Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

Hey all.

Ok I'm not one for talking about my family much, so I shan't

Just kidding, here goes then....... I'm deliberating or at least considering booking a holiday for my family of four for this year outside the "School Summer Break" but I'm concerned about the "threatening letter" I received from both my children's schools last year about "taking matters very seriously" if any parents did so with fines.

Now I don't know what the fine or what the repercussions could be, but I'd sooner look into it, so what way is better than asking you family chaps for advice or feedback of such "unschooly behaviour"

So back to the family bit then, and for you "schoolobiding" adults please don't crucify me. .......

I'm married with two kids, and I must stress to get married and then take both kids to Dom Rep in 2012 cost me almost £6'000 as it was in the school holidays My kids are 8 and 6, but my youngest is disabled, so let's just say he's a handful. He doesn't tolerate crowds, and can not understand the need to wait, and boredom kicks in very quickly, and he hasn't got full motor skills, So we plan meticulously, therefore to go on holiday when there is a lesser crowd and less stress would be better, and obviously cheaper on the pocket which is rather appealing. The /\ above Hol to Dom rep for example would have been £4'000 outside the school holidays.

Rob

Infected by sti

iTrader: (6)

Schools by me Rob where my brothers little ones go, they are based on overall attendance and how they are performing in school. If they have full attendance to that point and not having difficulties in school then they have no problem with them booking holidays in school periods. I also believe they know how difficult it is for families to pay for such grand things especially in school holidays, simply put not everyone is in the position to do that and at best look for last minuet cheap package holidays as a result which is going to clash with schooling dates.

I personally believe it's more a case of the school not wanting to portray bad attendance figures when they send out these threatening letters, where their overall attendance may be below national or area average, all imo of course

I fully sympathise with your scenario with your youngest, that's what I do for a living is work in the care sector. Everybody's needs are different and can't be expected to steamrolled in a direction which is not suitable for them. Have you spoken with the school, I'm assuming they know your position with things, so maybe a bit more flexible?

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Rob,

If you get a threatening letter I would visit writer of said letter, calmly and lucidly present the facts that you have just told us about your reasons and if they still want to make an issue of it tell them to do their worst and you just forget aboout it!

They are your kids and unless you are behaving genuinely irresponsibly as a parent the state can do f**k all! Christ they can't even do something when they should!!!

Don't even worry about it!

madscoob

iTrader: (3)

down here the fine is a token jesture £90 per child per week, good value when last year last week in august in newquay was £930. the very next week was £440, i for one will be doing it again and if i get fined so be it,

Turbohot

Rob, your children are in primary education, not in a high school interrupting their GCSE 's with your holiday plan. You say you're wanting to go during quieter times to meet your disabled child's needs. Therefore, IMO the school head should provide understanding to your circumstances, and allow the leave to your children. He may ask them to take some homework away with them, if necessary.

Your financial affordability for your holiday isn't their school's concern, but your child's disability should be.

Sorry to learn that you got a strict letter from their school for taking them on your wedding holiday, unless you failed to inform their school prior to taking them away.

Hope it works out for you and your family.

pflowers

They don't seem to care too much in wales, my business is open 7 days a week in school holidays so we have to make plans outside of these.

It's either a holiday in term time or no holiday at all for us. I would never do anything that affects my child's education and can't see how a correctly timed five days off would do that. I am sure the benefits of a family holiday more than outweigh the missed lessons.

Remember it is not a legal requirement to send your kids to school, only that they get an education.

gazzawrx

iTrader: (11)

I received the same letter from my 9 year old daughters school and tbh my response was b0llocks to them, who the **** are the school to try and get involved in our family life, if we want to go away on holiday then we will, they can try and fine me as much as they want, they wont get anything from me. Im fooked off with how this countries bunch of inbred politicians/government that think they can watch over and try to control peoples lives by fear tactics, this country is beyond help now.

Dingdongler

Personally I don't do it but I take great issue with the state/school trying to tell me what to do with my kids. I did do it when they were at preschool ie age 4

They are my kids and as long as they aren't being mistreated it is up to me what I do with them. It is my judgement call whether they can afford a bit of time off school, nobody elses. I won't be dictated to in these matters because the state makes the rules based on bad parents.

Saying that what might be worth considering is taking half the holiday within school time and half not. This way the price of the holiday is reduced to some degree but they only miss one week of school rather than two.

97TURBO

Everything you have just put in that post needs put in a letter. Don't "ask" for permission, simply explain this what you are doing and why, theres no way they can object.
Our own plan is the fortnight right before the holidays or the week before, overlapping into the holidays. The kids do nothing in these last 2 weeks anyway.

sweden

iTrader: (2)

Not living in the uk so excuse my ignorance but what law would you be breaking that then allows the school to fine you, is the fine then declared in the school accounts.
having a 9yr old that is wheel chair bound i totally understand your reason behind this but for the life of me cant understand why you should be fined and is something i would refuse to pay flat out.

