Real life MMD: Should I ask the school for compensation?

Colum3

Couple of points first of all, the school DID NOT change the half term dates the local LEA did, so the school has absolutely no reason to even consider this their problem.

Having said that you are (look up directgov 'Parents' 'Schools Learning and Development' 'Term dates and School Holidays' has all the info there - site won't let me post the link) allowed to remove your kids from school for up to 2 weeks in every academic year. Officially you have to apply to the school but realistically the school cannot refuse (O/H is a teacher) except in exceptional circumstances such as an exam. So next time you see the teacher mention it and say you will write to the head, simply state that you are exercising your right to take your kids out of school during term time, you'd normally not do this but you booked the original half term before it was changed so it can't be re-booked. End of story nice and simple.

fattybumble85

wozza2k wrote: »

Really? People value a holiday over education?

I hardly think one weeks absence, due to an error on the schools part, equates to a child's education going down the pan. If I added up the amount of time wasted during my school days - rubbish substitute teachers, pointless day trips, etc, it would be more than a weeks holiday!

sally0101

wozza2k wrote: »

Really? People value a holiday over education?

Im sure you would value the £1600 if it was your money going to be lost.

mrsmoneybee

Just wondering - did the school confirm half term dates before it was booked? Only I know the original question says dates were changed however we almost made the same mistake as October half term has always (well at least since 1985 when I started school) been the same week in October but this year is for some unknown reason a week later (my birthday is not in half term!). I would have just assumed it was the usual week too.

However, moving on, even if my boys' school had given me the wrong date, I would not dream of asking for compensation. If I can afford an expensive holiday in October, I can think about putting some money aside for the next 7 months to pay for a holiday club during the half term break for my children. Why is it these days no-one can just accept mistakes are made sometimes? Let's just hope one day you don't make one that someone claims compo off you for!

Torynp

I am highly entertained that anyone would think a school could even contemplate paying compensation for this! Many schools are currently making staff redundant and not filling new vacancies due to hugely constrained budgets! I'm saddened but not remotely surprised that instead of contacting the school, the first thought is of compensation. Speak to the headteacher- they can authorise days off, which won't be a problem if your children have good attendance records.

ronangel

mrsmoneybee wrote: »

However, moving on, even if my boys' school had given me the wrong date, I would not dream of asking for compensation. If I can afford an expensive holiday in October, I can think about putting some money aside for the next 7 months to pay for a holiday club during the half term break for my children. Why is it these days no-one can just accept mistakes are made sometimes? Let's just hope one day you don't make one that someone claims compo off you for!

Maybe they saved up all year for holiday which for family reasons could only be taken at that time of the year. Don’t think for one moment that the school would not sue you for something you did, if they thought they could get loads of money from you. Most household insurance policies have public liability insurance and paying a little more pays for uninsured loss legal fees for when somebody sues you for compensation or you sue somebody else and they think you have a case.
Always a good idea as you never know, one letter from a solicitor sometimes stops you being sued if the party knows you are insurance backed for legal fees. This would include the lea trying to fine you for taking children out of school when it is clear they were at fault for giving the wrong dates, giving you the chance to also recover consequential loss and anything else your legal advisor can think of.

latinaid

wildthing01 wrote: »

this is huge myth. no child ever 'loses' a day of education due to staff training. there are a statutory number of school days per year (forget what the number is off-hand) that must be legally provided, and every school delivers this number of school days, regardless of how they organise them throughout the year. if they didn't, they'd be breaking the law.

The school year is 195 days - 190 days of teaching + 5 INSET days, which the school can allocate wherever they like within the term dates set by the LEA. One year the school at which I work had the first 3 days of the Autumn term as INSET, rather than having the children come back on a Wednesday 2 days after the August Bank Holiday. I think most parents would have appreciated that.

I probably shouldn't say this as a teacher, and of course it causes problems if children are off school for whatever reason and therefore miss the beginning/middle/end of a topic, but - take the holiday and don't stress about it.

craftycrafter

Richard019 wrote: »

There is no dilemma. You've booked a holiday on dates you were told were holidays so you go on them. If the school have chosen to take change the holidays it's really not your problem and taking the week off is completely meaningless anyway. Even if it were final year of GCSEs/A-Levels there's plenty of time to catch up on one week's absence.

I also don't understand what the fuss is about getting it as an authorised rather than unauthorised absence. Send a letter in in advance saying they're going to be off and why. Let the school record it as what ever they want, even if it went as unauthorised it's 5 days out of about 180 days a year? That's still giving you 97%+ attendance. An adult working full time generally gets more than 25 days holiday out of 250 working days a year so it's less than that. Besides which, I don't recall ever working for a company that contacted the schools of potential employees to find out their attendance record. General references for first time employment maybe, but not attendance where less than 3% would matter.

One day your child may wish to ask the school for a written reference and unauthorised absences might affect that.

Also, unauthorised absence may affect your child's chance of getting Study Leave for exams.

rwgray

It's unlikely that a week of missed school will have any effect on their education.

Even more unlikely that the school is liable for a consequential loss.

Based on local rules here, you might be fined as much as £50 per child, compared with the cost of the holiday. No contest.

Be honest about your plans, but don't change them. Bear in mind the kids will have-term off too, and could spend some time on the missed lessons at home.

I should add that we have had to put this year's family holiday back to next year, because we couldn't get the dates we could afford at only six months notice! It's one risk or another...

ronangel

craftycrafter wrote: »

One day your child may wish to ask the school for a written reference and unauthorised absences might affect that.

Also, unauthorised absence may affect your child's chance of getting Study Leave for exams.

No problem they can blame their parents (grin) A reference will say what they did while at school not away from it. If they have high grades even better as spent less time to get them than other children.