Still not allowed kids out of school

[mickeyforpresident]

We always take ours out of school, our last trip their absence was classed as unauthorised as the school has given a blanket ban on any holiday in term. We are still taking them out in May but we go the 18th so the final day of sats (my oldest ds has them too) but he is in year 6 so his are slightly more important.

I have warned his teachers already though as he misses the last day, but thankfully they are normally finished by wed/thur

I don't feel guilty it's our decision as parents not the schools.

Xx

Out of interest, and please, I completely respect your decision, but does your child's zero mark on the school's data and therefore ofsted's judgement on the school have any consideration in your decision? I'm honestly not trying to be antagonistic; just curious.

 

[Mouskavik]

Out of interest, and please, I completely respect your decision, but does your child's zero mark on the school's data and therefore ofsted's judgement on the school have any consideration in your decision? I'm honestly not trying to be antagonistic; just curious.

It doesn't with me as it's all statistics and no consideration for personal facts. When my DD was in reception she suffered terribly with viruses and with each one I was told NOT to take her back until 48 hour clear. She then had "Poor attendance" marked on her end of year report. I complained to the head but she just said that was the figure and that's what they have to record.

So IMO, Ofsted have no right to judge a school on attendance data unless they are prepared to understand the reasons for it.

 

[flortlebap]

It doesn't with me as it's all statistics and no consideration for personal facts. When my DD was in reception she suffered terribly with viruses and with each one I was told NOT to take her back until 48 hour clear. She then had "Poor attendance" marked on her end of year report. I complained to the head but she just said that was the figure and that's what they have to record.

So IMO, Ofsted have no right to judge a school on attendance data unless they are prepared to understand the reasons for it.

That's exactly what bugs me about it too. I once got dragged out of work because my daughter felt sick... I was then told she had to stay home for 48 hours!!! When I picked her up, it turned out there was nothing wrong with her, but they still wouldn't let her back. Then a few weeks later they wanted "proof" before they'd authorise 2 hours off for a hospital appointment... It's madness!!

 

[brummymummy]

Thanks

I didn't know that about October holidays as that's when we went last time...can I ask why it made your ds behind? My ds is top of the class so I didn't notice anything but my dd does struggle and I thought it was the teacher....

There are no SATS scheduled for the 18th May. At our school all the kids are out of school on a special trip to celebrate the end of sats.

I deal with attendance issues within a Primary school. Whilst I have to agree taking a child out of school does disrupt their education especially if done mid term, I also appreciate that some parents simply cannot get time off during school holidays. Some schools now have a no authorisation policy as other posters have said and some have authorisation policies and will authorise 10 days. Some will even impose fines! Just talk to your school. At the end of the day whether a school authorises the absence or not, the decision is still with the parents to take when deciding whether to take their child out of school. As a parent, my advise would be if you are going to take them out of school for holidays then try and do it before the end of a term. The summer one would be the best one. When children return from the summer term, they tend to spend the next 6 weeks catching up on what they learnt the previous summer term, after the october holiday, they start learning all the new stuff. You'd be amazed how much they forget in 6 weeks. In the past before I worked in a school I took my DS out for around 10 days before the Oct half term. For the whole of the school year, he was behind the others. There seemed to be a whole gap missing with his long division. He was in Y3 at the time. In hindsight would I do it again. No I wouldn't. But MNSSHP was fun though.

Out of interest, and please, I completely respect your decision, but does your child's zero mark on the school's data and therefore ofsted's judgement on the school have any consideration in your decision? I'm honestly not trying to be antagonistic; just curious.

Nope why would it matter to me what ofsted thought of the school based on my children having time off? My children are in school every other day bar for sickness, are never late and I don't take them out for appointments unless strictly necessary unlike other children who are off 1 day a week as their parents can't be bothered.

It is more difficult for me now as I have recently become a school governor and will be the last time they are taken out as ds will be in senior school in September. But I am the parent not the government or the school so it is my decision as a parent.

Out of interest why am I the only person you wanted to know this from?

