Family holiday during term time

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
Round here it's aimed at anyone and several hard working single dads have got done for taking their children out of school time for holidays. There are plenty of other professions who have constraints too. The LEA is very hot on unauthorised absences and I doubt any Headteacher would sign an authorisation for a week here in Suffolk

I’m told by a teacher I know that the problem is that not only the kids who are out suffer, but those that stay behind do too - the teacher has to spend time helping to bring the absentees up to speed, which means less time to teach the rest of the kids.
 

JCMaloney

Member
Location
LE9 2JG
Dont forget the 3% annual pay rise, just because 'inflation'.

Been done away with in the NHS under the latest pay "re-structure".
Even the annual incremental increase has moved to bi-annual.
Some very clever number jigging has gone on to create what is effectively a pay freeze when inflation/cost of living is factored in.
So that is nearly 5 years of 1% , or less.
 
why do people get so upset by letting the head know your off on a holiday? Just write a letter telling the facts. Whatever they say ignore and go and enjoy the family time. If they say its unathorised so what. I dont know anyone who has had a fine if you do drag it out. If all fails pay it no one is bothered about the fine. Not as if the kids are off all the time and its a regular thing there are loads of kids in my boys class who have the slightest of coughs and have a week off my boys are never off ill so the odd week or so here and there. Does make me chuckle when you ask the kids what they do in the last few weeks of summer term in July - nothing apparently, watching DVDs and messing about - apparently thats ok then? Any lost lessons can easy be caught up - take out break times/assembly and my youngest is only actually doing 4hr per day. You should get a sheet detailing the achievements for that term. Easy to catch up.
 
Has anyone taken kids out of school for holiday we work all summer harvesting can’t realistically get away in school holidays we are calving in the spring so unless we go last week in June we cannot get away does it pass as exceptional reason
If they are in junior theyve done tests and with sports day training and all that they arent acheiving a lot (this does bug me). Dont worry about it. Just go. Everyone else does.
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
why do people get so upset by letting the head know your off on a holiday? Just write a letter telling the facts. Whatever they say ignore and go and enjoy the family time. If they say its unathorised so what. I dont know anyone who has had a fine if you do drag it out. If all fails pay it no one is bothered about the fine. Not as if the kids are off all the time and its a regular thing there are loads of kids in my boys class who have the slightest of coughs and have a week off my boys are never off ill so the odd week or so here and there. Does make me chuckle when you ask the kids what they do in the last few weeks of summer term in July - nothing apparently, watching DVDs and messing about - apparently thats ok then? Any lost lessons can easy be caught up - take out break times/assembly and my youngest is only actually doing 4hr per day. You should get a sheet detailing the achievements for that term. Easy to catch up.
Suffolk issues third highest amount of parent fines for truancy and term-time holidays in 2016-17, investigation reveals
PUBLISHED: 06:00 16 March 2018 | UPDATED: 15:35 16 March 2018

Suffolk County Council's Gordon Jones said children should not be taken out of school without good reason. Picture: JAMES FLETCHER

Suffolk issued the third highest amount of fines to parents for children's truancy and term-time holidays in the country during 2016-17, it has been revealed.

image.jpg
Council teams, supported by police, carry out a previous truancy sweep in Suffolk. Picture: SIMON PARKER
The county issued penalty tickets at a rate of 60 per 1,000 pupils – which is five times the national average (12 per 1,000 children).

An investigation by the BBC revealed that 6,072 fines had been issued in Suffolk in 2016-17, compared with 4,742 in Essex, 1,300 in Norfolk and 768 in Cambridgeshire.

Nationally, fines for parents across England and Wales amounted to around £24million, according to the investigation.

Penalty notices can be issued to parents for a number of reasons including truancy, holidays taken during term-time and school attendance “sweeps”.


image.jpg
Ray Gooding, Essex County Council cabinet member for education
Penalties start at £60 and rise to £120 if not paid within three weeks.

Gordon Jones, cabinet member for children’s schools, education and skills at Suffolk County Council, said the number of pupils missing 10% or more of school time has reduced in the county in the last three years.

He said: “Any decision to authorise or not authorise a child’s absence lies with the headteacher of their school.

“Fixed penalty notices are issued as a result of a referral from the school and it is Suffolk County Council’s policy to support schools.

