Long Holiday and child school

sarah_id1

I plan for a long holiday about 4 weeks during Easter holiday when there is around 2 weeks school term holiday. My kid will be absent for 2 week and their school has penalty clause for child being absent which is about £50 * no of days absent. I already pay heavy tax etc and on top of this penalty clause is ridiculous.

How can I avoid this!!

duchy

Home educate...or
Find a school that doesn't care about your child's education either and send them there instead ....or move your trip to the long six week school holiday

Or pay up

peachyprice

You can get around it by removing your child from the register for the duration of your holiday, but you can't complain if you come back to no school place and get dumped in one you don't like.

balletshoes

you only have to pay it if the school take you to court. If thats their policy, and they do take you to court, you will have to pay the fine. I'm not convinced a lot of schools do go as far as taking parents to court though, as they have costs to pay for doing so.

sarah_id1

balletshoes wrote: »

you only have to pay it if the school take you to court. If thats their policy, and they do take you to court, you will have to pay the fine. I'm not convinced a lot of schools do go as far as taking parents to court though, as they have costs to pay for doing so.

To be honest I just find this another way of making money. She is not going to miss anything terribly.

Sezzagirl

As you are planning such a long holiday, I wonder if it is for a particular reason ie a wedding or family visit, or to somewhere that makes a shorter visit impractical? The school may be happy to permit an extra two weeks holiday in this situation

Also, have you checked with the school whether they would implement the absense policy in your case?

You need to find out whether the school are willing to let your child take an additional 2 weeks holiday on this occasion

You could just go ahead and do it anyway (just let the school know what has happened as I think they would worry if your child just "vanished" from the classroom for 2 week) and if the school challenge you, claim you though it would be ok

You could ask the school direct but if they say No and you go ahead, you cannot then claim ignorance of the school policy.;)


You could get a friend with a child at the school (with a similar attendance to your own child if possible) to ask the school, hypothetically, in X situation, would the school be willing to permit the additional time off. If the response is positive, you could then apply to the school to take your child as you have said:j

If the answer from the school is negative, you then need to decide what you are going to do but at least you will be doing it with full knowledge of the consequences (or lack of!):cool:

Knowledge is power, as they say!

loubylou35

sarah_id1 wrote: »

To be honest I just find this another way of making money. She is not going to miss anything terribly.

It's not about what she'll miss per se, it's to do with the disruption to the whole school system if this happens continually and if everyone did it. The teacher has to account for what she may miss, and make up for it /allow for it. And if every child did it it would cause huge issues throughout.
I think it's very wrong. If you don't like the rules then home educate, then you don't have to follow them, if you want to be part of the system, then you have to follow the rules!

LunaLady

sarah_id1 wrote: »

To be honest I just find this another way of making money. She is not going to miss anything terribly.

You seem to have a real lack of respect for the school you are sending your daughter to.

How old is she?

pelirocco

tbh a week before school holidays they seem to do little learning anyway , my grandaughter had one whole school day watching videos , then there are the end of term parties etc , plus they normally tack on a day or two of teaching training

If its such a problem tacking time off for holidays why do school trips take place during term time ? ( I did a few school trips , they werent particulary educational ) . if anything they cause more disruption as it involves a few teachers being off too , and at secondary level you can not argue that the class will be off too

miduck

Does the holiday have an educational purpose, or is it just a jolly?

LunaLady

pelirocco wrote: »

tbh a week before school holidays they seem to do little learning anyway , my grandaughter had one whole school day watching videos , then there are the end of term parties etc , plus they normally tack on a day or two of teaching training

If its such a problem tacking time off for holidays why do school trips take place during term time ? ( I did a few school trips , they werent particulary educational ) . if anything they cause more disruption as it involves a few teachers being off too , and at secondary level you can not argue that the class will be off too

They may not have been 'particulary educational', but they will probably form the basis of class work both before and after the trip.