Taking children on holiday during term time : Your experiences?

[Marcel]

We've never been on a family holiday before (save for the 4 days we had in Norfolk a few years ago), but this year we want to do it and go abroad.

Daughter's due to start high school in September too, so we want to go during half term ...problem is it will overlap by 4 days before and 1 day after. It'll be a couple of weeks *after* my daughter's Y6 SATs too, so won't be interfering with those.

Now we recently had letters from the school stating that they are now expected by the LEA to follow their reducing term time holidays policy etc etc, holidays are not allowed etc etc unless in exceptional circumstances. It goes on to state :

RAISING ATTAINMENT THROUGH REDUCING HOLIDAY/EXTENDED

LEAVE IN TERM TIME

On receipt of an application for a holiday/ extended leave in term time, please consider the following:

∙ DCSF Guidance on The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006 revised October (2007) version 2.1 states

Time off school for family holidays is not a right. Schools have discretion to allow up to10 days absence in a school year for a family holiday/leave if they believe that the circumstances warrant it.

Schools may agree up to 10 days “holiday leave” in special circumstances such as:

1. for service personnel and other employees who are prevented from taking holidays outside term-time if the holiday will have minimal disruption to the pupil’s education; and
2. When a family needs to spend time together to support each other during or after a crisis.
3. Holidays which are taken for the following reasons should not be authorised:
4. availability of cheap holidays;
5. availability of the desired accommodation;
6. poor weather experienced in school holiday periods; and
7. overlap with beginning or end of term.

∙ Parents who apply for an extended holiday in term time (i.e. exceeding 10 days) will only be considered once throughout a child’s education.

Is your school adopting a similar policy? Have you any *recent* experience of taking your children outof school during term time.

 

[foggy4ever]

Don't really do family holidays but have let my daughter go with my parents every year from aged 10 to 16. School policy has never been a problem, each holiday has been in term time. The only restiction they put on is to do with attendance.

 

[sheddy]

Marcel, that quoted section really makes me angry. They are your children, not the schools. You decide when they are to go on holiday, not the school.

Time off school for family holidays is not a right.
So who has the right to determine what your child should be doing and when? By making that statement, the LEA implies that they hold the right to authority over your children.

The school will quite happily close when its snowing or when there are teacher training days, why should you not take your own children on holiday when you want to?

 

[will69]

My opinion is that school term time is not a surprise to parents, so parents hould plan for them.... what is more important, your childs education or a holiday :bonk:

The school will quite happily close when its snowing or when there are teacher training days, why should you not take your own children on holiday when you want to?

Schools do not do themselves any favours with this sort of behaviour. It would help parents if the school published these dates a year in advance.

.... before you ask ... I have a child at school..

 

[Vic]

I dont have any experience Marcel but I do work for a travel company and 9/10 a parent will take their kids out of school if the holiday is cheaper.

 

[waspjunior]

A politely worded letter stating your intentions always seemed to do the trick. There are plenty of kids that go on school trips that have little educational value. (parent of 2 now adult children)

 

[leaky5]

I know 2 school governors who do it.

The chap who is near me is the head governor for a local school has defiantly done it.

My sister who is also one has done it. She did speak the head first and found out that the school is expected to achieved a certain percentage of attendance time (not including sick time ). The head checked and because they were well with this she had not problem with it.

 

[foggy4ever]

My opinion is that school term time is not a surprise to parents

And not a surprise to holiday companies!

 

[Paulie-W]

Y6, sats finished. I cannot see any reason why they would cause a fuss to be honest. Just fill in the form and attatch a nice letter.

My daughters (Y4) school send out these letters too and we've never had a problem with the odd day or two. It's not as if the kids do much just before and after a school holiday anyway.

 

[wegotitugetit]

my friend is a travel agent and is actually a manager now too

she is constantley going on holiday's all over the world she must go on atleast 7 a year for 2 week's at a time and never had a issue

 

[wack61]

The school will quite happily close when its snowing or when there are teacher training days, why should you not take your own children on holiday when you want to?

