Taking children out of school

[masterson]

Hi I am taking my kids out of school next Oct 06 for one week - week before half term - they will be 13 and 17. I agree that I dont like taking them out, I have not asked permission yet, but my children do not take time off sick like a lot of children they only have to cough or be sick once and they are off for a few days and the school dont complain then. Also nothing is said when the school is shut because it is snowing etc, when do they make that time up - they dont take days off the school hols do they but we have to have time off work to look after them . An old headteacher once told me it is better for the child to miss a few days of school and have quality time with their parents than non at all.

 

[SammieG]

I dont think its turning sour either Netty..

Its all a matter of opinion. its not a case of "leave it at that" as you suggest as the OP wanted different opinions otherwise they wouldnt have asked!

I dont judge others for taking thier kids out of school.. but for me I feel strongly that for my son, I wont do it.

This is a lovely friendly board! And I go to Disney tomorrow! yippeeee!!!

 

[TinkTatoo]

Netty, I don't think this thread is turning sour , I think it's another good example of the whole point of these boards. Taking kids out of school is quite an important issue and there's been some valid points brought up in this thread that may have helped some people make their decision.

Ultimately, it's up to each individual, there's no right or wrong answer.

Yep I agree - people are always going to have different opinions and what is right for one family won't be right for another and no one opinion is the right one

 

[Netty]

I dont think its turning sour either Netty..
The only slightly sour post was your one pointing out that I had spelt "industries" wrongly.


If you re read my post, you will see you that you have got my post mixed up with someone elses.

 

[LynnTarrant]

Please could I just state the facts regarding INSET days or teacher training days. They are in the 'holidays'. If your child is in state education then they work 38 weeks a year and they always have done. So did I when I was at school and my mother before me this has been the law for many many years.
When Kenneth Baker was Education secretary he decided to use 5 days of the holidays as training days for teachers. Therefore since that time kids work 38 weeks but teachers work 39. It is only more noticable now as most schools don't run a training week but individual days so they can run quality training for their staff.
I do appreciate the odd days make it difficult for working parents, however when it was suggested we have a whole week off the parents said this would be more difficult to organise childcare for so we kept the status quo.
If you don't like the training days tell the government not the school! However you'd still need the same amount of childcare.

 

[SammieG]

I dont think its turning sour either Netty..
The only slightly sour post was your one pointing out that I had spelt "industries" wrongly.


If you re read my post, you will see you that you have got my post mixed up with someone elses.

My sincere apologies .. you are quite right. so sorry... I will delete that post!!

I am more than mad today as tomorrow we go to DISNEY!!! Hooray!! (did I mention that earlier!??!)

 

[SammieG]

thanks Lynne for clarifying that.

As I said, that doesnt affect me, as the training days are included in the holidays at our school.. but I know parents at different schools who find it really tricky as they are odd days just after the beginning of term.

Of course, the teachers need to have training days, thats not the issue.. the issue is that they seem to be just after the holidays have started. Why not just include them at the beginning of the term, and let the children come back 2 days later or whatever? Sorry, this is hikjacking this thread slightly.. but my last day here!! YIPPEE!!

 

[BiGGy]

We took our 2 kids out of school Oct/Nov 04 for 2 weeks, where me and my wife work we can only take our holidays between end of october and mid december.

My daughter was 10 and my son 12, he had just started his new school.

Its not the first time we have done it, last year would have been our 4th. Even though they have lost that time they are both in the top 5% at there schools.

Our sons school gave us permission on the understanding it wouldnt happen again, we also had a letter saying that he could lose his place at the school.

All was sorted out before we went and they were happy.

which leaves us with a problem either upset the school or take no holidays for a few years until they forget last year.

