School Holiday Fines

aliphil

When I accepted my child's school place, I had to tick something saying that I agreed to abide by the school's policies. I imagine this is standard across all authorities, and obviously will include attendance. To me that's a bargain - the school agrees to teach my child, and in return I support its policies. If I were to break that, I think the school would be justified in refusing to teach my child - yes, I know that would be unlikely to happen, but it's a logical consequence.

If you don't want to abide by state school policies, there's always the option to home educate. Yes, it would probably involve turning your life upside down, but if your freedom to spend time with your children whenever you choose is so important, why wouldn't you be willing to do that?

Spendless

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Few if any of which, these days, would help the school meet the strict pupil achievement milestones required of them. To do so would probably mean their teachers having to spend time, on a one to one basis, to bring them up to the expected standard. Meanwhile the rest of the class is receiving proportionally less time being taught.

And this is the crux of it. If it's not on the National Curriculum and required to pass an exam or test, then it's deemed not important enough.

vikingaero

aliphil wrote: »

When I accepted my child's school place, I had to tick something saying that I agreed to abide by the school's policies. I imagine this is standard across all authorities, and obviously will include attendance. To me that's a bargain - the school agrees to teach my child, and in return I support its policies. If I were to break that, I think the school would be justified in refusing to teach my child - yes, I know that would be unlikely to happen, but it's a logical consequence.

If you don't want to abide by state school policies, there's always the option to home educate. Yes, it would probably involve turning your life upside down, but if your freedom to spend time with your children whenever you choose is so important, why wouldn't you be willing to do that?

STOP BEING SO SENSIBLE!

You are upsetting the ME! ME! ME! generation who want to do what they want.... we av rights innit!

ezglide1450

I am a grandparent now and recently treated my grown up children and their children to a Caribbean holiday. There were 8 of us going and to go in school holidays would have more than doubled the price ! This was our last chance to do it as the youngest starts school in September and the oldest starts secondary school then too. The kids have high 90s percent attendance records so I don't feel a fine would be appropriate but will pay it if necessary as otherwise they couldn't afford a family holiday. What really annoys me though is the way the school can add a week on to the school holidays at short notice because their builders can't work to a schedule or can force hard up parents to pay for unnecessary and pointless school trips. Don't even get me started on 'in service days' And one of my eldest grandsons classmates hasn't attended school for 'months' since being excluded for a week for assaulting other pupils and teachers he is 'refusing' to return to school now. I wonder how vigorously the L.E.A. are pursuing his parents ! There is however a very simple answer to all of this in my view. Make it 'illegal' for airlines and holiday companies to differentiate between termtime and non termtime prices. There can be no justification in increasing prices based on school holidays and I'm sure those without school aged children would prefer to go when it's quieter and leave the holiday dates for those who are tied to them.

Spendless

vikingaero wrote: »

STOP BEING SO SENSIBLE!

You are upsetting the ME! ME! ME! generation who want to do what they want.... we av rights innit!

Yes, how selfish of people to want to take their children away when they can get Annual leave from their employers. Or want to take them abroad to celebrate an older relatives birthday, or see them before they die. Or manage a break in between the parent having treatment for something serious or terminal.

takman

ezglide1450 wrote: »

I am a grandparent now and recently treated my grown up children and their children to a Caribbean holiday. There were 8 of us going and to go in school holidays would have more than doubled the price ! This was our last chance to do it as the youngest starts school in September and the oldest starts secondary school then too. The kids have high 90s percent attendance records so I don't feel a fine would be appropriate but will pay it if necessary as otherwise they couldn't afford a family holiday. What really annoys me though is the way the school can add a week on to the school holidays at short notice because their builders can't work to a schedule or can force hard up parents to pay for unnecessary and pointless school trips. Don't even get me started on 'in service days' And one of my eldest grandsons classmates hasn't attended school for 'months' since being excluded for a week for assaulting other pupils and teachers he is 'refusing' to return to school now. I wonder how vigorously the L.E.A. are pursuing his parents ! There is however a very simple answer to all of this in my view. Make it 'illegal' for airlines and holiday companies to differentiate between termtime and non termtime prices. There can be no justification in increasing prices based on school holidays and I'm sure those without school aged children would prefer to go when it's quieter and leave the holiday dates for those who are tied to them.

Well firstly when the school change holiday dates or go on school trips then there are no lessons for any children so they don't miss out. If a child is taken out of school when there are lessons then they miss out.

Secondly your point about price differences is ridiculous!. It's all to do with supply and demand, when the demand is high that's when people will pay the higher prices and the holiday companies make most of their money. When the demand is low then they need to discount these prices to get enough people to fill all the spaces. If they made all prices the same all year round it would have to be the same price as during the school holidays. This would then mean less people would go out of season when the weather isn't as good. So they would have to increase prices even more!..

