Ok it's just a moan, but really... school holidays

Merlot

Its not the schools problem, its the holiday companies, they are ripping us off increasing prices during the school holidays, I don't know how they can justify it? I am not talking about foreign holidays here but the UK is as bad, £200 more for a school holiday break.

If I was in your situation, then I would take them out of school the week before school ends, you can usually pick up a holiday much cheaper that week, I have done this for numerous years and will continue to do so, even with my DD starting high school in September, they do not do much at the end of term, there is always a way round problems.

Merlot.x.

Spendless

Are all your kids at same school? I'd look for a week in which they have an inset day to limit the days off, eg my kids once had teacher training days the thursday and friday before they went off for Oct half term, so going the w/end before would have meant missing 3 days max, or even starting them from the wednesday if the hols could be started mid-week and the prices were still cheaper.

My kids also have a week in May when next year they will be off Monday for (may day) BH, back tues, wed, off thurs cos the school is used as a polling station, back friday. You might need to take into account SATS though.

Also worth looking up is if your hols are in line with the rest of the country. Last year we were able to go away Oct half term cheaply as for some reason our hols were a week later than rest of England. Similarly Easter this year was different for different areas, we had the 2 weeks straight after Easter, other areas were off as mine went back and another area not far from here had the traditional week before, week after. I also know of areas that have 2 weeks at May half term, and a week less in the summer, so if you are in one of those areas you might find your 2nd May week cheaper.

bank_of_slate

It's high time something was done about this!
I was pricing up Center Parcs in October just for a weekend break.
£368 for a weekend in term time
£974 in the half term!!!!

This makes me really cross, it literally prices some families out of a holiday!

I will continue to take my kids out of school on the Fri and Mon twice a year for us to have some family time together.
Yes I wish I could afford holidays without taking the kids out of school but when both me & hubby work full time we barely get any family time unless we plan it together
...Linda xx

Nicki

bank_of_slate wrote: »

It's high time something was done about this!
I was pricing up Center Parcs in October just for a weekend break.
£368 for a weekend in term time
£974 in the half term!!!!

I'm sure have read, in many places maybe even on this very site, that most holiday providers make a loss out of season. It isn't that they massively hike the prices in season to fleece parents and operate at a smaller profit out, but that they lose money out of season (but stay open as any income is better than none at all). The prices charged in season therefore cover the losses of the out of season time, plus their profits for the year.

At the end of the day, it is supply and demand, and as most people with children want to go on holiday during the school holidays, this is when demand is highest, and therefore prices also go up. In the same way that buying clothes in season is expensive and once the season has passed they go into the sale and are sold for less than half of their original price.

For this reason no campaign to force travel companies to charge a blanket price year round will work, and parents do need to find a solution which works for themselves to deal with the fact that things cost more in school holidays time. Personally, I would rather have a cheaper holiday in season (or no holiday at all) rather than take my child out of school during term time though in exceptional circumstances I have asked for one day off (when I was taking the children to my parents to celebrate their grandfather's 80th birthday and was unable to get there and back without them missing half a day of school)

Also take pity on childless couples and older couples who deliberately choose to book their holidays out of season because they don't want to be bothered by a horde of over-excited school age children, but find to their horror, that the pool is full of them :rolleyes:

Lunar_Eclipse

It is tricky but you have to do what you consider is best for your family overall.

Ultimately I think you have three options:

1) Ignore the changes, be honest and put in the holiday request and see what happens. Go on the holiday and at worst pay the £100 fine for unauthorised absence. Or don't go if the absence is denied.

2) Lie to get the permission.

3) Don't go on holiday in term time.

Personally I'd opt for the first option and go on the holiday. But not at the start of a new academic year and also taking their age/'exam' needs into consideration.

Lunar_Eclipse

bank_of_slate wrote: »

I was pricing up Center Parcs in October just for a weekend break.
£368 for a weekend in term time
£974 in the half term!!!!

Who is paying £974 for a weekend break at Centerparcs?

I think £368 is rather steep actually.

Whilst I don't think it's a big deal that you take your children out of school for (something like) 4 days a year, there are alternative holidays that would be cheaper and just as 'beneficial'. Do you go to Centerparcs every (twice even!) year?

gregg1

Almost_Redundant wrote: »

I think if you present your case to the school as well as you have done on here, you won't have a problem getting the time.

We took our son on an out of season trip of a lifetime to Africa for three weeks. The school was against it but ultimately could do nothing about it. My son gained far more in those three weeks than he would have done had he stayed at school discussing the latest fashions, hairstyles, pop bands etc.!!

If the councils are that bothered about kids missing out on education they should bring teachers in for a couple of weeks during the long summer holiday to help the kids that have missed out to catch up - after all they are still getting paid.[/quote]


here we go again - yet another teacher bashing thread in the making - boring, boring, boring.

Strapped

Sorry, I haven't read the whole thread so apologies if I'm repeating something, but you might find this thread useful:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=9737673#post9737673

esp. my post #54

anonymousie

izoomzoom wrote: »

I reckon that honesty is the best policy.

As it is, it sounds like this holiday next year may fall under 'once in a life-time' - espeically if it is abroad !

I really don't think that the letter from the school is specifically directed at you - it is designed for the parents who take their children out regularly ...

Best case you will be made to feel guilty and it will be recorded on their report, worst case you might be fined, but since it is a one off, I don't think it is likely.

I would go with the "once in a lifetime" too.
We took the kids out 3yrs ao when DD1 was 2nd year at seniors for few days (you could ony ge tUes package fligts to Malta from Brum) for a "really special" half term away with my (really quite old) parents, on thebasis that we didn't know if my prents would b fit enough when we mnaged to go away like this again.

School was quite happy- in fact secondary was very happy, DS/DD2s primary was a bit more grudging!

As it hapens we mightget another extra special holiday withmy parents this autumn, butwhen they hit 80yrs old life isn't predictable.

THe secondary schools the elder 2 are atare slective soeveryone works hrd and resuts are good. There is also large ethnic mix, and I guess they can't say no tothe religious "non stutory" holidays, so it is not onto object to a few daysauthorised holiday for everyone. Kids are responsible for catching up work though, and, because of thehigh standrds of the shool they do this without any trouble.

Sorry re typos naff keboard!

NUFCnutter

gregg1 wrote: »

Almost_Redundant wrote: »

I think if you present your case to the school as well as you have done on here, you won't have a problem getting the time.

We took our son on an out of season trip of a lifetime to Africa for three weeks. The school was against it but ultimately could do nothing about it. My son gained far more in those three weeks than he would have done had he stayed at school discussing the latest fashions, hairstyles, pop bands etc.!!

If the councils are that bothered about kids missing out on education they should bring teachers in for a couple of weeks during the long summer holiday to help the kids that have missed out to catch up - after all they are still getting paid.[/quote]


here we go again - yet another teacher bashing thread in the making - boring, boring, boring.

Without being accused of teacher bashing, why do teachers not agree to shorter summer holidays and a two week break every half term to ensure they have the same holidays they have now? What other profession gives 6 weeks + holiday in the summer? Teachers think that they are being bashed, but maybe teachers should try funding day care in the summer while they are off with their kids. And what is the teacher training day rubbish? If someone in another line of occupation has a training day they have to do it within their working week. Maybe teachers should try being nurses or policemen or firefighters before they complain about being teacher-bashed!