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

You say that, but this is council backed, so they can and will take legal action.

I'm all for fining the parents who just can't be arsed to get up and take their kids in, but as said above you'll probably find the head to be quite approachable. Personally I would speak to the school, explain your needs and help them to understand before you take the time.

I'd be shocked and ready to take it further if they argued with you.

http://www.education.gov.uk/popularq...-in-term-time?

http://www.theguardian.com/education...-time-holidays

bring your child in or we'll exclude them

The Pink Ninja

iTrader: (23)

We did it rob a couple of years back when we went to Florida, 9 and 6 then, Had a quite word with the teacher told them we were going, What can they actually do? We got told to have a good time and don't worry about it but due to the schools attendance we still received a letter anyway...So what if you get a fine...what are they going to do if you don't pay it....Refuse you kids an education....I don't think they would want to go there personally the press would have a ball with that one

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

Maybe make it worse for yourself if you don't pay ..

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

You couldn't make up some of this stuff could you?

It's like the courts handing driving bans to people caught driving without a licence

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Can I put a few points right before this goes off on another school/teacher hatefest, please?

First off, the fines: they exist, but they are token THE FIRST TIME. Do it again and the fine can rise to iirc £1000, unlikely, I know, but worth remembering. That's because if you have had one fine and do it again, you are also in contempt of court. Allegedly.

Second, who fines you: NOT the school. The school simply has, by LAW, to pass details to the EWO (Educational Welfare Officer), and he/she passes it to the courts. ONLY the courts have the power to fine in the UK, ........fact. So if you get a fine, it's all legal and above board.

Third, choice: sure, YOU have a choice. The school has none. They are told by the government that they MUST declare any child in non-attendance to the EWO for action. Failure to do so would be noted by LEA, government and the courts, plus OFSTED would jump on them too. Recently, my wife has been to a meeting with the DFC who told them that any headteacher NOT doing as they wanted was in breach of contract and could face the sack, and the governing body could be replaced by government mandates. What would you do?

Let's never forget that ALL THIS stemmed form another piece of nastiness by Lying Labour, getting at it's core voters. They also promised to get the holiday companies in line at the same time so there was no such thing as a "peak period"...yeah, like they could do that

SJ_Skyline

Best to discuss your "Educational Trip" with the school first

donny andi

iTrader: (3)

It's £100 per child in my village , I will pay the fine if need be as its £1300 extra in the 6 week holiday.
We normally go end of may 1st week June and I'm sure some of it falls on either a school holiday or bank holiday weekend so they get a extra week out of school.

It won't take long for the schools to realise parents would rather pay a small fine than get raped by the tour operators and it will be upped to £500 per kid.
The school should be grateful and pay me to give them a couple of weeks break from my little one

hodgy0_2

This is a tricky issue

And I am faced with the eye-watering prospect of taking my wife and 5 children (all school age) skiing at half term.

And it does seem like a system designed to cope with the lowest common denominator in our society and unfairly penalise the “chattering” classes.

But let’s not forget why this new regime was introduced – it was to combat chronic attendance record of children from certain sections of the community.

Parents, who in their stupidity and ignorance viewed education as somehow optional or irrelevant – and thus destroyed the life chances of their children.

What was the government supposed to do simply ignore this?

In a perfect world something like this would not be needed – and it is a sad reflection of our society that it is needed.

I wonder what the situation is in other countries (Germany, France, Italy Holland etc)

PaulC72

Just speak to the school and write a letter they should be ok with that as it is not a critical time

sweden

iTrader: (2)

Scandinavian countrys have holidays split so that different parts of the country have holidays at different time so that we as parents don't suffer exactly what you guys have in the uk

Dave-W-

iTrader: (10)

I know what you mean rob every holiday I go on is 30-40% more expensive for me due to my Mrs being a special needs teacher and we can only go when schools are closed

Rob Day

iTrader: (78)

Cheers for all the replies, it appears to be a hot topic with most parents

Just to be clear, the letters from the schools we received last year were not much of a "threat" but more of a "warning" (the mrs pointed it out to me once I told her about this thread). And the letters were not as a result of me taking the kids out of school during term as we haven't done this to date, our Dom Rep http://www.hardrockhotelpuntacana.com holiday was £6k during school holidays, IF we had booked during early July or September it would have been £4k and a lot quieter.

The letters we received were a blanket letter to each parent highlighting to the parents of the importance of attendance, and that absence isn't taking lightly, and that any absence for Holiday purpose is reported to the governing body of schools education, followed by fines. I kind of made that up from memory as I binned both letters back May of last Year.


Anyway your probably right, I need to explain my circumstances to each school and take it from there.

I understand the importance of schooling/education and the attendance, especially with my eldest, but were not relaxed parents in the sense of taking time out unnecessarily, or even when a child has a minor cold, in fact my daughters attendance for last year was 100%, my son had around 5 days off for illness, and around a further 6 half days for his condition appointments all explained to the school with covering letters.

Thanks for all the comments

Much appreciated

Rob