Alot of holiday companies so run on low profit margins due to high levels of competition so they couldn't reduce prices even if they wanted to because they would make a loss.

foxster99

All the fuss blaming schools for the fines is a red herring, schools are just doing their legally-obliged job of educating your kids - despite you if necessary. The real problem has already been identified: The high cost of holidays outside the school holidays.
There are a number of fixes for this:
1. The UK should do as they do in places like Germany and have the school holidays at different times by region. This makes the overall holiday period longer, the holiday companies then can spread their profits over a longer period and the cost of individual holidays comes down.
2. Simple one: Parents suck it up and make their children's education a priority over a suntan.
3. You get smarter about booking your holiday. If you wanted, say, a villa in Florida and did this through a UK package company then the prices get hiked in the school holidays. However, if you book through a destination-local holiday let company, book the theme parks yourself and book the flights with the airlines yourself then the prices are not tied to the UK school holiday variations.
4. Drop out of the "I must take a holiday abroad or my friends will think I'm a loser" culture. This is wasteful bread-head thinking. You can have a holiday that will generate far more and happier memories for your children without sticking them on a plane for 8 hours to go look at a man in a mouse costume.

Ellsey

aliphil wrote: »

When I accepted my child's school place, I had to tick something saying that I agreed to abide by the school's policies. I imagine this is standard across all authorities, and obviously will include attendance. To me that's a bargain - the school agrees to teach my child, and in return I support its policies. If I were to break that, I think the school would be justified in refusing to teach my child - yes, I know that would be unlikely to happen, but it's a logical consequence.

If you don't want to abide by state school policies, there's always the option to home educate. Yes, it would probably involve turning your life upside down, but if your freedom to spend time with your children whenever you choose is so important, why wouldn't you be willing to do that?

Exactly! Well said.x

ALIBOBSY

Spendless wrote: »

Don't suppose you know what school year the child is in? My guess is it's either yr6 (sats) or yr11 (GCSEs) maybe sixth form.

My sister has been complaining about the same thing. She has 16yo twins in yr11. They had some day trips booked Feb half term and then got a last minute letter saying there was revision sessions that they were expected to attend. She got the same letter for these Easter hols.

Another parent with child at same school said when they'd quizzed the school about the 'compulsory' bit, School admitted they were voluntary, their next letter said 'voluntary' no-one elses did.

It's a bug bear of mine that homework is set for any of the years in the school holidays.

I believe it was year 11, strictly speaking even homework is not compulsory it isn't in primary legislation, but most of us want to work with the schools to help our kids. The trouble with the push at the moment is the kids are being pushed to hard, the parents are being pitted against the teachers and heads and that feeling of we are all in it together to help the kids is deserting many parents and teachers swiftly.

State school rely on alot of goodwill from parents, all the various contributions we make via school fairs, plays etc, volunteering and making kids do homework/revision etc. If parents all withdrawn all financial support and their free time the schools will be even more up the creek than the latest cuts will cause.

Plus why do Welsh and Scottish kids not get fined, nor do private school pupils, so unfair.

Ali x

ALIBOBSY

foxster99 wrote: »

All the fuss blaming schools for the fines is a red herring, schools are just doing their legally-obliged job of educating your kids - despite you if necessary. The real problem has already been identified: The high cost of holidays outside the school holidays.
There are a number of fixes for this:
1. The UK should do as they do in places like Germany and have the school holidays at different times by region. This makes the overall holiday period longer, the holiday companies then can spread their profits over a longer period and the cost of individual holidays comes down.
2. Simple one: Parents suck it up and make their children's education a priority over a suntan.
3. You get smarter about booking your holiday. If you wanted, say, a villa in Florida and did this through a UK package company then the prices get hiked in the school holidays. However, if you book through a destination-local holiday let company, book the theme parks yourself and book the flights with the airlines yourself then the prices are not tied to the UK school holiday variations.
4. Drop out of the "I must take a holiday abroad or my friends will think I'm a loser" culture. This is wasteful bread-head thinking. You can have a holiday that will generate far more and happier memories for your children without sticking them on a plane for 8 hours to go look at a man in a mouse costume.

TBF I think many people are falling for the government line that this is about people wanting a slightly cheaper hol abroad, when for many parents it isn't.

Parents who have jobs where they have allocated weeks off or are not allowed time in school holidays are being refused permission to go away in term time.

A mother was issued a penalty notice for taking her youngest with her when she accompanied her eldest child abroad for CANCER treatment.

Refusals for family marriages-even parents or when a bridesmaid.

I saw a couple who were travelling to NZ to see a terminal ill grandparent who were refused permission and will likely get a penalty notice.

Worst of all parents of children with special needs, who struggle in crowds are being told thats not exceptional enough to get permission to take them out of school.

The guff about even one day effecting G.C.S.E results is complete rubbish and even reading the gov own report on how absence effects attainment shows it to be rubbish. Like everything govs seem to do now it is a manipulation of the figures. There are lies, damn lies and government "facts".

Ali x