 

[joolz1910]

I will be taking my children out for 6 days in October. ofSTED doesn't figure in the decision-making process. The school could authorise it if they wished, but choose not to. They do authorise the random days when parents claim their children are 'ill' because they can't be bothered to get them to school. These random absences are far more detrimental to a child's education and attitude to school. Like a previous poster says, there is a story behind attendance and that should be taken into consideration. Patterns of absence are far more disruptive imo.

Anyway that was slightly off-topic.

 

[heatherbelle]

My Ds seemed to have missed a big gap in his learning. He was in year 3 at the time. He missed how to do long division in maths and generally struggled with literacy anyway. The school knew we were going away for three weeks and were unwilling to supply any work, which I can't blame them, as those poor teachers have enough to do. With Maths the children learn very differently these days to how I learnt as a child. There are 3 or 4 different stages to teaching addition for example.

At the end of year 2, he was above average in Maths and Science and at the end of year 3, he was average in Maths and below average in literacy. I blamed the school, but when I look back (and looking back is a wonderful thing, I can appreciate that the maths could have been down to me taking him out of school). Remember they spend at least 1 hour per day doing Maths and English, so that's 20 hours of maths and 20 hours of literacy, not to mention when they cover it throughout other elements of the curriculum, for example using maths in science etc, that's just for taking your child out of school for 10 days. Add on a few days for illness along the way and you can then understand why schools don't like you taking kids out.

He did eventually catch up, but it took 2 school years for him to do so. By the time he got to year 6, he was back to where he needed to be ready for secondary. He's not super bright, but he is no dumbo either.

The choice rests with the parents, they know their own child the best and as I said earlier not everyone can take holidays in school holiday time. I use to work in the NHS and had this problem.

 

[Karenpowley]

Depending on the schools policy will depend upon the outcome of a unauthorised holiday taken.

Our school policy is that if a holiday request has been unauthorised and the holiday is still taken a penalty notice will be issued to each parent upon return.

This is then tracked on the child's attendance as the child goes through school (from Infant right through to Secondary)- a second holiday is fined and in the event of a third unauthorised holiday taken - the parents are then taken to court - and can result in a conviction. Harsh i know but more schools are following this approach. Schools generally have strict NO holiday policy or will base it on good attendance only as OFSTED can have a huge impact on a schools outcome if their attendance hasn't met the National expectation.

Attendance is tracked throughout the child's whole school life, so just taking a year without going on holiday does not save you from a fine or worse.

It really is hard for parents who cannot afford to go in school holidays BUT the schools are under so much pressure to meet their attendance targets.

 

[joolz1910]

I have been a teacher for 18 years and a parent for 12 years, yet I don't know of anyone having had to pay a fine for taking their kids on holiday. Even if they are issued, you can refuse to pay... I'm sure Mr Gove will change all of this in due course.

 

[Karenpowley]

I have been a teacher for 18 years and a parent for 12 years, yet I don't know of anyone having had to pay a fine for taking their kids on holiday. Even if they are issued, you can refuse to pay... I'm sure Mr Gove will change all of this in due course.

You must be in a very lucky part of the country- in our city most of the schools fine now- our school actually raised 2 penalty notices today for unauthorised holidays- the fine increases if not paid and then court proceedings commence - this is in extreme circumstances may I add.

That maybe why the government are now looking at - 'no holiday' authorisation to anyone because of the way every education department responds differently.

Don't get me wrong - as a parent it's very harsh not being able to have your holidays when you want - but I think we should be looking at the holiday companies to reduce prices and not the education department.

 

[bobbych]

I took my kids out of school last October for 2 weeks, as I am unable to get any time off work in the school holidays. I simply wrote the school a letter, explaining I was doing it, and why I was doing it.

I received a snotty letter home from the Head, saying this was NOT authorised and it would go down as so on the record. No biggie, as my kids attendance is pretty good.

Now, I agree, they did miss some work, and one did struggle to catch up, but with my work, I have NO option but to go in term time. So, I do not see the issue. As it is mentioned here, the law does say, you are responsible to send your kids to school EVERY day, and absense must be authorised by the school. But, for 5, or 10 days absense, they are not going to hunt you down and shoot you.

It is all down to the parent, if you are happy to do it, and your children are aware they may have to catch up, then so be it