Term Time Holidays???

Person_one

angelil wrote: »

My view (as a teacher) is this: how would you feel if the teachers did as you describe? Do you not think we would like to benefit from the lower term-time prices too?

What a ridiculous comparison!

BitterAndTwisted

I think angelil's comment is a perfectly valid one. It's not necessarily a good lesson to be teaching young kids that attending school is optional, regardless of their ages or how much cheaper it would be to take them out during term-time.

jtr2803

angelil wrote: »

My view (as a teacher) is this: how would you feel if the teachers did as you describe? Do you not think we would like to benefit from the lower term-time prices too?

Then maybe you should have picked a different career? Last time I checked we were all able to choose our own professions.

ebaybaby

Goodness me have some patience! I know its been done already but so has "Im fed up / alone / ex has run off/ how to train a dog" etc etc!

OP we have done it and will continue to do it, we do however always get the schools permission and luckily have never been refused, we have never taken them out at exam time etc. We could never afford a family holiday if we had to book in school holidays. My family holiday with my DH and girls means the absolute world to us, it is really precious, un-interrupted time together that will all too soon be a distant memory when they decide they no longer want to holiday with us. I lost my brother when I was younger very suddenly and now tend to live for the day.

Deanied

You need to find out your schools policy because some schools fine you £100 per member of the family per week, so if it's you, your partner and two children you could be fined £400! That makes its as costly as going in term time, but without the damage to their education.

There are studies that show the correlation between school attendance and academic achievement check them out. If your 10 yr old is in year 6, I'd really think carefully because it's a very important year. That said, there are also studies that show that children who holiday during KS2 who were on track to achieve level 4 are less likely to achieve level 4.

In a nut shell, do your research.

foxymum1977_2

OP we are taking ours out of school in september for a week, they will be 11 and 7, they rarely have time off school and we havnt had a holiday for 3 years,not sure what the fine will be but the holiday is £800 cheaper for us in term time, good luck whatever you decide.

annie1975_2

We do 1 week school hols and tag a week on before school hols. the difference in price is huge...Its just greedy holiday company's charging what they want because people will pay it.

Janepig

Deanied wrote: »

You need to find out your schools policy because some schools fine you £100 per member of the family per week, so if it's you, your partner and two children you could be fined £400! That makes its as costly as going in term time, but without the damage to their education.

There are studies that show the correlation between school attendance and academic achievement check them out. If your 10 yr old is in year 6, I'd really think carefully because it's a very important year. That said, there are also studies that show that children who holiday during KS2 who were on track to achieve level 4 are less likely to achieve level 4.

In a nut shell, do your research.

I'm not sure if someone would be fined if they took their children out of school for a week during term time, against the school's wishes, if that is their first unauthorised absence ever. I've been involved with parents who are being prosecuted through the courts by the LEA for failing to send their children to school, and that's after much help has been offered, to no avail, and attendance is running at a very low percentage.

I thought the fine was around £50, not sure if that would be per child, and I certainly can't see how you could be fined for each adult that goes on the holiday. They're aren't at the school!!

There are degrees I think, in terms of the "damage" absences can cause - for instance, what we did, take our two children (then in years 4 and 1) for 3 days, with the school's permission, is quite different to taking them when they already have a high percentage of absence anyway.

Jx

Person_one

Deanied wrote: »

You need to find out your schools policy because some schools fine you £100 per member of the family per week, so if it's you, your partner and two children you could be fined £400! That makes its as costly as going in term time, but without the damage to their education.

There are studies that show the correlation between school attendance and academic achievement check them out. If your 10 yr old is in year 6, I'd really think carefully because it's a very important year. That said, there are also studies that show that children who holiday during KS2 who were on track to achieve level 4 are less likely to achieve level 4.

In a nut shell, do your research.

We went to Florida for three weeks when I was in year 6, missed about 10 days of school I think. I didn't even sit the SATS that year as I had my first and (hopefully) last stomach bug.

I still somehow managed to get a 1st in my degree many years later.

Missing a few days here and there in order to gain incredibly enriching life experiences is not going to screw up a 10 year old's future. They could break their leg playing football and miss more.

CruisingSaver

When DD was in Primary School we did take her out of school for holidays, including one that was 5 weeks' long, although we always got permission from school before booking anything.

As others have said, you need to check what your school's/LEA's policy is on term time absence as some are stricter than others.

Year 6 being an important year is a bit of a red herring as KS2 results are only for the benefit of the primary school and their position in the league tables, and not for the child's benefit.

Certainly in our area the secondary schools pay no heed to KS2 results and retest the children in the first weeks of starting Year 7.

As long as you have the permission of the school and you are happy to take them out in term time, then it really is no-one else's business.

CS