Schools do not do themselves any favours with this sort of behaviour. It would help parents if the school published these dates a year in advance.

.... before you ask ... I have a child at school..

My opinion is that school term time is not a surprise to parents, so parents hould plan for them.... what is more important, your childs education or a holiday :bonk:

So you don't consider a holiday to be an important part of a child's life, a week or two off school isn't going to affect them at all, not all parents can afford the 50% hike in prices the holiday companies inflict at school break time so if the choice is a holiday during term time or no holiday I think the holiday is more important

My sons school was closed for a full week because of the snow, funnily enough during all of this the buses didn't stop running but the teachers couldn't make it to school.

Don't get me started on teacher training days, how many weeks off a year do they get but they still need a monday before term restarts.:razz:

 

[david1701]

we just told the head where we were going and what the plan was, he said travel was good to broaden the horizons. Job done (nb this was when I was at school gcse or a level)

nothing they do at school in primary level is important anyway (its a skills thing if they can do it they can do it)

 

[CaptainPenguin]

This may sound harsh and its maybe that I am just a grumpy old man but I always worked on the principle that when you have kids you are respomsible for them their education and their future,as a result and because their education is their future we never took them out of school for holidays and I cannot see any justification for doing it.

 

[Natalie_B]

This may sound harsh and its maybe that I am just a grumpy old man but I always worked on the principle that when you have kids you are respomsible for them their education and their future,as a result and because their education is their future we never took them out of school for holidays and I cannot see any justification for doing it.

I agree wholeheartedly !!
I was never taken out of school for a holiday and my parents were not particularly well off, but its the principle i think !

School holidays are just that .... for holidays !

 

[Marcel]

I'm more than happy for her to make up the extra work in our own time, that's if there is any.

I quite agree, I am responsible for them. Therefore *I* should be able to make the decision. I do agree their education is their future, that's why they have a healthy attitude towards school...something we instilled from day one. They enjoy school, and look forward to it. Also, I'm more than willing for the children to do extra work to make up what they will be missing over the 5 days (one of which is a toy day).

I could understand if it was a repeat occurence, or maybe even if we wanted the whole holiday off during term, or if there was a problem in school (poor attendance record).
We've never requested any term time holiday, and are very unlikely to afford another one again, so it pretty much is a one off.

 

[Vic]

I agree with Marcel. Those 5 days can be made up, this isnt a regular occurence clearly. Kids deserve a holiday especially if they have worked hard all year at school and I feel sorry for families who have to pay an extra £1000 and/or miss a free child place for the sake of a few days. :bang:

 

[Little John]

Its all about a balance, there are certain years in a child's school life that nothing really happens so taking time out for a holiday is often given permission in those years. One thing I do know is that what ever you do don't allow the holiday to result in missing the first day of a new school year or the last day of a school year I don't know any school that allows that to happen unless the circumstances are really special.

Holiday companies don't just increase the prices at school holidays book early enough and you will get it at a reasonable price, it is just that the holidays are popular times for people to book and as a result the cheaper bands go and the price goes up as more are sold.

Good reasons that the school will accept without questioning are if a parent is unable to get time off at any other time or the company they work for force a shut down type of system where they are forced to take 2 weeks off at a set time of the year. Being self employed is really useful as you can take the time that you don't have any work on for a holiday you can't go at any other time.
Your using overlapping of a period that the school is out will also work in favour. Your trying to reduce the time the child is away from school.
There are often locations that only have flights in and out on certain days again this goes in your favour as you can attach the details of the flight days to the destination showing they only fly out on Tuesdays and back home on Mondays and no one wants to go away for only 6 days do they?
If you can show an educational benefit to the child that is a real winner, schools love that, spending 10 days at a beach or by the pool is not educational but choose a destination with some history or spectacular scenery, whale watching that type of stuff then it has educational themes even if you just sit by the pool or on the beach the school will allow a trip to Athens over a trip to Benidorm any day of the week. Even a trip to Disney in Florida works as rolercoasters are maths and physics and Epcot has the science bit and the world showcase.
Also the fact that this is your first time away in years it will also go in your favour, if you were to do it every time you went away or every year they would just turn round and say no.

