holidays

Taking odd days off here and there is far more damaging than a planned week for a holiday. There were always children, when I was teaching, whose absence was sporadic, several days a month perhaps, for all sorts of reasons, true and false. As for the ethics of paying for absence ( one law for the rich etc.) I have talked to parents for whom it is still cheaper than going in the school holidays. There may be 13 weeks break, but the cost of taking holidays at these peak times is extortionate. Holidays are valuable family times, and children learn all the time, and it doesn't have to always be from some rigidly planned curriculum, with one eye on the test.

I am a retired primary head. Education IS important...and so is family time on holiday together. It can be a time of bonding, resting and playing together.
I see no harm in a fortnight of family fun...and it can have great benefits for children and parents alike. Taking children out of school may be the only way a family holiday can be taken. It's wrong to have hard and fast rules about this. And fines are quite frankly ridiculous. A family holiday can be a source of joy and learning.
I used say to the parents in my schools...help your child make a scrapbook of your holiday to show us, and
'Never let schooling get in the way of your child's education'.

I think if you check that if your children have a good attendance record then the school cannot fine you for taking them out of school on one occasion. I believe a father took his local authorities to court over this sometimes last year and won his case.

when our 2 children were at primary school in the 80's it was allowed for children to be taken out of school for up to l0 school days per year. we generally had 2 weeks away in italy by train in may half term and extended it for the next week which meant actually only missing one week at school. they learned a great deal from our travels to many interesting places with many happy memories of family time together, given their father worked long shifts and was often working over the weekends and bank holidays when other dads were around.
we did not take them out of school when at senior school and both went on to be successful confident young women. perhaps it can be disruptive if a number of children are absent, but it was not seen as damaging in any way then.
I now have 2 small grandchildren and i feel for my daughter because holidays of any sort are so expensive especially in july/august. we have helped them with what in effect is a 3 full day break to center parcs at the end of august costing over £1100 for a basic 2 bed cabin. i was astonished and checked but caravans in the uk have similar prices. she works in the nhs so is not overpaid, their mortgage is sky high living in the south east so they just do not have holidays, missing all that their mum and aunt experienced. when children reach l8 and can travel when they like, going away with parents is the last thing on any young persons mind. !!
fee paying schools have much longer holidays so it isnt a problem fitting a family holiday in before the state schools break up.

I live in Ireland and there's definitely a culture of taking children out of school for random days out or a weeks holiday without any issue from the schools, even at secondary level.

Personally, I'm far more irritated by the amount of time they waste spend on religious practices for communion, confirmation etc. (My DS attends a Catholic school and I'm an aetheist so that probably colours my view somewhat.)

However, I still believe that the Irish education system is superior overall to the current UK system (far less interference from Govt. and no silly SATS nonsense for starters) and that was one of the main reasons we moved over here.

I don't like the subterfuge and having to pay for the privilege, which adds to the cost of the holiday. But as a retired teacher I believe firmly that children can learn much more out of school, not only about other cultures but about the importance of family and fun. Some families travel half way round the globe to link up. It's not worth going for a few days so kids can lose a lot of schooling but even that can be worthwhile.

We're going on a family trip to Disney, Florida at half term in October. All the little'ns are going to be off school for an extra week. They all have excellent attendance, and it looks like their various schools are supportive. Can't see that this is going to disadvantage anyone greatly, to be honest. Of course, this is a exception, and all other trips are taken in school holidays. Children are so lucky these days: they still have the camping trips, days at the seaside - just spent Easter at Centr Parcs. But they also get to do more exotic things in far flung places. The world is a much smaller place ?

On the subject of time off for funerals - when I worked in a school it was amazing how many children had half a dozen grandparents and also surprising that they all died in June/early July!

Well, this topic has raised some strong differences of opinion.

My opinion is that until teachers take their INSET days off in the holidays and not term time, they haven't got a leg to stand on. One rule for teachers, another for the children/parents.

Completely agree with Maggiemaybe. German system seems such a good idea on all counts. Not got to this problem myself yet as GCs too young so hoping it could be adopted before it is.

Why have kids at all now, when the state wants to tell you how to raise them, dictating what goes into the packed lunches and when you can go on holiday.

If schools were more flexible in their approach then it would be less strain on family life, pity the poor teacher making the cup cakes, they clearly think themselves hard done by, however parents are also workers and making the best cup cakes they can while keep factories/shops hospitals going. We have to take the holidays out employers give us which often do not coincide with our partners or school holidays.

Get the syllabus on a web site so parents can supervise the catch ups and value the experiences that travelled or just relaxed children can bring to the classroom.

Life is more about finding ways to accomplish things than handing out fines. It is a tax on the poor, wealthy parents will not be deterred in the least, what we teach children is that if you can afford to flout the rules the school will support that. May as well teach them to bring the money for the fine in brown envelopes and let them know at an early age that everyone can be bought, even teacher.

