Term Time Holiday

daisiegg

Spendless wrote: »

Taking a yr11 pupil out for a fortnight's holiday is pretty dopey though and I've nothing against people taking term-time holidays. I don't think you can compare that to say a Reception child being taken out a week before half term.

No, you are absolutely right, and I didn't.

balletshoes

MarilynMonroe wrote: »

So she gets 2 holidays in all her school years? Hardly sounds like much of a childhood to me.

Couldnt get to a Butlins or the like. Only option to us is a caravan park, the prices are like 4-5 more as soon as the school holidays start.

What damage would a week off cause any way? None in the grand scheme of things. I could understand it if everyone in the class would be off but in all the years I was at school that never happened and the teachers never had a problem with anyone having a holiday (70's mid 80's) Now they want to keep you there from the age of 4 till 18 then into work till you drop dead ... Hmmm seems to me if this life then something is a miss.

I do think its far more prevalent for kids to be taken out of school in term time to go family holidays now, compared with when I was in school in the 70s and 80s. My parents would never have taken us out of school to go on holiday, and I don't remember any of my classmates in either primary school or high school being taken on holiday in termtime either.

I have taken my daughter out of school to go on holiday, I choose what I consider to be sensible times to do it (ie not the start of the school year, although that does seem to be a popular time for kids to be missing from class around here), and its never more than 3 days school that she misses in a term.
I'm not kidding myself that our holidays in school time are in any way as important as her education, or a necessity for her cultural awareness etc etc - its purely based on finances and that I like going to places without legions of other kids around .

pollypenny

I have had similar experiences to daisyegg, with pupils holidaying in school time.

My own experience is not too good either.

I missed three weeks of school in the January of form 1' years ago obviously.

I never, ever caught up in maths. I had missed the beginning of algebra in my grammar school . Needless to say, there was no extra time with teacher for me.

Buttonmoons

We have this problem this year - although my daughters school doesnt charge you for taking them out - yet??

My dad booked us a holiday, he asked when was the best times, I told him in the Summer holidays - he must of googled, checked them - then he booked. Well he only went and booked them for the English term holidays *facepalm* So now we are going on the 31st of August - when DD will now miss 2 weeks of school, and I'll miss 2 weeks of college....

I'll just be bringing reading books and those math ones you can buy....for her to do at some points throughout.

jellyhead

MarilynMonroe wrote: »

So she gets 2 holidays in all her school years? Hardly sounds like much of a childhood to me.

Couldnt get to a Butlins or the like. Only option to us is a caravan park, the prices are like 4-5 more as soon as the school holidays start.

What damage would a week off cause any way? None in the grand scheme of things. I could understand it if everyone in the class would be off but in all the years I was at school that never happened and the teachers never had a problem with anyone having a holiday (70's mid 80's) Now they want to keep you there from the age of 4 till 18 then into work till you drop dead ... Hmmm seems to me if this life then something is a miss.

Which caravan park is it? Perhaps we can find it in a cheaper deal for you ... have you checked whether it's in the Sun holidays? Why can't you get to others, is there a problem with public transport and trains? Depends on how rural you are, I suppose.

Butlins is a pain to get to, the train only goes as far as Taunton, then it's a long bus journey.

We usually get the train to caravan/camping holidays, then use buses to get to the parks. I live in the Midlands, so we don't have any local beaches.

I agree that 2 holidays during her childhood doesn't sound much fun, but it depends what sort of holiday you're after, I suppose. My kids will probably only go abroad once or twice in their childhoods because we're poor. A tent in Wales is still a great holiday though

I would take a day or two out of school for a holiday, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't take two weeks. My husband took my eldest abroad just before his year 6 SATS to help him de-stress ... if school ever feels like they're going into the mincing machine from that Pink floyd video I'd take them out in a heartbeat.

MarilynMonroe_2

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

I am of the opinion that the extra costs of holidays are something you need to budget for when you have kids. If you can't afford a caravan park, then try camping or do short weekend breaks.

Erm Weekend breaks are dearer. Cheapest holidays and Mon - Fri 4 nights.

You're also assuming I have a choice of where to go and what sort of holiday to have. I don't.

As for budgeting £500 for 4 nights holiday thats just not on.


''Real world people... real world!''

MarilynMonroe_2

jellyhead wrote: »

Which caravan park is it? Perhaps we can find it in a cheaper deal for you ... have you checked whether it's in the Sun holidays? Why can't you get to others, is there a problem with public transport and trains? Depends on how rural you are, I suppose.

Butlins is a pain to get to, the train only goes as far as Taunton, then it's a long bus journey.

We usually get the train to caravan/camping holidays, then use buses to get to the parks. I live in the Midlands, so we don't have any local beaches.

I agree that 2 holidays during her childhood doesn't sound much fun, but it depends what sort of holiday you're after, I suppose. My kids will probably only go abroad once or twice in their childhoods because we're poor. A tent in Wales is still a great holiday though

I would take a day or two out of school for a holiday, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't take two weeks. My husband took my eldest abroad just before his year 6 SATS to help him de-stress ... if school ever feels like they're going into the mincing machine from that Pink floyd video I'd take them out in a heartbeat.

I can only go to one park site, trust me I know all the prices and deals. If its got to be through school holidays its a no no, simple as.

MarilynMonroe_2

notanewuser wrote: »

MM is talking about a week in a caravan, not a safari in the Serengeti!!!

Hm so our holiday wouldnt count then? Does my daughter not deserve 4 nights away in a caravan a year?

MarilynMonroe_2

notanewuser wrote: »

Homeschooling is great - if you're committed to it for reasons other than being able to go on holiday when you like.

If the intention is for them to go to secondary school you also have to prepare the child to integrate in a school of 1000+ pupils at age 11.

of course I would only homeschool only for the chance of a 4 day break every year

neverdespairgirl

daisiegg wrote: »

I had a student in my Year 11 class this year who missed two weeks in October for a holiday. )

Year 11 - is that one of the GCSE years? That's a well silly time for a child to miss school unless they are ill or something.

My school's numbering was all different - GCSE courses were in the Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth.