term time school hols (yes, again!)

rio

LO's school do not approve termtime holidays at all, they say that makes it fairer for everyone. Mind you we asked for a Friday off recently to travel north for a wedding, and we were told that he could leave school at 12pm!

bylromarha

Don't you think it's a silly system though? instead of creating ill feeling in schools, with parents and heads being pitted against each other, government should do something about this sort of unauthorised absence by regulating the travel industry's price increases?

I know in my head that it's supply and demand, but I knew families I taught that could only afford to holiday in the UK in term time. Should they be fined too?

Carmina_Piranha_3

helen81 wrote: »

Oct hols at my kids school starts 19th Oct

Helen x

mine too, spendless is a lucky cow :rotfl:

our school doesn't fine. i once asked for a half day holiday for spud and was told it would be authorised, the office staff knew the head wouldn't say no (but then they knew he hadn't had any previous holidays). apparently our head always approves the first ten days, but i don't know what he does if you want more than ten.

a girl in spud's year 6 class has this whole week off, with SATS next week.

perhaps schools could organise a rota system for choosing a fortnight out of each year when pupils can go on holiday but some staff will be in school for those who don't take it when i were a lass we always had empty classrooms for 'shut-down' (something to do with local factories insisting on all staff taking their holidays at the same time).

Spendless

I always think put all the teacher training days together for 1 week but not on either side of a school hol and then you could go then.

CSandL

Spendless wrote: »

I always think put all the teacher training days together for 1 week but not on either side of a school hol and then you could go then.

Except for the teachers, of course!

jordylass

andycarmi wrote: »

Also I worked in a creche in a large shopping centre and we have to call LA Socail Services if a child comes in of school age in term time. Also the local shopping mall has staff in their own clothes that stop people with school age children and fineds tham and also reports them.

I have heard/read this before, but while my children were home educated they were out and about a lot of time, with me and without, and were never questioned.

Spendless

KerryBridges wrote: »

Except for the teachers, of course!

Well we weren't on about them were we?:p

kaykay_2

With all this talk of putting pressure on travel agents to keep prices down - yes its a supply and demand issue but there has been some talk of changing term dates too- abolishing the 6 seek summer hols and making more longer hols at other times. Do you think its up to parents to lobby mp's about the holiday issue then because after all its the government who make the decisions and its the public who bring them to power. My husband is a teacher so we could only go on holiday together if he was off - i often go with the kids and without him and as he teaches in a seperate authority to the kids sometimes the holidays dont even correlate - last year two half terms and easter hols did not match up!!

tonydee

Interesting info in this thread and I found it as we've just received a letter declining our daughter 11 days holiday time.

In our case, I am unable to take holiday from work during July and August as we are bombarded by tourists. That leaves Easter, October and Christmas for holidays

A trip to see the head is pending.

Spendless

tonydee wrote: »

Interesting info in this thread and I found it as we've just received a letter declining our daughter 11 days holiday time.

In our case, I am unable to take holiday from work during July and August as we are bombarded by tourists. That leaves Easter, October and Christmas for holidays

A trip to see the head is pending.

Is it because it is 11 days? I'm sure the holiday form says something along the lines of head teachers have the discretion to authorise upto 10 days holiday.