Kids on Holidays in Term Time.

[Guest Kopfkino]

 

9 minutes ago, Strokes said:

A girl in my sons class at school, (year 3) had a year off to go travelling across Asia with her parents. You might be suprised to find she isnt lagging behind at all, quite the opposite.

 

I'll help you get it in the right place Strokes. But yeah it isn't really surprising, the experiences she will have got from travelling will have done far more to develop her mind and help her thinking than sitting in some dull classroom in Leicester, providing you have parents that push you and engage. Let's be honest at year 3 level, there's very little you can't pick up from your parents and a lot to be gained from different experiences.

 

[Izzy]

2 hours ago, Raj said:

For the first time we've taken our kids out a week early due to people at my work taking the first few weeks of summer and the price increase. Write an honest letter to the headteacher who accepted it without fuss. My Mrs is a teacher so it's against what she believes anyway,but like she said at age 9 and 5 all the kids do is play games/mess around. If they were taking SATS/GCSEs we'd never do it.

I think this is the key point in it all really.

 

[Buce]

Just now, Izzy Muzzett said:

I think this is the key point in it all really.

 

 

Not really - I think it's more about timing, tbh.

 

My daughter is taking GCSEs but I'll be taking her out of school for the last two weeks because all they are going to be doing is Sports Day, trips out etc, and a trip to Spain will do wonders for her Spanish GCSE. She works hard all year (top set in all subjects) so I have no qualms at all.

[Rob1742]

What I find strange is the blind eye that is turned towards the gypsy kids, who you see roaming the streets most days during school hours.

 

 

[Izzy]

7 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Not really - I think it's more about timing, tbh.

 

My daughter is taking GCSEs but I'll be taking her out of school for the last two weeks because all they are going to be doing is Sports Day, trips out etc, and a trip to Spain will do wonders for her Spanish GCSE. She works hard all year (top set in all subjects) so I have no qualms at all.

Each to their own bro

 

What's interesting to me is that the kids at my sons/daughters primary school who do get taken out during term time, are more often than not the top of the class kids.

 

Maybe their parents have overall confidence in their kids ability to do well in the long run so don't worry about it. 

[Buce]

3 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Each to their own bro

 

What's interesting to me is that the kids at my sons/daughters primary school who do get taken out during term time, are more often than not the top of the class kids.

 

Maybe their parents have overall confidence in their kids ability to do well in the long run so don't worry about it. 

 

I don't see a problem with Primary school in particular - I mean, what are they going to miss? Algebra?

 

I have done it every year since my daughter started school without any noticeable negative effect on her education.

[Izzy]

1 minute ago, Buce said:

 

I don't see a problem with Primary school in particular - I mean, what are they going to miss? Algebra?

 

I have done it every year since my daughter started school without any noticeable negative effect on her education.

It was the SAT's comment that Raj made that's relevant to us right now. My daughter is in the middle of her SAT's so we wouldn't pull her out at this time.

 

Last year it was all about the 11+ and again we wouldn't disrupt her schooling then (but I appreciate they don't have the 11+ in Leics)

 

Any other time of year when it's non exam time then I understand why it's not as much of an issue. 

[Charl91]

15 hours ago, Milo said:

Got no problem with schools fining parents for taking kids out of school during term time, as long as parents can fine schools when they’re closed during term time - snow/inset days, etc. 

 

Fairs fair

 

Snow days? That's not really the same same, because it's health and safety. Great, your little Timmy might be able to get into school 'cus it's a 10 minute walk, but someone driving from 30+ minutes out isn't going to have it so easy (Children and teachers alike - sometimes the kids can get in but the teachers can't). And if School isn't closed, and then a child/teacher gets injured, then Schools will be putting themselves at risk for lawsuit after lawsuit. Granted, sometimes schools are closed without a lot of reason when it comes to snow, so I can understand the frustration there.

 

Dunno about Inset days; our school always tends to tack them on to the end of the holidays (so kids just come back a day later from Summer/Christmas, and no-one even tends to be aware that one has taken place). That seems reasonable to me. I imagine it's pretty annoying if schools take them at random times throughout the year, though.

 

As a Teacher, I don't really care too much if parents take their kids out of school for holidays, as long as they don't take the piss with it. A few days/ a week before the end of a term? Yeah, go right ahead. A 2 week holiday in the middle of a term just before/during their SATS? That's pretty crappy really.

[The Quick Brown Fox]

I think each child should be given a holiday entitlement much like we do at work. 10 days or something for a year and they can take them anytime they like. Any holiday over this should incur some penalty, I don't think the fine works as people just add them to the cost of the holiday especially when its still alot cheaper than going on holiday during term time. 

If when holiday is taken (with the correct notice) the school can prepare a bit of work for kids to do while away. Everyone's a winner. 

[jonthefox]

My sons school can fine me all they like. A trip to Orlando out of holiday time and I’m still about two grand better off.

[Soar Fox]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2602288/Headteacher-32-takes-MONTH-term-time-married-despite-pupils-banned-doing-same.html

 

Little Hill school is Wigston.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Interesting replies, and fairly consistent replies, although no one answered the question itself, so let me put it another way. The law is in place for fining parents, but, would you rather be fined, or do community work as a deterrent?