“The number of pupils missing 10% or more of school time has reduced in Suffolk over the last three years. We welcome this because it shows that parents are putting their children’s education first.

“Regardless of the cause, Suffolk County Council’s position on school attendance remains clear. Children should be in the classroom, learning, and not taken out of school without good reason - we can only raise the bar if the children are in the classroom.”

In Essex, which is the second largest education authority area in the country, parents saw the number of unauthorised term-time holiday penalties rise sharply – from 909 in 2014-15 to 3,165 in 2016-17.

Ray Gooding, Essex County Council cabinet member for education, said: “Parents have a legal duty to ensure regular school attendance for their children who are registered at a school.

“There are clear links between attendance and attainment, and every lesson really does count.

“The Government has made it very clear that headteachers should not grant any leave of absence during term time unless there are exceptional circumstances.

“If schools do not authorise absences then the matter may be referred to our Missing Education and Child Employment Service.

“We will continue to take the action needed to protect the education of the county’s pupils.”
 

Zippy768

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dorset/Wilts
Just go away when ever suits you they'll learn a lot more away on holiday than they ever will at school, they're only young once!

I'm not sure that is true :scratchhead:. But I do get your point, same four walls in the same place doesn't do anyone any good imo

Currently on hols in Crete with our 6 month old. Days out haven't been very long and time lounging by pool/on beach haven't been many hours - but understandable with an infant.
Just time spent hanging in the room with him is great. Soon enough in the coming months I wont even see him awake in the evening.
 
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Lowland1

Member
Mixed Farmer
When I was a child we always had a day off for the Royal Show. My father wrote a letter to the headmaster for permission which was always given as it was well known that this was going to be my my career. Likewise we have asked for permission for our children to attend shows however this has amounted to a day per year and permission has always been granted. I would never take my children on a family holiday in term time it's just wrong.
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
Interesting thread and a surprising number here taking potshots at Parents taking kids out of school...

It is a few years ago now, but I had the option to take my Son, when he was about 14, back to Normandy for the D-Day landing celebrations and we had a Dad and Son trip on the bike and stopped in a mates farmhouse 15-20 miles inland between Caen and St Lo. It was definitely a battlefield tour type trip but also a great taste of somewhere genuinely foreign for Charlie. He still remembers it now and his interest in matter military remains as strong today... He's at Sandhurst again right now!! :rolleyes:

I give credit to the Head, I wrote to him and explained why we wanted to go. He called me on the phone and he was actually very supportive, as he knew Charlie had wanted to study History but was refused as they had no room in the class....

Similiar reaction when we told the school we were off to a Show when my daughter was showingcattle ... never before exams for obvious reasons, but hugely valuable for the kids.
 

Daddy Pig

Member
Location
dorset
took our two age 8 & 9 out of school for a ski trip at the end of march, explained to head that we couldn't go during feb half term due to the risk of freezing weather here and that we couldn't go during Christmas holidays as its our busiest time of year so no choice really. still got fined £240, no way to appeal except go to court and after 28 days it automatically doubles. trouble is the powers that be live in their own power bubble and have no understanding of how life is for people outside that bubble.
 

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
took our two age 8 & 9 out of school for a ski trip at the end of march, explained to head that we couldn't go during feb half term due to the risk of freezing weather here and that we couldn't go during Christmas holidays as its our busiest time of year so no choice really. still got fined £240, no way to appeal except go to court and after 28 days it automatically doubles. trouble is the powers that be live in their own power bubble and have no understanding of how life is for people outside that bubble.

You don’t need to go on a skiing holiday!
 

Zippy768

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dorset/Wilts
Make time for the kids regardless. Plenty other times to work. And if your job is really that inflexible, it has better be enjoyable, because you’re making a huge sacrifice to lose out.
I'm not saying I wouldn't/not making time for the little one. It is inevitable that there will be days where he will of been fast asleep before we would of finished for the day.
 
Been done away with in the NHS under the latest pay "re-structure".
Even the annual incremental increase has moved to bi-annual.
Some very clever number jigging has gone on to create what is effectively a pay freeze when inflation/cost of living is factored in.
So that is nearly 5 years of 1% , or less.

I'm not in it for the money, I have no clue what anyone is paid and by the time I ever get a job in it all of it will have changed anyway. :LOL:
 

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