School time holidays 2006-2007 school year

[jna]

I'm a little hesitant about starting this thread. Some of you will recall the topic being discussed, shall we say, at great length a little while ago!

Anyway, we have booked to go this October (there are good personal reasons for not going in the summer) and at the end of January I filled in a form seeking authorised absence for my DD. A month goes by and no response. Having chased the matter up I received a response yesterday from the school which included the following:-

"There is a possibility that new guidelines will be issued for academic year 2006/07 from the government (DfES) regarding the authorisation of holidays during school time. In the meantime we shall hold onto your request and return it during the summer term informing you whether or not the absence will be authorised."

I thought others who have booked or are going to book to travel during the next school year might like to know about this, and secondly, I wondered if anybody on the forum had any inside knowledge of just what's in store. My school refused to expand on the contents of the letter.

Is a ban likely? Are fines going to be the order of the day if one doesn't comply even though DD has just received a certificate acknowledging excellent attendance?

I have to say that whatever the rights or wrongs of what we are doing, I am rather cross that we are left in limbo until perhaps July. It's certainly taken the gloss off of our plans and we are a little worried that non-returnable deposits (e.g. £480 with Virgin) will be forfeited if we are forced to cancel.

John

 

[gilld]

I don't know about the new Guidelines, though my son is visiting this weekend and he is a Maths teacher so I'll ask him. BUT if you do need to cancel, Virgin will "HOLD" the deposit against a future holiday so you won't lose the money.

 

[carolfoy]

I'm sure I heard on the news a couple of days ago that the new regulations are now putting the emphasis on the school to make the decision rather than any local government/council. My sons school still does allow 10 days extra (authorised by school/parents only) out. They have been exceptionally good to me and are allowing Callum 3 weks out due to his 'excellent show and tell' session he does when he gets back.
I would personally put pressure on the school to agree or to not agree for the time off. they can't leave it too much longer surely?

 

[traceycooper]

I think if she has more than 10 days out of school, it will just be classed as an unauthorised absence, I think a small number of schools have 'fined' in the south. But certainly not in my area. & from what i can gather its cheaper & still worth going & paying the fine, than going in school hols!!! If her attendence is good the rest of the year and its only a few unauthorised absence days it shouldnt hurt him or you. (depending on age i suppose, secondary education is more complicated!!! - boy dont i know it lol)
I will apologise in advance if anyone doesnt agree with my opinion, & i respect the fact that others opinions may not be the same

 

[Hallfamily]

I'm not sure of the new rules, but we are taking our son aged 11 out of school for 9 days. Despite sending in a letter outlining why we needed to do this to the school they have written back stating it will be an unauthorised absence. This has really upset my son although his attendance is excellent. I will let you know if i am fined or have the welfare sent around! However wgat sticks in my throat just a little is that next April in school time they are taking the children to France for 5 days..................double standards or what.............I can't wait to debate this with the headteacher.

 

[Miffy2003]

John has asked if anyone knows about the new guidelines for absence from school. Please can we all avoid discussing our views on whether it is okay to take children out of school or not. That is not what he is asking about.

Thank you.

Gill, that would be really helpful if you could ask your son.

This is the story that has been in the news this week:

Schools - not parents or magistrates - must decide whether pupils can be taken out of class for holidays in term-time, the High Court has ruled.
Two senior judges said defying the school's wishes and taking unauthorised breaks could lead to court convictions.

The ruling follows an appeal by Bromley local education authority against a decision by magistrates to acquit a mother who took her girls out of class.

The mother had taken her three daughters on two unauthorised holidays.

The High Court judges said the magistrates had been misdirected to acquit her of the charge of being in breach of the 1996 Education Act for failing to secure the attendance of her children at their primary school in Bromley.

Lord Justice Auld, sitting with Mr Justice Sullivan, said the question was one of liability and whether the girls had "failed to attend school regularly".

It was plain in law that leave of absence "means leave granted by the school - not leave which magistrates consider might have been justified".

Dancing competition

The mother of three, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was taken to court last year by her local authority in Bromley.

