Just wondered what are your views?



i know that kids eduation is very important but i also think that family holidays are important too. Not everyone can afford to take the family away during school holidays!



What do you think?

I know education is important but tbh I don't think a week or two is going to damage their education for life so I think yes it's ok. Maybe only once a year rather than 3holidays a year, also maybe not near important exam times.

I think you should be able to take your kids on holiday whenever you want (maybe not neary GCSE exams) but other times are fine.



Apart from it being super expensive during holidays, you also have the fact that you need time off work and most works don't allow every parent off in the school holidays, plus wherever you go is extra busy in term times.



I always had trouble at school getting time off to go away but we only went on say 3 big holidays EVER.



I know education is important but i don't see that a week or two off makes that much difference.

I think kids should get 2 weeks less summer holidays and have those 2 weeks as 'floating' holidays where their parents can choose when to take them out. It would mean teachers losing 2 weeks holiday a year but at the end of the day they get loads more paid holidays than any other proffesion so can't moan.

Obviously I agree that it can't be during exam/SAT periods but any other time I dont see the harm so long as they are given the opportunity (and help from parents) to catch up when they get back.

xx

I think its fine. Many kids have more than 5-10 sick days in a year, so for those that have nearly full attendance it doesnt make much difference. Agree with others that obviously if it exam time its a bad idea but generally I dont see a prob.

In NI we get longer summer hols than England. We get whole of July and August (we get 1 week at halloween, 2 weeks at xmas, 1-2 weeks at Easter and half terms are only 2days or so to make up the difference). If I was looking at a summer hol I would try and book 1st week in July as it still a bit cheaper than late July/August as when you guys get off the prices do soar, even for us here.

Id def do it with Caitlin and bugger the consequences, maybe only for a week but.

well as a parent who took her son out of school the other week to go on holiday i'm dont think theres an issue in primary school,

rich had 2 weeks off for our honeymoon we went to florida, couldnt really go without him and he loved it.

then we been looking at a holiday and found one that we could afford and it meant him having the last week off school this year, now if he had been at primary school and was going up to secondary school september we wouldnt of dont it, but because hes in special school and he continues in that school throughout his education, we didnt think it was an issue, plus all he does normally is watch dvds for his last week.

but its money it was another £500 for the same caravan for the following week we went and thats just silly money, plus while we were there the peak season started on the friday as we left on the satuday and the prices went up around the site by 20%...

Well, if i could afford to take them in the holidays i would but its almost £1000 dearer for me and my lot and i could never justify it!
The only reason i say that is simply because if you child is off sick then it does add up to quite a long time with a holiday on top and i know that at Archies age the learning is quite fast paced and it does effect them.
But on saying that i dont have issues with it obviously as we are going on the 21st sept in the first term when they dont even allow it at all lol!!!

I agree - the odd week cant harm, obviously if you are doing it 3-4 times a year then that's not good, and I wouldn't take em out during exams etc. My OH is allocated his annual leave from workso chances are if we want some family holiday then we may need to take them out of school.


xx

I don't see the harm hun, like others have said as long as its not at exam times etc. xx

i agree a couple of weeks wont harm, obvs id rather take them in the half term, but when i was looking at holidays it was like £800 mor to go in the holidays than in term time



were going 20th sept and i know it will be a problem as they dont allow it in the first half term...so your never allowed on holiday sept-nov until your child is 18

but i ttok them last year in oct and they said they wouldnt allow it but basically as he had good attendance i wouldnt get into trouble for it...only thing is now because it went down as unautherised he now does have bad attendance(the only time he was off was them two weeks plus 3 more sick days) so i dont think they will authurise it in sept anyway so actuyally have no idea what im going to do

but he has good attendance overall so im not worried...although i wouldnt take him if it was leading up to SAT'S or anything(although im sure most schools are boycotting yr 2 sats anyway) so errrm yeah thats my view lol x

Debs we don't actually get paid holiday at all. We're contracted to work 191 (or 195 can't remember which) days a year. Its only that our pay is split over 12 months.