Can understand anyone who takes there children out of school and if we had to go during school holidays i dont think we could afford to do it, like many other families.

totally depressed with the thought of no holiday booked

rgds

BiGGy

 

[Disney owl]

i work in a school so have no choice but to have school holidays. But I am lucky in the fact that our authority is one of the few that gives primary schools 2 weeks at spring bank (May_JUne). So i have 2 weeks holiday & take my kids out of school for 1 week. I have no problems over this. I have never asked school for permission either, just informed them the dates my kids will be away.

on a different note our last visit to WDW was in August as this was the year eldest DS did his exams. The weather and the crowds/queues were much better than we expected.

 

[alisonbestford]

But I am lucky in the fact that our authority is one of the few that gives primary schools 2 weeks at spring bank (May_JUne).

That's something we're missing dreadfully this year.
We always had 2 weeks during May / June but it's changed this year to 2 weeks in March / April ! Whoever planned that one surely can't have kids - 2 weeks in the rain!
Still, think I'm going to try and plan a trip back to WDW next Easter break and take DD out of school for 1 week.
Just got to talk to school and work out when her Y2 SATS will be so that she doesn't miss anything
Alison

 

[Ware Bears]

In Bournemouth Y2 SATS are always in May, believe this is the same everywhere but not 100% sure.

 

[sharon-o]

As a teacher the thing that REALLY winds me up is when teachers (who i work with) ask for time off to attend family/friends weddings abroad (having an extra 2 weeks holiday...PAID!) or another teacher who is visiting MECCA in India 'she needs to go earlier in the year because its to hot for the children' ( and off the record cus its £400 cheaper!!!!) ...well excuse me we have to go to WDW july/august in the blazin heat with mega prices...LIVE WITH IT!!!!!

My family and their families know we work in school, so plan around the 13 weeks a year you get paid for!!!!!!! sharon (moan over)

 

[Danauk]

Wear Bears, year 2 SATS are usually completed in May. With year 2 children the tests can be completed at any time when the teachers decide to do them. The teachers are set a date that the results have to be in by but when they do the testing is up to the individual school. However year 6 SATS are different. There is a published timetable for year 6 teachers to follow. We are told which tests are to be sat on which date. These tests can not be completed on any other day. If a child is absent on the day of the test, they miss it and are graded a 0. These tests are not marked by the teacher, they are posted off and marked off site.

Sharon-o, I agree that staff taking time off is anoying. In my school it rarely happens, but when it does they are made to take the time as unpaid leave.

 

[Ware Bears]

Thanks for clarifying that, Danauk, I had asked the school before booking our WDW holiday as I knew it would be close to her Y2 sats (she took the last 4 days of March off) and they said that was fine, her sats would be in May. This also explains why the junior school my middle DD attends does not authorise any leave in May for Y6 children.

Sharon, don't workmates like that just make you mad!!!

 

[widget]

We always have taken our daughter (11) out of school. However I am aware that this will all change when she goes to secondary school. We are taking her out just before Christmas this year, she will have had time to settle into school. The first term of secondary school is usually covering old work to make sure that all the children are caught up. Also she is doing really well so the teachers have no problem with her taking time out. This may well be the last time for a significant period. If we do take her out it will be just for a few days at a time.

This is the time we are going. My youngest son is also 11 and will be starting secondary school this September. I wouldnt take him out at the start of a new term especially since he will need to find his feet in the new school. I dont ususally manage a holiday (more day trips to the coast) and so dont really take my two out of school but should I decide that I can manage one, I wouldnt go when exams/mocks are being held because they are important to my boys futures. Their schools allow the 10 days leave per year and I will be using some of this in December. I dont think people necessarily need to reason out why they choose to go at certain times - I pick times because its what suits us, nothing to do with cost or the weather - it simply is because this is what we choose to do.
Oh, and as a childminder I always check the training days each year 'cos it means more kids in the house for me to entertain!!!!!Thank goodness schools send out the details in their newsletters - I can prepare for more grey hairs in plenty of time this way!!!

 

[wicket2005]

I have taken my kids out of school three times so far, all covering the February half term week and an extra week off school. They were in primary school and once one was in the first year of secondary. I don't think they came to any harm by missing this time.