I agree with Jalima, it is nothing to do with money in some cases, but being able to get holidays from work during school holidays. My OH and I both worked in social care and it was extremely difficult to get holidays together, never mind when kids were off. We didn't go abroad when the kids were young, we went on caravan holidays in Scotland so the girls learned about nature and their heritage. The head at our school was very understanding and gave the girls a project to be completed when they were off so they were still doing school work during our holidays.
Parents should not have to lie about taking children out of school, as long as it doesn't happen every year they should be given some consideration about their situation and schools should be able to deal with each case on an individual basis.

As a teacher, there was obviously no question of taking the family away in school time. We ere fortunate to have grandparents living at the coast so "bucket and spade" hols and days out in the school holidays including museum trips, castles etc kept everyone happy. Less sophisticated days I guess!!

we used to take our 3 for a week or 2 every year, by the age od 12 they were conversant with other cultures, could order their drinks & food in Greek & by the time thy had left school all but one had been to all the major Greek archaeological sites and quite a few minor ones plus a numb er of museums. This way they got an education that wan't part of the National Curriculum.

Granny activist a perfectly understandable and totally reasonable occasion.

grannyactivist- of course, the school can still make exceptions in exceptional circumstances like those, thank goodness. A friend of daughter took both girls out for a holiday when she was confirmed terminally ill- before she got worse. Of course, humanity has to prevail- and all the teachers do bend over backwards to help and support, catch up, etc, in their own time, and with pleasure.

DH was a teacher so we had no choice but to go away in usual school hols-for years we went camping in France meeting up with my school penfriend and family so it was great bi-lingual fun.
DD1 is self employed with her husband and taking time off is v difficult-finding locums etc. Last year she wanted/needed a week's break to where we usually try to go as a family each year but it meant the 5 and 6 years old having half a week off-usually managed last week in August before return but couldn't that year.
They applied for time off. The children have excellent attendance records and are both hard workers. Time off was granted with no problems. Apart from reading books and keeping up with writing and 'rithmetic no extra work was asked for or needed.
Their "older batch" of children then aged 15/17 had finished exams and the only thing going on at school was "activities week"-what a joke and waste of time, just outings to local theme parks etc so nothing lost there and saved a fortune which went towards the cost of the holiday!

When our kids were at school, a long time ago now, these fines didn`t exist, and parents were allowed to keep a child off school for a maximum of 2 weeks a year, but it was a necessity to inform the school head several months in advance. We didn`t have expensive holidays, never took them abroad, we had self catering holidays in the UK, but as our work holidays were staggered and we rarely managed for both of us to book holidays for school holiday time, we did take advantage of the system, and I don`t think their education suffered overmuch.

In a couple of days my two grandson aged 6 and 3 are being taken out of their private school to go on holiday (in a camper van to Cornwall) for a week.
The reason they're being taken out of school? Because their military dad is going on an extended tour of duty soon afterwards and they want to create some memories. The school has given full support.

Well, yes, but they know that from the start- par for the course.

When we had school age kids, we got first pickings on the dates during Summer hols, but 2 weeks max as there were other partners with school age children. We got 1 Easter and 1 Bank Hol out of 5 ... and we only were able to take 1 week for Christmas once in the whole of the 40 years of DH's career.

When kids left school- we were in an impossible situation. Me stuck with school holidays, and DH not able to take any time off during that time. After 2 years we came to the only possible conclusion- if we wanted to have any time together and at last do a bit of travelling - then I would have to give up the job I loved.

I started my own language school hosting foreing students and adults (6 teenagers at a time- great fun, but exhausting, don't quite know how I did it...) during school hols and on demand throughout the year. I loved it, but so missed my 6th Formers and colleagues- but it was the price to pay.

Actually, holiday companies claim that it is not a case of holidays being more expensive during school holiday time, that is the standard rate. The cheaper rates during term time are discounted. Or so they claim, but quite how this ties in with the different prices charged for holidays leaving Scottish airports in July when the English schools are still in term time......? I wonder how all those parents who think it acceptable to take their children out of school during term time claiming it is educational/necessary due to parental shifts/a bonding experience/etc., would feel if their child's class teacher announced they were having a week off and the children would just have to make some pretty drawings or keep a diary during the teacher's absence? Remember, teachers too have to take their holidays during the expensive holiday times and they may not have children. Not for them the option of skipping off a few days before the end of term 'to get ahead of the crowds'.

What, even in the 60s? Well, good for them...

Private school with longer school day, all high achievers sat 12 O levels and 4 or 5 A levels.

Too much smugness on this thread for my liking.

Mine was the same, Ana, eight was our maximum. My DS was astounded - "What, you only got 8 O-levels?". No, actually I only got 7. I never did get on with Biology