Our kids refused time off school during term time - please advice

Homeownertobe

neatheyc wrote: »

Difference is, teachers get paid to teach. Where as parents pay for their children to go to school (I think that's right? I am not a parent).

I think it's disgusting that they charge you to take your own child out for a week or two a year. Especially with the cost of a holiday in peak times.

Only if it's a private school. All taxpayers fund state schools - and private schools to an extent.

ViolaLass

Jagraf wrote: »

I think its appalling that prizes are offered for attendance, for any reason. What it does show however is that schools need attendance to get results, which appears obvious.

Schools also get into trouble with Ofsted if their attendance is low.

k12479

fierystormcloud wrote: »

Anyone with a shred of common sense...will make NO difference...it's blatantly obvious...it's laughable...

Wow. Your ignorance is astounding. Views like your's just prove to me why measures such as these are felt necessary.

pinkandblueshoe

To be honest, the problem is with holiday companies who charge parents an arm and a leg in school holiday times. I was never taken out of school for a holiday, that would have pretty much been because my mum is a teacher (not saying she would have done it anyway, but wasn't possible with her job). I was also someone who didn't take days off school unless I was really unwell. There were people in my year at school that you didn't see from one month to the next.

Do I personally think that missing 5 days of a school term would cause someone major problems in their education? I'd have to say no. Many children won't have 100 per cent attendance. Im pretty sure that during my 6 years of secondary school I had almost 100 per cent attendance, I didn't have sick days often and I didn't truant from school, but Id be very surprised if it was 100 per cent.

I would however expect the holiday to go down as an unauthorised absence.

bitemebankers

Not sure why the OP didn't just tell the school the kids were ill.

pinkandblueshoe

Perhaps coming back from being ill with a glowing tan might give the game away.

pinkandblueshoe

I dont know why the parents in this situation didn't put in the holiday forms before booking the holiday. I know the receptionist said what she did, but she's not the person who makes the decision, I assume it would be the head teacher.

lynsayjane

I may have missed it but why didn't the OP just book the holiday over the two weeks break in October? Is there a particular reason it had to be one during and one after? Or just that was when he wanted to go?

Personally I think it's not acceptable to take your kids out of school willy nilly for holidays, the school have the right of it, it's not an exceptional circumstance. People forget these days that holidays are a LUXURY not a RIGHT.

As for normal working people's annual leave, although we can choose when to take it there are always restrictions. I've never worked anywhere through retail, leisure or big companies that didn't have some form of rules governing when I could take annual leave, There was no booking a holiday then appealing a decision or taking it anyway and paying a fine. Surely sticking to the rules is standing your child in good stead for the future?

pinkandblueshoe

I would assume cost would be the factor, its cheaper to go on holiday in school time than not as holiday companies hike the prices up as soon as schools break.

duchy

lynsayjane wrote: »

I may have missed it but why didn't the OP just book the holiday over the two weeks break in October?

Possibly because October half term is usually one week ?