However, I knew I didn't what to disrupt them in any way during years 10 and 11 which was a resolve I stuck to, till my hubbie decided he wanted to take me to Discovery Cove for our 20th wedding anniversary. So it was with regret we decided to take them out of school again.

Though this time my youngest is only missing a week from school, one of those days is devoted to work experience debrief day and another half a day to a sports assembly, so technically he is only missing 3 and a half days. He usually spends the last week of term doing fun things, tidying up or watching dvds so I don't think he will miss proper work as such. The eldest is now at college and will only miss 2 days. So I don't really feel too bad about it.

Next year the eldest should have finished his A2's and the youngest is GCSE's so we should be able to go away earlier for once. I will probably need it after seeing them both through these important exams.

I wouldn't dream of taking them out in Year 11 though.

 

[Squiffy]

Hi,
We have taken our children out of school three times before, but our DD (12) started Secondary school in September. When to go on holiday is a huge dilemma to be faced with when the cost is so expensive during school holidays;

We have decided on the expensive option, paying about £1,800 more, and have booked for Easter 2006. Our DD has so much work during term time, I don't want her to come back from such a brilliant "world" only to have to catch up on classwork and homework she has missed, and believe me, over 2 weeks that would be a lot.

We are missing a holiday this year to do it, but, hey, it' just over a year to wait now, yippee!!!!!!!!

I would just like to add that our children coped really well with absence in primary school, they all love school and do well. I think the decision has to be a personal one and really does depend on each child.

Good Luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

[mark&sue]

I have always taken my DD age 11 out of school to go to Disney every year and this year I took her out a six days in October (with a week of half term) and we are also taking her out seven days in May (with a week of half term).

Two days were not authorised by the school.

My daughter has only had 2 days off sick in the last seven years, so has probably had the same time off as all the others!!!

At any given time there are I think approximately 80,000 children a day playing truant. I don't think my daughter's holidays are something the schools should worry about whilst so many children are not bothering to go anyway and are just hanging around the streets.

My problem is that my boss wants to have holidays in all the school holidays and the remaining members of the team are left to fight over the remains of the rest of the school holidays. She even moans because I am taking the whole week of half term in May. Last year she told me I was not allowed to take the whole half term week off in February again as it is a busy time!!!!

I personally would not want to go in August and September as is hurricane season and very hot.

Price is not an issue with us as we are DVC members.

Our Local Authority is looking at six terms and having two weeks in October which will be great for me as my boss prefers to have four weeks in July/August and does not like October. So hopefully we will not have to take my DD out of school.

 

[di wadd]

just got back form wdw having taken my kids 14, 11 out of school for 3 weeks !!! i booked these hols in april 2003 having checked my diarys for the previous 3 years. i decided to book these weeks thinking my kids would have 1 week off school then the 2 weeks school hols for easter. not long after booking i found the schools had changed their hols and this meant my kids missing 3 weeks.
i informed both heads of schools(14 year old secondary school) 11 year old last year of juniors. they were both ok about this saying they were both ok kids and could cope with the missed school. my 11 year old asked if she could have extra work to catch up with when she returned( in her hols ). we have now returned to find all the work they kept back for her plus some work she did before has been lost !!.
if it is such a big thing to miss school, why has this happened, all i can think , not to worried about it. both kids are doing their SATS this year but when all said and done these tests are not for the kids benefits, they are for the school tables.
the money we saved and booking these dates gave our kids memories that will last forever. so i say go for it and enjoy.
and yes i do think my kids education is important, very important but 3 weeks missed school wont make them thickies.

 

[mumoftwo]

Last year the day after returning from disney I went to the consultant with a lump on my neck ,he diagonsed thyroid cancer, the next few months meant two operations and extended periods of time with myself in very poor form. At no point was it ever going to affect my life expectancy but you never know what life has in store for you, so for christmas 2005 we plan to take the kids out of school the week before school breaks up, Being sick has shown me how important family is and creating good memories just in case.