# Has anybody taken their kids on holiday in term time?



## willowblossom

Just a bit of advice wanted. We are wanting to go away for a long weekend in November as we can't afford to go away in school holidays. This would mean taking my son (who will be in year 2) and my daughter (who would be in reception) out of school for Friday and Monday.
Has anybody else done this? Do you tell the school even though they will refuse permission. Is it an automatic fine for non attendance? Any mums with experience with this? Thanks ladies x


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## CaptainMummy

I havent, but am doing it this year. We will be going a mon-fri Mid June. Only my eldest is at school and her attendance has always been excellent. Her school actually don't mind if you take them out during term time, as long as they have otherwise good attendance. Nobody has ever been fined (we are in Central Scotland) I will notify the school and they will just tell me that the absences will be unauthorised.

I can't see there being a problem with a fri/mon... kids can be ill over the weekend and miss more!


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## LoraLoo

Always take mine in term time. Our school dont fine but itd still be cheaper for me to take the fine. 
I still put in a holiday form and state we are having a famiky holiday even though I know it won't be authorised. Our head appreciates the honesty rather than lying as if they can't get hold if you whilst your child is 'off sick' it then becomes a safe guarding issue. My kids would give the game away anyways!


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## wildflower79

We've taken DD out during term time. She's in year 1 now.

She'll be out 4 days next week, as we're at centre parcs. There's no way we could afford to go in holidays, nor would I want to, as it would be far too busy! 

We might take her for a week away in June/July too. That's when we normally go away with grandparents and they wouldn't want to wait till school holidays and pay a ridiculous price.

I always fill in a holiday form, even though it's always unauthorised. Our school doesn't fine at the moment, although like Lora says it would be cheaper to just take the fine anyway! 

I think there's more to life than school and it's important to live and make memories with family.


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## willowblossom

Thanks everyone for your replies. We are going to center parcs too. I just can't believe how much they charge for school holiday time it's ridiculous!!


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## ClairAye

This thread gives me some hope! My sister is getting married next year and I want to visit for 5 days so the kids can see family they never see, 2 days would be a weekend so they won't miss much plus will only be in P1 & P2.


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## nessaw

Hi I teach and just wanted to say that It's not the school that issues fines, It's the local authority. We just had a load sent out and some unhappy families. One of the teaching assistants has been fined for her ex taking her children on holiday from another school in the borough.


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## willowblossom

I think I will just have to take the hit. As my daughter won't be 5 I shouldnt get a fine for her Hopfully.as legally she doesn't have to be in school yet. It's such a shame they can't allow a couple for days even at such a young age!


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## wildflower79

nessaw said:


> Hi I teach and just wanted to say that It's not the school that issues fines, It's the local authority. We just had a load sent out and some unhappy families. One of the teaching assistants has been fined for her ex taking her children on holiday from another school in the borough.

I don't really understand how it works. DD's school has never given out penalty notices as far as I know, but other local schools under the same authority have?? There doesn't seem to be any consistency with it. 

Also dd's school is soon to become an acedemy, so I'm guessing the rules will be different then anyway, as they won't be under the local authority anymore.


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## nessaw

They can't fine you for an under 5 so that should be ok. Not sure why some do and some don't. Could be to do with attendance figures. I know we have a % we have to hit on attendance. Might be worth seeing if you can get hold of the policy on the school's website or in person.


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## Pearls18

It depends on the school, our school doesn&#8217;t fine our head teacher doesn&#8217;t believe in it. So I&#8217;m not sure how the head teacher has the authority not to fine if it&#8217;s local authority enforcing fines? Our holidays go down as authorised (I understand some schools won&#8217;t authorise but don&#8217;t fine?)


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## Rags

I've taken DS out for a long weekend a couple of time now, he's in P3. Our head teacher made a point during our P1 introduction that unauthorised absences would be followed with a letter which she had signed but not written and that the wording was directly from the local authority. I'm not aware of our local authority handing out fines as yet (although the way their finances are going I imagine they'll start doing it to raise money!) but I always mentally add the potential cost of the fine to any trip just in case!


