Missing school for a holiday

Is the school aware of his circumstances? Or have they just decided on a blanket ban for all of the children at the school?
When all is said and done, the amount of school that many have missed over the last 12 months or so, 3 days is really neither here nor there.
I'd go back to the school and plead the case.

This would not be a problem if it was very rare for parents to request children to be given time off outwith school holidays.

But this is no longer the case.

That being said it seems ridiculous to refuse a request for three days off school.

However, the reason schools are now refusing to allow it is that the priviledge has been abused by a minority of parents wanting to take their children off school for a week or ten days in the middle of term.

If you have first one then another child then a lot more suddenly not in school it can become impossible to get through the planned work for the year.

So schools have tightened up the rules and are now refusing all parents' requests to hold their holidays during term time.

I am not saying this is necessarily always right, but trying to explain why a simple request to keep a child off school for three days has been refused.

Children have had a lot of schooling at home, so maybe a compromise would be to agree with the school some 'homework' he could do while he is away which would link in with the missed school days?

Teachers have concerns if the child struggles academically and it may affect the subject unless he’s willing to catch up on missed work, however we must consider children’s mental health so I would say on this occasion yes, allow him the short time off and enjoy a trip away. He will come back refreshed hopefully with a few stories to tell.

Go for it. My daughter has taken our gd out of school for a few days in the past. We go on big family holidays and have to try and match the school holidays of all the grandchildren. The school turn a blind eye.

Years ago I took my daughter to Disney Paris. I put a letter to the school saying it was an educational visit studying modes of transport car, ship, French and American language and culture, currency conversion, French and American diet, swimming and ice skating sports!
She learned to ice skate there.
Never heard anything back from the school though.

You will be told no as no term time holidays are authorised. Fines are only issued if the holiday is more than 10 school days.

I honestly think if your child has a good attendance normally, is able to catch up easily and is happy - go for it !! Shouldn’t really say this as I’m an e school governor and come from a family of teachers….but education comes from many places not just schools

I took my grandson to Australia for a month when he was 9 (he is now 24) this was Easter holidays plus 2 weeks. At first the school refused, but then they asked to see a copy of the flight bookings and agreed to give hime the time off. His teacher gave him a project about his experienced to do while he was away, so we took lots of photos and he wrote about where he had been and his experiences. He still remembers that trip!

Ours had 2 weeks in June off every year in primary school for a trip to France at a time we could afford. They are totally unharmed by this.

It's 3 days keep him off school. Being with his brother is important to his well being too.

No schools authorise absence now for family trips as far as I’m aware. It will simply go down as “unauthorised” absence which reflects on the school not you, very unlikely any action will be taken. Just go and enjoy

At primary school so much depends on whether the child is keeping up with the others or is ahead or behind. Children who are ahead will not suffer from a few days away but children who are behind simply make it more difficult to catch up. The problem is that the rules are made the same for all children and it is difficult to differentiate as that would be considered unfair by parents who were refused if their child was behind. If there is an exceptional reason why a child needs to take time off it is usually allowed but not simply for a holiday.

Personally I never took my children out for holidays but I know my in-laws regularly did (back in the day when there were less restrictions) and my ex won a scholarship to Oxford and his brother went to Cambridge , so they certainly didn't get behind as a result. I did take my children out to attend their uncle's wedding in Romania - an exceptional reason for which permission was readily granted.

Oh these bloody ‘rules’. My daughter ‘lost’
approximately one and a half years of schooling between the ages of 5-15, due to her very poor health. She obtained 10 GCSE at top grades….. 5 A levels…… a masters degree and is now ( at 43) studying for her doctorate! She’s a child psychologist…. who also lectures teachers/headmasters/AND professors of education on how best to keep children in the main school education system rather than sidelining them by ‘exclusion’. She’s adamant and determined in her admonition of exclusion.
So much for her missed education.
These people who make these ‘rules’ should be a little more flexible!
Take these kids in their holiday and Allie them to enjoy each other’s company . Three days missed schooling will do them NO HARM indeed.

