Write a letter to School

[CustardTart]

But I think it can be disingenuous to say that the majority of family holidays are a positive learning experience that could not be taken out of term time.

I agree, but the OP's predicament concerns an unusual one-off trip that is potentially enriching - not two weeks on a beach somewhere...

 

[dean colly]

I messed up the holiday dates last year and booked a week early.

We wrote to the head teacher who wrote back with the spiel about how she could not authorise it. She signed it and as a P.S. she said "enjoy your holiday".

It is a party-line they must take.

DC

 

[Cochise]

We have took our two out when they were 6/4 and 7/5 years old. Each time we specifically visited the teacher to advise her personally even though we had been granted the time. We both times advised the Head that we will give them any school work they wish top arrange for us..

Interestingly and what makes me boil a little is that the teacher either did not wish this or couldnt bother making this happen. Both times though we made the girls do a project on their holiday and present this in front of the class with postcards from all the places we visited and a daily diary. This exercised their English and Maths skills so they didnt fall out with it all.

I have had citicism aimed at me for taking 10 days out for them but at least we could be bothered assigning work unlike the school.

 

[lawlesslovewdw]

That is one of the problems, yes, but another way that I see it is that while your kids get lots of attention to play catch up - my kids (who have attended AS REQUIRED by the LEA ) get less time from their teacher and classroom assistant and therefore YOUR jolly 3 week holiday, and that of the 5 or six others who are absent - has adversely affected MY child's education.

I look at the Truancy figures and see my kids education suffering in this way, therefore do not apply to the school as MY kids education is what is important to me. My kids get out-of-school education when we go away too, it's just we can't do it in term time.
(p.s. I am a dinner lady - we don't have tons of money but I have to limit my holidays to school holiday time )

Tessa

My son who will be taking a 3 week jolly because we cant do busy times as he cant cope with the crowds and heat. I can assure you that no body in his class will be affected by his absence, his classroom one to one assistant (he has his own, because he needs it) spends time with other children helping them during his time-because they cant be bothered to spend half an hour a night reading with them, or they are too tired because they were up all night watching tv.

Most if not all the parents on this board probably help their children as best they can, what takes up the teachers time are the children who have parents that wont do anything with them. We all have our own reasons for taking our children out of school for holidays whether work, money or other reasons but we do it because it is best for the family.

 

[SammieG]

Thats what the most people have a problem with, it affects the establishment, the school won't look as good. Teachers/schools are under more and more pressure to improve league tables, poularity, etc....

Its not a decision on whats best for the children, its all about getting the attendance figures improved and making the school look better.

Actually.. its about a legal requirement to attend school if you are under the age of 16.

 

[wayneg]

Actually.. its about a legal requirement to attend school if you are under the age of 16.

I thought the legal requirement was for children under 16 to be educated, there is no law that says it has to be in a school is there?

 

[luke]

I thought the legal requirement was for children under 16 to be educated, there is no law that says it has to be in a school is there?

Splitting hairs tho a bit there Wayne - if the pupils are in school for the rest of the year, that's where their legal education requirement comes from

 

[wayneg]

Splitting hairs tho a bit there Wayne - if the pupils are in school for the rest of the year, that's where their legal education requirement comes from

Yes Ok, agree
Still makes no difference, I think I did the right thing taking DS out and would do it again. No matter how many letters or fines I was given, like I say we had the full backing of the schools so never came to that for us.
After returning every year he had to do talks on his trips to Florida, New York etc. from a diary they asked him to keep while away.

 

[luke]

I think I did the right thing taking DS out and would do it again..

And i think that's what it boils down to! If you're happy that you're doing the right thing, then do it - after all, as much time as kids spend in school, we're not the parents so don't really have the right to tell the parents what to do (if only we did ).

 

[scottishsue]

We've always taken our 2 boys out of school for the week either before or after October break, meaning they really only miss 5 days of schooling.

They are both bright boys - one studying Psychology and the other studying Sport, Fitness and Health, both doing 2 year HND courses. Both pass tests etc. no problem despite missing just these 5 days.

We have also had children up here who are taught at home - as they live miles from their nearest school.

I think it depends on the child if they can catch up, and also the school authorities. There has never been a problem here, when we lived in Norfolk, or when we lived in Glasgow. I guess some authorities are more awkward than others though.

 

[Chilly]

We have took our two out when they were 6/4 and 7/5 years old. Each time we specifically visited the teacher to advise her personally even though we had been granted the time. We both times advised the Head that we will give them any school work they wish top arrange for us..

Interestingly and what makes me boil a little is that the teacher either did not wish this or couldnt bother making this happen. Both times though we made the girls do a project on their holiday and present this in front of the class with postcards from all the places we visited and a daily diary. This exercised their English and Maths skills so they didnt fall out with it all.

I have had citicism aimed at me for taking 10 days out for them but at least we could be bothered assigning work unlike the school.

But surely that is the correct way of doing it, you have chosen to take your children out of school so if you wish to then you should provide their schooling for those 2 weeks not make the school do extra work in preparing and then marking this work.

 

[onetoescape]

I hopeful will be Disney this time next year with my 4 kids. 2 of which will be school aged (p1 and p4) 1 in nursery and another in nappies! There is a number of reasons for us going at this time. 1. I will be 30 on Holiday and want my birthday over there. 2. My mum and dad are paying towards this holiday as they have a time share at that time of year. 3 The price.

I have took my oldest out of school for a Holiday before as well and it hasn't done him any harm. He is top of the class (not bad for someone who has ADHD!) and that was from his teacher at our in year review a month or 2 ago.