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## george83

I&#8217;m a teacher and at my old school some children had holidays approved and others didn&#8217;t for no obvious reason and no difference in attendance. None of the children/parents ever actually got fined though. The whole system seems slightly flawed tbh.

If it wasn&#8217;t for the fact that I&#8217;d have to take time off too (which I wouldn&#8217;t be allowed) I would take mine out of school


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## nessaw

At our school holidays are unauthorised unless they are for weddings/funerals or family illnesses abroad. Then the head uses his discretion to authorise a number of the days. I believe he takes the family's attendance record into account.


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## babycrazy1706

We went to Barbados (visiting family) last February and added a week to February half term. My son was only 4. This year I want to go to Croatia in September and I plan on taking him out. He will be 6. I feel guilty but hey holidays are amazing life experiences and life isn't all about grades and structure.


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## nessaw

I asked admin at school about this today and apparently the heads can say no to the local authority so the head at my school must have said yes! I presume in an attempt to im0rove attendance.


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## Rhio92

We're taking a week out in march to go to center parcs. DS is in year 2. It'll be our first family holiday.

I'm a bit nervous, but even if we get fined, it's still cheaper than the cost of going away in the holidays (we've got 4 nights for £330, it goes up to over £800 for the same package 2 weeks later). 

DS has excellent attendance so hopefully it'll be okay. But if not... oh well. I don't believe only people with more money should go on holiday.


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## red_head

My sisters boss is really horrible - she was saying the other day he took his kids out of school on holiday and told the school it was because his sister had been in a serious accident and broke both her arms and couldn&#8217;t go home unless he was there to care for her! Of course the kids came home, told their friends who spoke about this amazing holiday to their parents as the kids had been to Barbados or something and done all these water sports and had a very obvious tan - the school is now aware and are not very impressed! How awful to lie like that! I&#8217;d say if you&#8217;re going to do it be honest as all the kids have to do is mention it to their friends and it&#8217;ll all come out!


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## topsy

We took D'S out for 4 days last year. We filled in a holiday form. Iit got put down as Un autherised absence but he had only been off sick 3 days the whole year so he was off 7 in the whole year xxx


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## Midnight_Fairy

I didn't get fined.


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## c1403

Our school is supposed to be quite strict and never give permission and I think it's because some children have really poor attendance (ruins it for the rest of us)
DH gets his annual leave allocated and has first two weeks of July so I'm going to take DD1 out for a few days. She's in year R has good attendance so far and is excelling already in her phonics, writing and maths.
I think it's really unfair families are penalised for taking time away from school because of a few parents that can't get up in the morning to take their kids to school (my neighbours kids don't go to school if she doesn't get a lift, it's a 15 mins walk!)


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## Flossie27

I wouldn't dare take my daughter out of school unless it was for a family funeral or serious family illness. But I am a wimp.


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## Natsku

Haven't taken Maria out for a holiday yet but have taken her out for a day/half day a couple of times for various reasons and her teacher has been fine with it. They don't fine here for taking them on holiday during term time but you have to agree it first with the teacher (if it's up to 3 days) or the head teacher (if it's up to 3 months) - a couple of Maria's class mates went on holiday for a week or two during the Autumn term so I'm pretty sure I'll be allowed to take Maria so will likely do it to save money (but will make sure she catches up on missed work)


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## Bonnie11

It's he local authority that issues the fines but the school is the one that informs them if children have unauthorised absences so if the school don't say anything to them then you wouldn't get a fine. 

We are going to take DD for a week near Christmas to Jamaica to see family. There is no way I'm paying double prices or more to go in the holidays and she is in reception so it's not like she will be missing important exams etc. I think it's down to the parents discretion, if you take your kids out 3/4 times a year for a week then it will add up and they are missing quite a bit but if they have good attendance otherwise then the cultural and life experience they are getting outweighs being a classroom for me. I wouldn't have her missing out on seeing her family for the sake of a few days in class.


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