 

[Rogstanley]

2 minutes ago, DANGEROUS TIGER said:

Interesting replies, and fairly consistent replies, although no one answered the question itself, so let me put it another way. The law is in place for fining parents, but, would you rather be fined, or do community work as a deterrent?

 

Depends what the community work is, I'd do an hours litter picking if it meant avoiding a £60 fine, but I probably wouldn't do two hours. I'd feel like I was living in some sort of totalitarian dystopia while doing it, and would probably do a fairly poor job on purpose as an act of rebellion.

[The Guvnor]

As other posters have alluded to, it's the holiday companies that cause the problem by fleecing you during school holidays, and until a solution to this problem is found then this will  be a perennial problem. Personally I believe if your children have a sensible attendance record at school then common sense should prevail.

[Captain...]

17 hours ago, DANGEROUS TIGER said:

Interesting replies, and fairly consistent replies, although no one answered the question itself, so let me put it another way. The law is in place for fining parents, but, would you rather be fined, or do community work as a deterrent?

 

If the community work interfered with my job then I’d rather pay a fine, I would not take time off work because I’m self employed. 

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

There should be an allowance, like you have at work. Say... 1 week a year a pupil is allowed to go on holiday during term time, any more than that and there is a fine. Think that's fair, then only people who take the piss are fined

[ealingfox]

You have kids knowing the consequences, and more expensive holidays is one of them. School time is school time and taking your kids away from their friends and their education to indulge yourself is pretty poor form imo. 

 

Why should everyone else suffer? We childless don't want screaming brats on our planes and in our hotels.

[David Guiza]

Being engaged/soon to be married to a teacher isn't any better holiday wise. Thankfully due to the difference in term dates for Leicestershire and other areas October half term isn't as expensive as it could have been. 

[Phube]

1 hour ago, David Guiza said:

Being engaged/soon to be married to a teacher isn't any better holiday wise. Thankfully due to the difference in term dates for Leicestershire and other areas October half term isn't as expensive as it could have been. 

 

Until next year... when in their wisdom Leicestershire are planning one of three options. One option involves all three half terms coinciding with the rest of the UK!

[Footballwipe]

I think the only issue that arises is when the "my child can do no wrong" parents have the temerity to complain if their child is under performing if they've been on a 2-3 week holiday somewhere and they inevitably miss out. Parent's entitlement game is very strong, so nothing is ever their fault, it's always the school or the system that's failed them.

 

The whole argument comes down to what they can gain and when they do it. If they're getting perilously close to exam season or a critical term, I really don't see the point. One short term holiday for potential impact on their long-term education and prospects. However some holidays can be a gerat experience and if you're eight it's not the end of the world.

 

If a top performing kid goes away and comes back that's fantastic, but remember as perfect as people think their kids are, some need to be in school all the time because they need that time to learn. Not everyone is a sponge and straight 9 student. Two weeks away could seriously affect some, and not others.

 

Whilst it's not really the greatest deterrent in the world in terms of the fine/cost saving, it probably ensures that it's enough of a deterrent so most classes are all-but full, rather than having every kid on a two week holiday. It's unfair to force a teacher to chase their tail helping 25 kids catch up at various stages of learning if they've all been on their jollys.

 

 

[Buce]

 

I think what's being ignored here is the benefits to a child of a family having quality time together.

 

And it's not always an issue of cost either - I know of a number of couples whose work commitments simply don't allow them to coordinate their holidays during school holidays.

[Strokes]

8 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

I think what's being ignored here is the benefits to a child of a family having quality time together.

 

And it's not always an issue of cost either - I know of a number of couples whose work commitments simply don't allow them to coordinate their holidays during school holidays.

Totally agree, like I said its not unusual to be denied holidays during non term time at our place of work and as i did last summer. I was a bit quicker to book my holidays this year and got both mine accepted during the holiday period. 

I take offence that people would assume that this means I don’t as a parent take education seriously, We pay for our kids to go science club, music lessons, swimming lessons, dance lessons and taekwondo and sit and help them with their homework every night.

Not all education is done in a classroom and kids deserve a family holiday as much as anyone.

Ive never been fined for taking my kids out yet as my work will write them a letter explaining why we are denied the holidays and it’s always been deemed acceptable so far.

[Jattdogg]

4 hours ago, ealingfox said:

You have kids knowing the consequences, and more expensive holidays is one of them. School time is school time and taking your kids away from their friends and their education to indulge yourself is pretty poor form imo. 

 

Why should everyone else suffer? We childless don't want screaming brats on our planes and in our hotels.

Is that taking the P or a legit moan?

[Soar Fox]

10 minutes ago, Jattdogg said:

Is that taking the P or a legit moan?

I’m guessing he doesn’t know you can book adult only hotels. 

 

And I’d rather be sat next to a “screaming brat” than some of the pissed up adults I’ve ended up sitting next to on flights. 

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

6 hours ago, ealingfox said:

You have kids knowing the consequences, and more expensive holidays is one of them. School time is school time and taking your kids away from their friends and their education to indulge yourself is pretty poor form imo. 

 

Why should everyone else suffer? We childless don't want screaming brats on our planes and in our hotels.

 That last sentence,