The authority was concerned about the girls' poor attendance between November 2003 and February 2004.

The mother had taken them out of school for a week's holiday in November 2004, which included participating in a dance finals competition, even though permission had been refused by the school.

The mother believed the competition to be "important for their development".

She then won a holiday competition in January 2005, resulting in further unauthorised absences, the judge said.

At a hearing last September, the magistrates found that the mother had not failed to secure her girls' regular school attendance.

Acquitting her, they decided she ought to have exercised more care regarding absences for holidays during school term - but the absences, in their view, were "justified".

The high court judges have now ordered the case to be sent back to the magistrates with a direction to convict the mother.

But there should also be a direction to give her an absolute discharge in view of the amount of time which had elapsed since the case was first heard, they added.

Every Lesson Counts

The government is keen to curb unauthorised term-time absences and wants to reduce current estimates that one in six truants on a given day is away with their parents on a family holiday.

Ministers hope a new scheme, Every Lesson Counts, will stop families in England going on holiday during term-time.

The initiative, organised by the Department for Education and Skills and the Association of British Travel Agents, offers discounts, free child places and early booking deals for families

 

[Christopher5927]

I'm not sure of the new rules, .

The new rules are no different to the old ones. It has always been up to the school to decide whether to 'allow' children to go on holiday (up to 10 school days) in school time. NOTHING HAS CHANGED. Most schools allow the 10 days as, if they don't, they have too large an 'unauthorised absence' quota and they get reprimanded by their Authority or Ofsted.
As a teacher for many years, I am seeing the holiday in school time issue getting out of hand. Until they actually stop parents travelling out of the country with children in term term (which they obviously cannot do) then nothing will change. And I know you wanted no personal comments on this, but I have got to say the following: what I find INCREDIBLY sad is parents' attitude as to what others will think/ say/ do about their request to take Junior out for a term time holiday as they simply do not realise that their child is MISSING THEIR EDUCATION.

And PS. Well do to the school: "In the meantime we shall hold onto your request and return it during the summer term informing you whether or not the absence will be authorised."

 

[Miffy2003]

Please can we all avoid discussing our views on whether it is okay to take children out of school or not. That is not what he is asking about.

Thank you.

:

I will lock this thread without further warning if the debate continues. This is not being helpful to the OP.

Thank you.

 

[Ali and boyz]

Unsure where you live John but our authority up here in Scotland are really strict and have been now for a while

 

[Christopher5927]

I will lock this thread without further warning if the debate continues.

How sad.

 

[Miffy2003]

How sad.

You are, of course, entitled to describe me as sad if you choose to.

I will however take the time to explain to you why I am about to close this thread.

There have been several threads on this subject recently that deteriorated into a disagreement which lasted over several pages. This subject gives rise to strong emotions on both sides and rarely does the debate in question answer the question posed by the OP.

I advised (twice) that I would close this thread if posters could not stay on topic (this is a Trip Planning forum, not a debate board). As this advice has not been adhered to, I am now closing this thread.

jna, I hope this has partially answered your question and I apologise that I have taken this action.

Christopher, I will send you the site guidelines via PM to ensure you have full clarity for the future.

 

[Miffy2003]

To help clarify further, I received this information from someone on this site who is a Headteacher. I have added this to the thread as it is directly answering the OP's question:

Hi

I am a teacher, I have checked and as far as we are aware our school has not been notified of any changes to the law so as it stands any request of holidays should be agreed as the terms state now.

Its purely upto the he headteachers discrestion is the holiday is allowed as authorised leave. They look at the childs attendance including sickness, late marks etc. Authorised is upto 10 days (2 weeks) but a headteacher can authorise more if its needed/worthy.

If the attendance record is poor (normally under 85%) then it can be unauthorised and then if the parents still take the child out from school the head can refer to the EWO (Education Welfare Officer) but this is normally very rare and upto the discrestion of the head.....my advice is if you wish to take more than 10 days OR you think your childs attendence may be a concern before taking the holiday speak to the headteacher....honestly we dont bite and normally have families of our own and totally understand the finance situation!!
Hope this helps!