Just write a letter with your intentions, explain that this is the only time you can go away as self employed and the only time your wife can get time off at the same time as you, prices don't drop that much a week or two either side of school holidays anyway so just overlapping won't make any difference. tell them what you will be doing and going to see that will have an educational value even if you don't tell the school you will but educate you child on it as they may get asked questions. The only thing they will say no about is if there is somthing going on in school that affects your child's education or part of getting to know everyone else like first day of school year or a required school trip, In the 1st year at secondary school everyone goes on a PGL week away no one was allowed not to miss school that week. I missed the 1st day as we came back from Florida the day before and only arrived on the day they all left but we were delayed. It was the worst week of school ever as there was me and those who couldn't afford to go even with subsidised costs.

 

[MarkLP]

When I was younger we didn't really have any choice, my dad is a professional singer/guitarist and some of his busiest times are the holidays. So took 4 days off maybe in October and 4 days in May.

 

[KayJay]

Marcel, that quoted section really makes me angry. They are your children, not the schools. You decide when they are to go on holiday, not the school.

Time off school for family holidays is not a right.
So who has the right to determine what your child should be doing and when? By making that statement, the LEA implies that they hold the right to authority over your children.

The school will quite happily close when its snowing or when there are teacher training days, why should you not take your own children on holiday when you want to?

That post infuriates me. Snow closures are a matter of safety. Interfering with your childs education is inexcusable especially to take a holiday. We never went on holiday during term time. That's was summer holidays are for.

 

[KayJay]

That post wasn't directed at you Marcel. I just wanted to counter that sweeping statement I quoted.

 

[foggy4ever]

Just one more point, most of my holidays are planned by my company(1 week Easter, June and September) and they only match up with my daughters holidays at easter. Some parents don't have a choice.

 

[KayJay]

Well that's true. If there is no other way then I guess you can't argue against it. Holiday time is important especially with family.

 

[dseered]

That post infuriates me. Snow closures are a matter of safety. Interfering with your childs education is inexcusable especially to take a holiday. We never went on holiday during term time. That's was summer holidays are for.

Yeah, ok whatever, not safe to walk to school but OK to go sledging - this country needs to harden the **** up !

 

[Matt]

I dont think its a good idea. School is shut for somewhere around 12 weeks, thats 3 months, plenty of time to take a break.

 

[sheddy]

That post infuriates me. Snow closures are a matter of safety. Interfering with your childs education is inexcusable especially to take a holiday. We never went on holiday during term time. That's was summer holidays are for.

So you consider that the state has a higher claim to authority over your children than you do?

 

[david1701]

I dont think its a good idea. School is shut for somewhere around 12 weeks, thats 4 months, plenty of time to take a break.

..... how many weeks in a month matty

it all comes down to the value you place on what the kids miss vs the value gained by them going away

a week in butlins doesn't improve them, but absorbing the culture out on the continent is a lot more useful than a week of stock school stuff

 

[bobsbabes]

due to your work commitments you are unable to have time off except for the week stated
it works for me !

 

[Matt]

..... how many weeks in a month matty

it all comes down to the value you place on what the kids miss vs the value gained by them going away

a week in butlins doesn't improve them, but absorbing the culture out on the continent is a lot more useful than a week of stock school stuff

yeah...thats cos my parents took me to butlins during term time...

 

[dod]

my mother and sister are both teachers, my mother was actually my primary school teacher . Their opinion from numerous discussions, presumably based on experience, is simply that the kids who go out of school during term do suffer academically.

I can't confirm that, nor justify it, so don't shoot me down for what they're saying

 

[KIPAX]

I do it...

Well every holiday we have... I always take my kids out early.. last week or whatever prior to holidays there not going to lose that much education..I ahve never done it if major exams on the horizon... Its far cheaper yes.. BUT its not so much a case of saving pennies as not being able to go if we didn't do it like that...