MissAdventure As your GShas been late on some occasions I think you need to contact the school and ask how many unauthorised abscences he has on his record. If the register was closed when he arrived it will be down as an UA. It could be hatthe school has simply looked at the number of UAs and decided it will not authorise 3 more abscences for him. If you could explain the circumstances they may reconsider. You are right about the fine it is £60 and if not paid in 21 days it goes up to £120. Some LEAs have on their websites details about this and when they authorise fines, some require people to attend parenting classes instead. Hope this helps

I have never taken any of mine out of school for a holiday and generally don’t really agree with people that do but in these circumstances and with the last year half that everyone has had, I wouldn’t hesitate.

I say let him go too. Its a shame you were honest in the first place. If you can afford the fine just let him go. I would. I cant make UP my mind whether you are US or UK. Either way, let him go.

IMO (and I know I'll be slated for it) kids are only in school for 39 weeks of the year and do approx 25hrs of lessons per week - IT'S NOT ENOUGH.

Taking a child out of school, voluntarily, for even 1 day, shouldn't be allowed. I did it once (for my wedding day on the very last day of the summer term 26yrs ago) and felt awful for doing it.

I think the fines are far TOO LOW. They should be set at such a level that people are actively discouraged from taking kids out of school for trips and holidays, they don't just affect the child's education, they can disrupt the whole class and put extra burden on the teachers who have a difficult enough job trying to get all the information into kids in the very limited time they have as it is.

As for feigning illness to get around avoiding paying the fines, anything more than 1 day should be recorded with a doctor and school have authority to know that the child has been seen, thus verifying validity of the sickness.

As adults who work, you're only given so much holiday time each year and sickness has to be covered by doctor's notes, so why should kids (who already do far shorter days and get loads more time off than working adults) be able to get away with having even more time off?

Go for it if you think it will do him good. Just don’t involve him in the conversation between you and school, as that might worry him and spoil his holiday
All the posts on here about rules and OFSTED and reflection on the school are true, but in the end, it’s your child’s well-being and your choice.

Sorry to say it but it's illegal.for a child to have unauthorised absences. It's so serious that if you get interviewed by the Educational Welfare Officer, you will be cautioned. When i was working in a school, and I doubt it's changed, 5 days unauthorised meant ab automatic fine. If you don't pay it doubles. If you still don't pay you go to court. You thinking he needs a break for his.emotional health won't be an adequate reason. Sorry to be so blunt. Maybe his brother and him could holiday in the school hols. There are 13 weeks to choose from.

I AGREE I THINK YOUVE ANSWERED YOUR OWN QUESTION, THE TIME SPENT TEASING BONDING AND JUST BEING WITH HIS BROTHER FAR OUT WEIGHS THE SMALL AMOUNT THAT WILL BE MISSED IN THE CLASSROOM

It's too late now, but I wouldn't have asked the school, and simply phoned at the time to say he is sick. As you've asked, and it's been refused, you may end up with a fine. In England, I think it is £60 per child per parent, but the rules in Scotland are much stricter.

You don't say how old your grandson is or how up to date he is in his school work. The first week of term is fairly important to some age groups, and although three days doesn't seem much it can be. My brother and sis were both Heads before they retired, and my brother went on to be a school inspector, and the battle of the holidays versus the school term was ongoing with some parents.

MissAdventure just go for it. Your DGS has had more to get to grips with in his young life than most other kids and, God knows, they've all had a rough 18 months lately. It's just 3 days out of a term; he's bright and will easily catch up anything he misses in lessons. The holiday with his brother is a one off event. Let him go and enjoy it with a clear conscience.

IMO (and I know I'll be slated for it) kids are only in school for 39 weeks of the year and do approx 25hrs of lessons per week - IT'S NOT ENOUGH.
They do have homework which sometimes can take hours each evening as they get older and have to research projects etc.
Even when my DC were at primary school, I remember having to take them to various locations with a camera and their notebooks to research and take photographs for projects.
I've also done it with the DGC.