Schools no longer allowed to authorise holidays

zagfles

iammumtoone wrote: »

Thanks a good suggestion, thanks. Do you know where you can find the information on everyones holiday dates?

Google eg "sussex school term dates"

But you usually don't need to, it's obvious from the prices when you look on the booking sites.

Glad you asked because having just checked a few it looks like most southern councils are off the two weeks up to Easter Mon, we're off the whole week starting Easter Mon so should be a good week for a cheap break!

Jinx

I really object to all this big brother stuff and am very glad my daughter is now past school age.

I used to take her out of school once a year for holidays - my prerogative, Im her mother and it fitted in with my teams work schedule (never mind school holidays what about financial monthends etc that a lot of workers need to fit in with?!) These holidays were always authorised but came with a letter about the importance of education. I used to get really annoyed at these, education is important but so are other things like culture, family, a love of travel, languages and fun!

My understanding from reading a few of these threads was that the fine was not enforceable, has that changed too?

Mojisola

The changes are being imposed on the schools so, if you're unhappy about it, talk to your MPs about it.

https://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/behaviour/attendance/a00223868/regulations-amendments

Amendments to the 2006 regulations remove references to family holiday and extended leave as well as the statutory threshold of ten school days. The amendments make clear that headteachers may not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Also -
Amendments to 2007 regulations will reduce the timescales for paying a penalty notice. Parents must, from 1 September 2013, pay £60 within 21 days or £120 within 28 days.

(That's each parent so it will be £120 or £240 per child with two parents.)

unholyangel

Who pays the fines for foster children? What about step parents?

Tiddlywinks

Jinx wrote: »

I used to take her out of school once a year for holidays - my prerogative, Im her mother and it fitted in with my teams work schedule (never mind school holidays what about financial monthends etc that a lot of workers need to fit in with?!) These holidays were always authorised but came with a letter about the importance of education. I used to get really annoyed at these, education is important but so are other things like culture, family, a love of travel, languages and fun!

All of those things can be undertaken during regular school holidays.

Toto

It's not always about holidays being cheaper during term time. Some people can't take holidays during school holidays due to work. My husband works worldwide throughout the year, we go away when we can, that time is really important to us. It's not just about us spending time together, my husband's family are all in Montreal, including 98 year old great grandma, unless we go to visit, our kids just don't see their Canadian family. These trips do have the benefit of the kids learning French, MIL doesn't like to speak to them in English and FIL and grandma don't speak English at all. So they do learn. The little one will have to catch up and we will make sure we put the time in to help her, we certainly don't expect her teacher to put in any extra because of our choice. No school is going to tell me that I can't take my daughter away though.

I also have friends whose husbands are in the armed forces, they too can't take holidays during school breaks as a rule, they have to fit in to work, obviously. It just all feels like a fund raising exercise rather than having anything at all to do with education.

mum2one

iammumtoone wrote: »

Thanks a good suggestion, thanks. Do you know where you can find the information on everyones holiday dates?

In general if you go into the local councils websites and then search through for education, this will give the holidays, our area has 2014/2015 year up already.

Generally you'd only need to search one or two areas to get an idea of the holidays.

I'm in England, but only 20 miles from the Welsh border, yet their Oct half term holiday is a week earlier than ours.
x

mum2one

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

All of those things can be undertaken during regular school holidays.

I appriciate where your coming from, but a lot of it boils down to cost, i'm a single parent, (not through choice) so already despite my child not being 12yrs old I have to pay adult price - and my example I used on an earlier post, for Oct half term - 2 weeks later the hol would be half the price,

Tiddlywinks

mum2one wrote: »

I appriciate where your coming from, but a lot of it boils down to cost, i'm a single parent, (not through choice) so already despite my child not being 12yrs old I have to pay adult price - and my example I used on an earlier post, for Oct half term - 2 weeks later the hol would be half the price,

Sorry, but "cost" should never be the reason for removing children from school - find something cheaper to do instead.

People have managed without holidays away for years - it is not an essential. Since when did so many parents put costs before education and think that's justified?

What message does that give to your children?

duchy

zagfles wrote: »

[*]If you really must book a package abroad, consider flying from somewhere where it's not the school holidays. We've had some cracking deals flying from Glasgow in the October half term. Even with a 200 mile drive, hotel at the airport and parking it's been about half the cost of the same holiday from Manchester.
[/LIST]
We've stuck with the school holidays for the last 10 years, usually 2 or 3 holidays a year, never paying the rip-off prices the travel agents want.

There's a bit of discussion about "creative routings" on the Las Vegas thread at the moment (saving of over £1000 for a family of four if starting the journey in Dublin rather than London even adding the flight to Dublin on)- as someone pointed out -the trouble with doing this is all the extra travel involved adds even more to the carbon footprint than a normal routing.

The new rules won't affect me -but I think as the parent of a child with good attendance I'd take my chances with the fine. The fact that loophole is there is a bit silly as it means the LEA is undermining the school and its rules . It reads like a trade off- keep up the attendance the rest of the year and we won't fine you.
( If I wanted to look like a social media victim I'd add #govt hypocrisy to this post.)