Kids holiday during term time

mutley74

I heard from some people that children can be allowed out of school for upto 2-3 weeks per year during term time for holidays. Is this true?

I have not asked my son’s school yet as he is new there but it would be nice to take him on a holiday just before the expensive rush during half terms.
Just wondering if this is national of just depends on the school? Also what is the best way to ask the school?
(he is aged 5)

ckerrd

Just ask the school head nicely.

Ask what work he might be missing if you took him away and can he make that up.

At 5 it should do no lasting harm to his education.

Just don't expect them to say yes to this every year - although I know a couple who did it with their kids for 3 years in a row - only time husband could get off work

Edit - and depending on when and where you are going check prices first.
Friend saved over £1000 by flying from Newcastle instead of Glasgow. This to the Canaries. It was Scottish school holidays but not English ones

thriftlady_2

This is a myth I'm afraid. If you take your child out of a state school for a holiday it is classed as an unauthorised absence I know lots of people do it and believe they are entitled to a week's 'holiday time' but they are not.

Rachie_B

I agree check with the school

My sons school/s has always authorised any term time holidays.
Longest we have ever taken them out is one week ( 5 days) ,and not every year either

i know my sons friends has had 3 weeks off for a cruise recently, and another boy who always has 3 weeks off before the end of summer term, to holiday with his gran ! dont know if these are authorised,but they went anyway ! lol

This year we have / will have taken them out for the full 10 days "allowed"

5 days in jan
3 days in june
2 days in early july

purely because its my sons last yr in juniors ( yr 6)
and so we wont be able to take term time holidays from now on,

he will start secondary school in sept and i would never take him out of there during term time, as i feel its harder to catch up and more "important" than junior schooling IYSWIM

at age 5 im sure it wouldnt be a problem,with missing much work etc ,my youngest is 5 and caught up on the week missed in january very quickly

SoozieSoo

My child’s primary school allows 10 days holiday days a year. Just write a nice letter to the head asking for permission. I have never had any problems taking my child out of school during term time. I think it is at the heads discretion. Could you ask some parents of older children in the school what the head allows?

From the dfes site

" Schools have the discretion to grant up to 10 school days a year for holidays, but it is not an automatic entitlement and only schools can authorise these absences."

fabwitch_2

Schools have the discretion to grant up to 10 school days a year for holidays. Usually the School reception have holiday request forms just ask for one. Fill in the form with your holiday request and the School will let you know if they agree. Most Schools will agree unless its in final GCSE /A level year. Or during yearly exams/SATS periods. Some Schools are scricter than others but in primary School I can not see it being a problem

thriftlady_2

SoozieSoo wrote: »

From the dfes site

" Schools have the discretion to grant up to 10 school days a year for holidays, but it is not an automatic entitlement and only schools can authorise these absences."

Thanks for clearing this up -I was wrong, but I knew there was something about it not being an entitlement.

bunty109

The 10 days is discretionary. Our school has recently sent out a letter saying that as of September this year Government advice is to refuse all such absences unless there are mitigating circumstances. Cost of holiday is not a mitigating circumstance. Any absence that is not authorised will go down as unauthorised i.e. truancy.

I have taken my children out of school once and have to do it next year for a family wedding. I'm really not comfortable doing it as I don't believe that children should be taken out of school if at all possible (my opinion!). What with inset days, days off sick and other unforeseen days that crop up (my children have each had 3 days where the school has had to shut this year), I really think it important for them to be there.

I fully understand people needing to take holiday during term time because of cost, and although it isn't for me, I think it shouldn't be a problem, so long as it isn't habitual (there's parents I know take the 10 days EVERY year). However, don't be surprised if you are told that things are changing, as I have spoken to our Head and been told that this is something all schools have to clamp down on.

Broken_hearted

Yes its 10 days and if you go over you can land in a lot of trouble.

tigtag02

SoozieSoo wrote: »

From the dfes site

" Schools have the discretion to grant up to 10 school days a year for holidays, but it is not an automatic entitlement and only schools can authorise these absences."

I'm another who doesnt agree with taking them out of school a lot but the way the travel agents play on this drives me INSANE :mad: and leaves us with not many oiptions sometimes!

When my DD1 was 11 we went to Florida at the end of September, because of how the dates fell it was 13 days off school. The school authorised the 10 as above and said that they were unable to authorise the other 3 (again as per above) but didn't have a problem with it :T

I'm sure you can imagine my disgust when we were contacted by the truant officer (or whatever they are called these days) after our hols!!!!!!! I will admit I was very nice or polite to the woman to be honest - DD has a 95% record other then this (for her entire school life) - their poxy excuse was that the % are calculated over the entire year so because we went early her % was low - if we had gone in June no-one would have given a stuff :mad: :mad:

Sorry for the vent, I just cant see how 2 weeks one year is gonna have them failing their GCSE's!

tigtag

ravenfire_2

10 days at my childrens school as well and then only with authorisation from a teacher.