoes

yes, you are going to have this for years. What do you want opinions on ? Holidays in termtime generally? Holidays in termtime because one of your schools is on holiday and the other one isn't?

Its not just different counties where you may have this problem - Academies can choose which weeks to have as their holidays too, regardless of which holidays the council-administered schools in the same area have scheduled for their holidays.

make_me_wise

That must be extremely frustrating. All the schools in my area are in sync with each other and holidays match up. The only time they differ is for inset training days.

brians_daughter

My sons schools are less than 1/4 mile away and both of them have different holidays.

October 1/2 term for one was mon-fri the other was the following thurs-thurs so they were only off together the friday
Its a nightmare..

fluffybunny_2

make_me_wise wrote: »

That must be extremely frustrating. All the schools in my area are in sync with each other and holidays match up. The only time they differ is for inset training days.

yes...VERY frustrating!!!

inset days are always different too!

fluffybunny_2

brians_daughter wrote: »

My sons schools are less than 1/4 mile away and both of them have different holidays.

October 1/2 term for one was mon-fri the other was the following thurs-thurs so they were only off together the friday
Its a nightmare..

what happens if you go on holiday? does one school try and fine you?

make_me_wise

I work as a teacher and feel for the parents who have to juggle childcare for kids during school holidays and on inset days. I am in an affluent area and many of the parents have high pressure jobs. Juggling childcare is hard enough without having to match up different holidays for each child.

fluffybunny_2

balletshoes wrote: »

yes, you are going to have this for years. What do you want opinions on ? Holidays in termtime generally? Holidays in termtime because one of your schools is on holiday and the other one isn't?

Its not just different counties where you may have this problem - Academies can choose which weeks to have as their holidays too, regardless of which holidays the council-administered schools in the same area have scheduled for their holidays.

sorry...didnt explain myself...

the school frowns upon taking children out of school. I just wondered if anyone had been fined or, for example, got into trouble with the school

balletshoes

fluffybunny wrote: »

sorry...didnt explain myself...

the school frowns upon taking children out of school. I just wondered if anyone had been fined or, for example, got into trouble with the school

every school is different - what happens in one school may not happen in another. You really need to be asking this question of parents at your schools. They are the only people who will be able to answer your question with any accuracy in your circumstances.

adamantine

i dont understand why different schools have different holidays. the whole country should have the same holidays as that would make everything easier for everyone.

i think the schools opinion on the matter would be that for a while all your kids are off together so you should schedule the holidays during that time and now at the start or end of the holidays where one or more kids are meant to be at school.

lisa26_2

If you were wanting to go away in a half term for example and they were two different weeks then you'd need to apply to the school of the child(ren) who should still be out of school and ask for permission and explain why this was required. You may well find they are happy to authorise the absence in these circumstances. If they do not authorise it then they can't stop you going away but it will go down as an unauthorised absence....5 days will count as 10 sessions as morning and afternoon are counted as 2 seperate sessions. Different schools and local authorities have different rules as to at what stage they take legal action such as fines so its difficult to say what would happen with regards that. if you're open and honest with the school and ask them about it then they will hopefuly help you as much as possible.

If it was me I'd tend to take the youngest out of school (only if absolutely necessary though!) rather than the ones at comprehensive as they'd probably have a lot more to catch up.