Holiday in school time - what to tell school

Becles

Some jobs do work like that. My husband gets allocated weeks off work too. This year he wasn't given any weeks off in the school holidays, so we haven't been on holiday.

OP - you're going to have to tell the truth. There's no way a 5 year old will keep it quiet if you lie. I've worked with the little ones in school as a parent helper, and they tell you all sorts of private things about home life!

seven-day-weekend

If a member of the family cannot genuinely fit the holiday into school holiday time then I think that IS an 'exceptional circumstance'.

Most people do it to get cheap flights though.

If the OP is genuinely unable to take the holiday any other time then she should just tell the truth. The Head should not have a problem with that.

Although this wasn't the impression that I gained from the first post. If I'm wrong, I apologise.

amandada

JennyW wrote: »

not always! My husband is in the Navy - we cant choose when we go on holiday. We don't have kids so it's not a problem but the time off given to my husband is scheduled into a rota and not scheduled to requests! We don't know from one year to the next, may be a week in August, week in December, who knows......

Back to the OP's question. I think honesty is the best policy here and suffer the consequences (if there are any).

I'm in kind of the same position-I work operationally for one of the emergency services and cannot be guaranteed annual leave within school holidays if there are "operational needs"
People in my circumstances and JennyW's come within what is termed "exceptional circumstances" and it is permissible to take the children out of school. Having said that, the most I've ever taken them out for is 2 days

meester

The truth is not particularly compelling to be honest, just cheap flights booked and paid for, forgetting that it was term time.

Anyway, having done so, I don't really want to cause any friction with the school, I doubt a week away from Year 1 of school is going to do his education any damage, so I just want to get it all signed off with no fuss or trouble.

Incidentally, my own parents routinely took me on holiday in September, because it was cheaper, perhaps I'll get some advice from them....

JennyW_2

to be honest I think there are far more important things to be worried about in life. I doubt a week out of school at the age of 5 is that damaging!

seven-day-weekend

I would just tell the Head you genuinely forgot and say it won't happen again.

I don't think it's a matter of doing the education any damage, I just think the school holidays are long enough to take a holiday in for most people.

But we'll agree to differ on that, hope it turns out OK for you.

conradmum

No, I don't think a week off at age 5 is going to make the difference between Cambridge and the dole queue.:D
However schools make these rules for reasons, not on a whim - which is why taking your children out during term time is discouraged. At my sons' school it is simply not allowed! So I'm sure some parents lie and take their kids out anyway, but what kind of attitude is that to be teaching your children?
Having said that, when one boy's parents wanted to take him to India for two weeks for a family wedding, the principal said okay as long as he took along a video camera and filmed the wedding. I thought that was a great idea as it firstly made sure that the family were telling the truth and secondly gave the RE department a fantastic teaching resource of a genuine Hindu wedding.
As I said before, it's best to work with the school rather than against them. They are in charge of your children's education after all. As a previous poster said, I would just explain it's a genuine mistake. which is understandable as your child's only just started school. I'm sure he'll be fine about it.

SSB

Hi
Just be honest about it. I can appreciate that the school rules are strict but you made a mistake, is there any way you can describe the holiday as educational?

finnis

I would echo others' opinions and just be honest. I'm taking my kids out of school for the last week of the Christmas term because we're going to Australia for three weeks. If we'd gone later, the flights would have cost an extra £2,000.

My two are 6 and 5, and so I consider a week out of school at this age isn't going to make a huge difference to their overall education. We did think seriously about whether we should do it, but this will be a one-off and think that they are young enough for it not to make a diference.

Wrote to the headmistress and she was fine about it.

TITEASCRAMP

I would just be honest about it, thats the only advise i have sorry.
Im sure the head wont be pleased, he/she will probably think like a lot of other people that you can afford private fees but not flights?!?