Missing school for a holiday

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

More is learnt on a 3 day holiday from normality than in 3 days of school lessons.

It is not teachers who have the problem. It is the Government who will count it as an unauthorised absence, which OFSTED will then use against the school when they visit!

MissAdventure
Sometimes in life we have to make our own rules.
Sometimes other people’s rules don’t suit.

Unless he has a history of unauthorised absence, I'd be very surprised if 3 days would trigger a fine.

Just do it and we will all back you up x
I hope he has a nice time with his brother

Ahh, that's a lovely thought, thank you, but I could pay the fine.
It's just the "naughtiness" of doing something wrong I struggle with.
I blame my mum.

We can have a GN whip round to pay the fine. RL not virtual of course.

I think it's £60, but where I got that figure from I have no idea.
I think it may have to be persistent absences though, to warrant a fine.
He is persistently late, but attendance is 100 percent for the last 2 years.

* MissAdventure*
How much is the fine if you go ahead?