Term Time Holiday

Almo

springle_ring wrote: »

It isn't a case of schools deciding to fine parents in order to deter term time holidays so their figures look good for ofsted.
This is a govt edict to try and eradicate the link between poor attendance and under achievement - and make the figures look good for ofsted. I don't think many teachers would begrudge a week for a holiday seeing how much more it costs to go in school holiday time, they should know, they have to pay those inflated prices too.

Perhaps. Then again, since they aren't allowed to take time off during term time they might not be too sympathetic to people taking their kids out of school just because it's cheaper then.

bestpud

springle_ring wrote: »

It isn't a case of schools deciding to fine parents in order to deter term time holidays so their figures look good for ofsted.
This is a govt edict to try and eradicate the link between poor attendance and under achievement - and make the figures look good for ofsted. I don't think many teachers would begrudge a week for a holiday seeing how much more it costs to go in school holiday time, they should know, they have to pay those inflated prices too.

Schools are affected by attendance figures though.

My daughter's old school were OK about holidays but they were constantly reminding parents that they could not maintain their outstanding OFSTED report if attendance fell below a certain percentage.

It worked as the school saw parents as partners and there was mutual respect from both sides. Every school can choose how they manage attendance.

As I understand it, the link between attendance and poor attainment isn't conclusive.

In my opinion, it is more of a problem when children take time out nowadays because of the way they are spoon fed for exams. That happens in primary schools for SATs and also for GCSEs.

If they miss a week, they miss being instructed how to write the course work and/or how to answer a section of the paper and parents can't easily fill that gap because it is only teachers who are privy to the inside information from the exam boards.

Obviously, teachers won't openly agree with me, but we all know how it works.

fluffnutter

paulwellerfan wrote: »

i got fined for taking my daughter out of school she was about 14 at the time.
i just paid up.
it was cheaper than the extra on the holiday in the end.
£60 i think.

This kind of senseless, self-motivated justification utterly appals me. Who gives a shit that my kid thinks she can do what he wants? Who gives a monkey's that the school makes rules for the good of a continued education? Nope, I'll teach my kids !!!! that kid! It's a cheap holiday that matters! Money, money, money! Why should I pay extra for my fortnight in Marbella just because I was stupid enough to have kids! They're my kids! I can do what I want! Blah blah blah.

Person_one

fluffnutter wrote: »

This kind of senseless, self-motivated justification utterly appals me. Who gives a shit that my kid thinks she can do what he wants? Who gives a monkey's that the school makes rules for the good of a continued education? Nope, I'll teach my kids !!!! that kid! It's a cheap holiday that matters! Money, money, money! Why should I pay extra for my fortnight in Marbella just because I was stupid enough to have kids! They're my kids! I can do what I want! Blah blah blah.

Yikes, get out of bed on the wrong side today Fluff? :rotfl:

thegirlintheattic

INSET days are not taken out of teaching time (190 days) but are additional. They are used for training, it's usually not a case of just going in a pottering about for a day without the kids. Many schools now do INSET in the evenings but that doesn't mean the kids have extra days at school.

INSET dates are usually published two years ahead of time, so really no excuse for finding it hard sorting out childcare - is two years not enough advance notice? Schools are not a free childcare service, perhaps if this perception changed it would lead to an improvement in behaviour, attendance and attainment.

Spendless

I'm 10 years into going through the education system with my eldest and I've never had 2 years notice of inset days. I don't know anyone who does. My eldest's inset days for the academic year 13/14 were in this month's newsletter. My youngest's HT gave me a copy of them because I went and spoke to him about a holiday. It hasn't come out officially to the rest of the school yet. He even pointed out that there was a ? over one of the days they are considering and it wasn't confirmed yet.

Carl31

Im not sure if this is just me, not only do i not agree with the lost education element, but schooling is a cost to the tax payer, allowing your child to bunk off is just as bad as benefit fraud

Also, imo, when you decide to have kids you know they will have school, and you know that holidays will need to be taken in school holidays. If that messes with your lifestyle then maybe reconsider your role as a parent

Carl31

Person_one wrote: »

Yikes, get out of bed on the wrong side today Fluff? :rotfl:

Makes a good point though

Atalanta

Spendless wrote: »

I'm 10 years into going through the education system with my eldest and I've never "had 2 years notice of inset days. I don't know anyone who does. My eldest's inset days for the academic year 13/14 were in this month's newsletter. My youngest's HT gave me a copy of them because I went and spoke to him about a holiday. It hasn't come out officially to the rest of the school yet. He even pointed out that there was a ? over one of the days they are considering and it wasn't confirmed yet.

This clearly varies between different areas, because in our authority, Childrens Service publish a chart with all dates that the schools will be closed for the current and next academic year, and the inset days have to be taken within these dates. So I feel that we get plenty of notice of when they will be off school to organise childcare.

My children beg for us to go on holiday during term time like some others in their classes :rotfl:but as DH and I both work we need to save our annual leave to cover as much of the school holidays as possible.

thegirlintheattic

Spendless wrote: »

I'm 10 years into going through the education system with my eldest and I've never had 2 years notice of inset days. I don't know anyone who does. My eldest's inset days for the academic year 13/14 were in this month's newsletter. My youngest's HT gave me a copy of them because I went and spoke to him about a holiday. It hasn't come out officially to the rest of the school yet. He even pointed out that there was a ? over one of the days they are considering and it wasn't confirmed yet.

I had assumed most LEAs ran their calendars similarly. Perhaps suggest to the school/LEA that they need to pull their finger out? If some LEAs can do it then all should be able to.

I've usually found school term dates published on either school websites or on the LEA website. In fact my LEA has them listed until 2015. I admit on my LEA's site the INSETS are not listed individually but it clearly states that INSETS are taken outside of school terms or the school day. INSETS are however listed on the school website. This is because out LEA sets out the 190 days (which is published online) and then the schools sort out their own INSETS outside of these dates.

Just done a quick google and most LEAs I searched for had term dates for 13/14 listed, some even had 2015/2016 :eek: I do admit some are less helpful as they list 195 days per term, but then if you go to the school websites they list the INSETs.