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

 

[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!

 

[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!

 

[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.

 

[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!!

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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!

 

[wildflower79]

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.

 

[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.

 

[Pearls18]

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

 

[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!

 

[george83]

I’m a teacher and at my old school some children had holidays approved and others didn’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’t for the fact that I’d have to take time off too (which I wouldn’t be allowed) I would take mine out of school

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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’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’d say if you’re going to do it be honest as all the kids have to do is mention it to their friends and it’ll all come out!

 

[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

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I didn't get fined.