Sorry off the point. I don't have a problem with kids being taken out most of the time but it does depend when you're talking about. I'm a teacher so never going to have the option but I would as we have to pay a fortune for our holidays as we can only go out of school time. However, I don't think people should be allowed to take their kids out in years 10,11,12 or 13 at all as we just have to get through so much and it causes problems

gemz I think that's only your school because our school certainly signs off holidays in that time

I dont see the harm. I'll certainly do it. I think family time is very important. I agree notaround exam time but I dont see how you could police years 12 an 13 not having holidays. At 16/17/18 surely its up to them x

It is but most sixth form have a set of rules you sign up for and in theory if you break them you can be thrown out.

I took Paul out of school for the last two weeks of term (he's 14, in yr 9). The School do have a very strict policy, that the child must have attendance over 95% and the holiday must not be at an important time such as SATs or GCSEs and the parent must ask permission at least 6 weeks prior to the holiday. And no more than 10 days per year.



So Paul met all requirements with regard to attendance and it wasnt an important time but I didnt give 6 weeks notice. I just emailed them a few days before and told them. An admin person rang me and said I had failed to comply and it was unlikely that the school would authorise the holiday leave. So i got back from hols to letter from the school saying that they were reporting me and that I should expect to be fined!!!!



Yes I know, fair doos and all that I didnt comply but I know loads of people who ring in sick for the kids when its holiday time.



OH has just told me that if I get a fine, to pay up and shut up. But I feel so strongly about this that I have told him that I don't want to pay up and that I would rather go to jail as I believe this is so wrong.



So if the schools get their own way and becomes illigal to take our kids out of school, the travel agents will be able to a fortune (actually they'll have to as the rest of the year will be pretty dead for them) and people like us will never be able to afford holidays and I think its so nice for the kids to go on holiday. Its more of a problem now as all schools in England have the exact same hols. Maybe if they change this so that schools all have different hols so that there isnt just this 6 week window for hols.



As for sixth forms, i do agree that kids shouldnt take time out for hols as it does cause major problems and its very difficult to catch up. In the sixth form were I work if a childs attendance falls below 95% they're usally withdrawn anyway as its almost impossible for them to catch up and they would not acheive. But on the plus side their summer starts the second week on July anyway so their parents can still get decent holidays before the schools shut.

x

god I can't believe they are threatening to fine you... at the end of the day your kids are your kids.. if you were home schooling them you would do what you want so I don't get the major drama about it.

I would be all for it. I think that family time is really important and if school time is the only time that familes can afford to go, then so be it.



Responsible parents wont take their kids at important times, such as exams, etc. so there are no problems.



x

Penny i think the fining is an absolute disgrace too, i am fully expecting to come home to 3 £50 fines after our holiday in Sept, and i will pay it because i know its not school policy to take them out in the first term and its worth it to me, £1000 extra to take them in the holidays or £150 in fines? and i think the fine doubles if not paid within 10 days (dont quote me on that).....but i think you getting a fine is totally disgusting!! So you missed the 6 week deadline big deal!! They should be thankful that your a responsible parent whose child has a very good attendance!!!

I would be inclined to take the same stand as you in your situation!! Hope you get it sorted hun xx

OMG i didn't even know schools could fine you

I think it's disgraceful that it has come to the point where they have to put rules like this in place because a small minority can't exercise common sense.

Our family holiday was always during term time, never during school holidays, otherwise it just wasn't affordable. I can't say it affected my education at all. I did some of my GCSE revision in Zakynthos sitting round a pool with a big pile of books, sipping on iced drinks in my bikini - hardly a distraction from concentration!! I got 2 A*s, 3 As and 3 Bs. Maybe my Bs would have been As if I hadn't gone on holiday but it's hardly a big deal is it!

I think if your kids are already struggling then taking them out is probably not going to help, but then in terms of developing into a well-rounded adult then time with your family is important too.

I belive the schools are trying harder with keeping kids at school but the question is are they going to pay for our holiday when kids are off school and they cost big time ? NO so i will take my kids on holiday when i can afford it .

If we did all stick to this no taking kids away at term time very few of us would be able to afford to go away as the prices would go through the roof.

I've never had a problem with taking kids out of school, I was taken to Florida the first week of secondary school and the week after my gcse's, Unfortunatly if we ever want to go on holiday as a family we don't have a choice little tommys mum is an arse and refuses to let us take him out if school.
My tommy is going skiing in a couple of weeks with his dad, the week after half term.

There was a post in fb Banda about this not long ago. Just wondering if anyone's views had changed?

Nope but I'm a teacher so its never likely to

Actually looking back apparently my views have changed slightly