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

System

wozza2k wrote: »

Really? People value a holiday over education?

How would you feel if it happened to you.
Try being constructive instead of just criticism.:(

ronangel

Mister_Q wrote: »

How would you feel if it happened to you.
Try being constructive instead of just criticism.:(

Mummy, mummy I don’t want to go on a wonderful holiday. I want to go to school, you are ruining my life.” Shut up and get into the suitcase with your brother.” ( if only it were that simple)….

See school trip to Holland in emu files, for some of my school holidays. The country was never the same after we invaded!:)
http://www.ssrichardmontgomery.com/emufiles.htm

Seakay

I don't think that you should claim compensation (and if you did not from the school but from whoever imposed the half term dates) I do think that you should take the holiday and insist that the school gives your children authorised time off. If they will miss actual work (eg if they are at senior school) then they can be given tasks to do in the half term break which will be fair enough as they will already have had a holiday

_nate

There is no question that the holiday will be of more value to the child than a week in school. Take it, and tell the school, as it is their fault.

Valli

pennypinchUK wrote: »

If your children go to a state school you've no chance of getting compensation (and frankly why should the state pay compensation for a lost holiday?). If your children go to a private school I'm pretty certain there'll be a clause in the contract that will get them out of liability for any changes to holiday dates.

The head teacher has the authority to give authorised leave and doubtless would look leniently on your request in such circumstances.

Or contact the travel company and change the travel dates - you may have to pay a small fee but it's your children's education.

Why is it that people's automatic first thought is to try and extract money from others, rather than find an alternative solution?

Didn't you read the first post?

The OP stated that the holiday was booked for the week she was told was the half term. So she/he was doing everything right. THEN the school changed the dates. If the holiday is cancelled the cancellation fee is prohibitive. Not the poster's fault - but the school's.
Moreover the school (well the head, for that's where the buck stops) is entirely responsible for this mess up - I would be appalled if the absence was unauthorised.

My school sends out a County Council published holiday list more than a year in advance to enable parents to plan head for holidays and INSET days; 2012-2013 went out a few weeks back!

Ebenezer_Screwj

The holiday was booked in good faith upon the information given at the time. You should therefore go on the holiday but set out all the facts in writing for the school records.

oldnewhand

As a child who often missed the first two weeks of the school year because dad wasn't allowed time off during the school summer holidays I'd say it was it was horrible, but your children won't be missing that bonding time.
As a retired teacher I'd say "Thank you for trying to go away during school holidays". Just explain the situation calmly asking for leave of absence rather than informing the school you will be taking them out and you should meet with understanding. I believe legally you are allowed 10 days for holidays at the discretion of the head. As for asking for work; that went down rather like a lead balloon when parents told me they were taking their children out because the holidays were cheaper and demanded worksheets to keep them occupied on the plane.
You could get the children to keep a diary of where they visit and depending on their ages places like the Works or Smiths have work books you could buy quite cheaply and also ask the school what they will be covering during your holiday if they don't inform you and if they have any suggestions of what you could do to help. You sound like a sensible, responsible, caring parent so teachers should be more willing to be supportive.
Enjoy your holiday and remember a lot of learning takes place outside the classroom.

milvusvestal

You should most certainly expect the school to compensate you for a mistake on their part, and not yours.

You booked your holiday in good faith, based upon dates the school provided. It is the school, not you, which is entirely responsible for changing term dates.

If the school declines to compensate, then you have two options open to you; either go ahead with your plans and damn the consequences, or take the school through the small claims court, with all the adverse publicity that entails. In your position, I would do the former - less aggravation, and a few words in the headmaster's ear should put him right on the subject of sticking to one's word.

Valli

oldnewhand wrote: »

As a child who often missed the first two weeks of the school year because dad wasn't allowed time off during the school summer holidays I'd say it was it was horrible, but your children won't be missing that bonding time.
As a retired teacher I'd say "Thank you for trying to go away during school holidays". Just explain the situation calmly asking for leave of absence rather than informing the school you will be taking them out and you should meet with understanding. I believe legally you are allowed 10 days for holidays at the discretion of the head. As for asking for work; that went down rather like a lead balloon when parents told me they were taking their children out because the holidays were cheaper and demanded worksheets to keep them occupied on the plane.
You could get the children to keep a diary of where they visit and depending on their ages places like the Works or Smiths have work books you could buy quite cheaply and also ask the school what they will be covering during your holiday if they don't inform you and if they have any suggestions of what you could do to help. You sound like a sensible, responsible, caring parent so teachers should be more willing to be supportive.
Enjoy your holiday and remember a lot of learning takes place outside the classroom.

I'd be informing the school I had acted on their original, published holiday dates and that it isn't possible, due to prohibitive cancellation charges, to rearrange the holidays. I would also be informing them I would expect them, under the circumstances, to authorise this leave.
I would hope they would learn from their mistake, too.

magpiecottage

A good job some of the posters on this thread are not diplomats!

Decide what you want (the holiday), contact the head and explain the problem (i.e. that you booked the holiday to coincide with the published holiday and that reorganising it would incur extra expense, problems with employers and so on).

You are then giving them the ammunition they need to fight your corner with the LEA/Ofsted if necessary.

Most heads will be reasonable in these circumstances.

I have encountered some unreasonable ones but if you then need to take the matter further you can explain that you have been unable to reach an acceptable resolution via the head. That makes your position stronger.

Go in with all guns blazing and you will soon find yourself with no solution and no ammunition to fight on.