Taking Kids Out Of School

[wee-haggis]

How many of you have no problem with taking the kids out of school to try and visit WDW at a quieter time?

 

[Astrid]

I have never had any problem taking my two out of school and I feel that a holiday with me provides time together as a family and is as enriching as school for a couple of weeks.

I always apply for authorised leave at the school by filling in the necessary forms and this has never been turned down, and I obviously would not take mine out of school before or during exams.

Everyone has different views on this but, as a single parent, quality time with my children and the cost of holidays is very important. Of course school education is vital but it is only 10 days out of a school year.

Astrid

 

[mandymouse]

I'm with Astrid

I unashamadely take my 2 DD's out of school (usually around April/May) for 2/3 weeks. They have 10 days authorised (I always give the school plenty of notice) and then there is a couple of days that will be unauthorised. Personally I can't see what the problem is, children can be poorly for a week or two and are able to catch up. As long as I make sure there are no exams (like next year we are going away straight after one of my DD's has sat her KS3 SATS).

Unfortunatley I wouldn't be able to bear the heat of going to Florida during the summer holidays.

mandymouse

 

[natalielongstaff]

i am a parent governor at dds school and will be taking her out in november ( ks1 sats year) for about 13 days in total.....ive warned the head already as i cant apply to the form teacher cos i dont know what class she will be in!! we are going then because my mum is 60 then so she is paying for the trip, that said we usually go away mid sept because i am a childminder and i lose to much earnings if we go away in the school holidays ( it would even be worth having to pay the £100 fine). i am preparing to change that tho when ds starts sschool in sept 2005 i might go in the holidays but maybe just for a week

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

We had problems this time around, as DD started reception school, we had to get involved with Citizens Advice, and luckily because our daughter is still only 4, she is legally allowed as much time off school, until the age of 5 then by law we have to authorise any trips, but it was a long battle, and now she is allowed to go on our 4weeks trip this month, I know its along time to miss, as we didnt realise the hols only start now in late july at her school, so she will miss 4weeks of schooling then 6weeks school holidays, but she is still only 4 and we are taking a school pack with us for her to do on holiday, I think though next time around we wont be taking her out, for more than 2weeks, as its caused so much hassle and shes only 4!

(P,s the rule is if your children are under the age of 5 they are legally not supposed to be at school, and although you do need to inform school they are going on holiday or taking time off, you wont need to go through all the channels of being fined, but if they are over 5 you are liable to be fined, we was lucky).

 

[Goofyish]

We have took our DDs out of school (one week extra on the October halfterm) and would do it again if we could, but DW now works as a teaching assistant so she wouldn't be able to have the time off

Although I could leave her at home, and just take the kids

 

[Hilary]

I think this is a very personal decision which will vary with every child's circumstance.

For my own two DDs, I've been happy to take them out for an extra week added to a half term for several years, and took them out for two weeks once when they were a lot younger (eldest DD is now in University, youngest DD is sitting GCSEs next summer). However, they are very fortunate in having good health and are academically capable, so that they were able to easily make up any work lost. They also asked for any work in advance of the trip if possible. We avoided taking them out too soon near the start of the school year when everyone is settling into their new classes, and obviously avoided exams and exam preparation periods.

Like Astrid, I felt that there was a lot of value in family time.

I think my view may have been very different if they had lost a lot of school time through illness, or had found it difficult to catch up after the trip. I think the school(s) may also have viewed granting the authorised absence rather differently under different circumstances - every child is different.

(p.s. I am an ex-school governor and trained as a teacher, so I tried not to view things from only a parent's perspective )

 

[Madjock]

Since our first visit to WDW in Oct 2001 I have taken our eldest daughter out of school for an extra week. We go for the week before the school holiday as she prefers to go back to school at the same time as her friends. We have never had any trouble with the school authorising this however this Sept she goes to senior school so I don’t know that I will continue to do this but I couldn’t go to Florida in the height of summer as I really can’t stand the heat but this then limits you to Easter or Christmas so we shall wait and see!

Annmarie