I will be writing to the school to inform thiem at I will be taking the kids out to go. Maybe its different over here in Northern Ireland but touch wood I don't think there will be much of a problem as we know other parents at the school who are doing the same.

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

Come on everyone - calm down This is ALWAYS an emotive subject. Parents feel they have the 'right' to take their children out of school and, as someone has pointed out, it is a legal requirement of this country that children receive an education (be it in a school, at home or in the bottom of a bucket).

I look at this this from both sides.

One - I am a parent. I always used to take Katie out of school when she was younger for a week either side of May or October half-terms for our family holidays. My DH has difficulty in getting time off during the summer months due to the nature of his work. Family holidays are very important to us since he works away from home a lot. We are blessed with a gifted and talented child. However, that does not give us the right to take her out of school for a holiday. I always discussed time off with her teachers/head before we had even booked the holiday since this is both courteous and fair to everyone concerned.

Two - I work as an Admin Officer in a school. I don't get paid very much money so therefore we save hard to go on our family holidays since we have to pay top whack for the priviledge of travelling in school holidays - I can't take time off in term time. When I entered into a debate on this subject last year, I was told that it was my hard luck having to pay these prices since "I must have known this when I applied for the job". I thought I'd calmed down about this but can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it . Actually, it was the furthest thing in my mind when I took the job, having been made redundant as a PR Manager for a large high street bank some 18 months previously. I didn't want to go back to work fulltime because of my family so this job was heaven sent for me

The debate of the education children receive out of the classroom is an extremely valid one. However, flameproof suit on, I don't agree with this if children are taken to the same place each year (like Florida on holiday every year for example). Once is ok, perhaps twice if different things are seen.

The same can be said with regards not being able to afford to go. This is an acceptable excuse once, may be twice. But not every year. If we can't afford to go somewhere, we don't go.

Look - at the end of the day, people are never going to agree on this subject. All I ask is that 'education workers' full stop don't get blamed for the actions of the LEA. Rules and guidelines are set in place for a reason. We just follow them to the best of our ability.

Happy holidays, everyone, whenever you go

 

[Chilly]

Well said Annie

 

[peanut1967]

Ah now this i didn't see - this is one of the biggest annoyances i have, this attitude!!! (finding it hard not to swear - this is a family board).

I'm not sure people outside the profession realise quite how much we need this time off. We don't just work from 8.30 -3.30, 5 days a week you know. We're sometimes working til 11 o clock at night, at least, and most of the weekend too - planning and preparing and marking. Do you think we do nothing during half terms and holidays?? Not at all - the planning, preparing and marking cycle carries on!!

Sorry to have a rant, but this attitude really p****s me off

This one does get me cross and flame all you like. The teachers and TAs dont get all them holidays because I would estimate that at least half those weeks they are in school sorting classrooms managing planning. In fact TA's do NOT get paid for school holidays and a lot of 'good will' is given. I know the teachers in the school I work in dont leave school until 6 every night and some have 1 or two late nights and stay until 9. So all those school holidays we get we dont, we get about the same as everyone else.

 

[Shooby doo]

Sounds to me like a Head Teacher who is trying to get some "brownie points" with her local authority! "Touchwood" we have never had a problem getting permission,in fact we will need to take DS out of school this year,I know it's not ideal but as a Firefighter on a Watch of 15 & 3/4s of us with school age kids-we all can't have the school holidays!
SD

 

[Frances999]

Great post, Annie - I completely agree.

We never took our children out of school when we were in Bath, but that was because their school was very strict about holidays in term time, not because I didn't believe in it or was against it. I can see both sides of the argument, but one thing which does annoy me is people who seem to expect that because they are taking their child out of school for a vacation, the school should provide work. Teachers shouldn't have to do this - it's your choice for taking your child out of school, so a bit of motivation in preparing some work yourself wouldn't go amiss.

 

[Cochise]

But surely that is the correct way of doing it, you have chosen to take your children out of school so if you wish to then you should provide their schooling for those 2 weeks not make the school do extra work in preparing and then marking this work.

I am told that I am putting their education back but the teacher cannot even recommend a subject matter to have them work on? They simply didn't just prepare something they couldn't even give us an idea of what they were working on at the time and what we could do to ensure they didnt fall behind.

 

[tttessa]

The teacher has probably had much (jaded) experience of recommending stuff just to find that hardly anyone bothers anyhow.
Also if I were a kid on holiday I would resent having to do course work .

Is your kid's teacher really expected to provide you with pointers for say 10 subjects whilst also doing so for the other 5 or 6 parents taking their kids out at slightly staggered dates, therefore needing teacher to think about 10 different future topics on 5 or 6 different timings (whilst still educating my kids..).

The kids should have had a breakdown of what is being studied in the term ahead in general, so if you have to make the trip educational, then you could try to work something round that.

Tessa

 

[EPCOTFANROD]

The biggest problem I have is the amount of holidays that the teachers get.
2 weeks at Christmas, 2 at Easter, 6-7 in the summer, weekends, and all the bank holidays amounts to 170 days..... there's only 365 in the whole year !!

My DH has a good job and he only gets 30 days a year !!

Universities and colleges are even worse - my sons friend is still on holiday from Christmas, and only goes back in the middle of February.

This argument could go on for days.

I don't get 2 weeks at Easter
I don't get 2 weeks at Christmas
I spend my weekends marking books and grading exams
I get 1 bank holiday (May day)
I can't take any time off when i need it
I don't get paid for the 25+ hours of overtime that I put in on the average week
I pay peak prices for every holiday


I'd be in favour of a clocking in/out system, overtime, normal working hours etc....but the government would be bankrupt

1 advantage to being a teacher
7 disadvantages