To be honest taking my kids abroad they learn a lot about the world ..stuff that you don't learn in a classroom..

 

[Marcel]

I think thats the general concensus dod...from what I've been reading anyway. When you break the year down, there are only 194 of them in school.
They say children who have a holiday a year miss a term over their school lives or something...

My point is, this is a definite one off. Never happened before, very very unlikely to happen again. So I'm not sure if theyre going to suffer academically for 5 days as a one off.

Matty, you're alright, you're already on the continent

 

[foggy4ever]

Not gonna shoot you down dod but how much time do children spend at home ill through out the year compared to an annual holiday. If they get 12 weeks off a year thats plenty of time to catch up if they need to.

 

[KIPAX]

opinion from numerous discussions, presumably based on experience, is simply that the kids who go out of school during term do suffer academically.

a few days holiday... your joking... constant not turning up for school yes.. I doubt any child suffers for taking a few days off for holidays.. the thought is laughable to be honest..

 

[dod]

Not gonna shoot you down dod but how much time do children spend at home ill through out the year compared to an annual holiday. If they get 12 weeks off a year thats plenty of time to catch up if they need to.

Illness is something unpreventable

a few days holiday... your joking... constant not turning up for school yes.. I doubt any child suffers for taking a few days off for holidays.. the thought is laughable to be honest..

As I said, that's the opinion of two teaching professionals who have seen thousands of kids during their careers. I don't know if they're right or wrong but I wouldn't have thought it should be dismissed so easily.

Personally, I never worked out what kids actually learned about other cultures when it came to getting a British breakfast in Benidorm

 

[dod]

Matty, you're alright, you're already on the continent

I read that as incontinent

 

[dod]

My point is, this is a definite one off. Never happened before, very very unlikely to happen again. So I'm not sure if theyre going to suffer academically for 5 days as a one off.

Strangely enough I've just been speaking to my sister so raised it I get the feeling that some of her reasoning is that it takes extra work on behalf of the teachers to get the kid up to speed again so it's not popular.

She did say though that if it's a one off, and the parents are supportive of the extra work the school hands out to catch up, it shouldn't make that much of a difference.

 

[ladysue]

I'm pretty sure that , if you tell them what you have told us, they will allow it. Check before you book though as you dont want to lose money if they wont allow it. I hope it works out OK and then you can look forward to your holiday.

My grandkids had a few days off school last winter for a family holiday and I bought them a blank project book each and some pens and they wrote a diary each day on holiday and pasted some photos in, and they took it in to show their teachers

 

[minimeeze]

My sister came over to Canada to see us in October - this was the only time that I was able to take as holiday all year. She wrote a letter to the school explaining things, and although they were not happy, my 12yr old niece was granted holiday leave. She missed 5 days of school. This was the only time I got to see them in 2 years.

I don't see this as a problem provided it is a one off. If holiday companies didn't charge such extortionate prices for holidays in school holiday time, maybe the whole issue wouldn't arise :shrug:

 

[CaptainPenguin]

..... how many weeks in a month matty

it all comes down to the value you place on what the kids miss vs the value gained by them going away

a week in butlins doesn't improve them, but absorbing the culture out on the continent is a lot more useful than a week of stock school stuff

Sorry but that's an incredibly snobbish comment to make basically slagging off everybody who go's on a Butlins type holiday and anyhow a week on the beach in Benidorm is hardly going to match a week at the Sorbonne studying Voltaire

 

[ecoleman]

We went to South Africa for Christmas for 4 weeks where we had to take our son out of school for 10 days of term time.
We spoke to the head master who apparently is allowed to authorise 12 days without consulting the powers that be.

I think a lot of it is down to attendance. If your son/daughter is always absent then there may be an issue, but if attendance is good (like our sons) there was no problem at all.

We only go to SA every 4 years or so and I don't think 10 days out of 4 years will make to much of a difference to my sons education.