Child in school.

[ozzywizard]

I have booked an holiday in term time for me and my family.

I sent a real good letter into my childrens school to request the week off for the booked holiday.

My children are 4 year old and 7 year old.

Recieved a letter back today for my 7 year old saying request has been denied due to her only having 80 per cent attendance when she was off sick.

This holiday is paid for and I have the annual leave from work so we are going, not had a reply from my 4 year old yet.

I am going on the holiday, I work long hours at nights and do not see my family as much as I would like, and feel it is nessercery for my family to be together at this time (I have 4 children).

What can the welfare do about this and any advise appreciated. My plan is to ignore the letter and just go, in my mind I have given them enough notice.

Thanks,

[5layer]

Hi ozzywizard,

By far this is the worst action that you can take as they can heavely fine you as well as take you to court.

A very good friend of mine last year went ahead on holiday after the school said no to both he's children taking extra time off. He was fined £1200 (£600 per child) and had notes added to the chidrens records.

You see they just love to set examples in the community.

5layer

[Tom87]

Apologies if I might sound a bit blunt here, but:

Can't you go on holiday with all the kids/family during the school holidays?

Being ill is a valid reason for missing school - going on holiday most certainly is not.

The children are missing out on education. Also, especially at their age, there will probably be jealousy issues with their friends who will (perhaps rightly) see it as unfair that they have got to go on holiday during term time. This happened when I was at school whenever a pupil (and it was always the same ones) went on holiday right in the middle of term, or one or two weeks before the end of it.

I sympathise with you that it can often be difficult to get the time off altogether as a family, but I personally agree with the stringent measures that are being taken to prevent parents from taking their children on holiday in the middle of term - it is just not fair.

If there are truly compassionate grounds for you to have a break and for the kids to have some time off school, then that is absolustely fair enough and I unreservedly offer my sympathy for whatever situation you may be in. But if it is just because you feel like a holiday, that is no good reason to miss school - that is what the school holidays are for.

As to 5layer's description of his friend's holiday - I feel it is very unfair that the children have a record, because it is completely the fault of the the parent(s). But I don't condemn the fine if there was genuinely no other reason other than just feeling like going on holiday right in the middle of term.

[ozzywizard]

Thanks heaps for the advise and you being truthfull, I respect your opinions and actually agree with what your saying, unfortunatly I am a manager at a company and the only time I could possibly get off is the specified week.

Maybe I didnt give this much thought, but the situation is now a reality and it is not somthing I can change. The holiday is booked and paid for, time is allocated off work and it cannot be changed hence my dogmatic opinion that we are going.

This is the situation that I need to deal with, in my letter it gave my mobile phone number and home number and my address and I asked they contact me if any problems, instead they sent a tocked box form saying not accepted. this was passed on with my 7 year old daughter not addressed to me or signed. My reaction is to claim never officially received. Due to them not contacting me I assumed their was not an issue.

Any further advise is appreciated.

[Spiceskull]

Sadly, I agree with the other posters that taking children out of school during term time is not the best course of action. After all, as taxpayers we are paying schools and teachers to educate all children, and on a technical note you would be "wasting taxpayers money..."

However, schools, and especially heads, do have discretionary powers, and I would advise making an appointment to see the head, and explain your circumstances in more detail to him/her.

In instances such as this diplomacy will always be more effective than confrontation...so please be very polite and patient with them...

Direct Gov has more information on the subject here

[Bookworm]

Hang on a minute here, folks!

Whilst taking kids off during school term is not ideal, a) some employers, as Ozzy stated, don't give the employee any choice as to when they get time off, and b) these kids are 4 & 7, so we're not talking of GCSE time here, for goodness sake ! In fact, in the case of the 4 year old, since a child becomes of compulsory school age when he or she reaches the age of five and must start school in the term following his or her fifth birthday, Ozzy is not doing anything wrong with taking that child out during school-term.

[2p]

[ozzywizard]

Thanks Bookworm, it really is impossible to get any other time off this year as no cover to run my call centre. I discussed this with my wife a few months ago and we both agreed that we as a family need an holiday and this is the only time it could be scheduled.

As stated it is not an option to not go now, I just want to know what is possibly going to happen, also I do not feel I have been given the correct respect when they have made no effort to contact or reply to my letter just a tick box letter not signed with no more than 10 words on it stating declined passed on with my daughter.

[Bookworm]

TBH, I would simply go and IF they were to try and take you to court, defend, defend, defend.

The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, which is the Act which gives the power to school to fine parents, was NOT created to punish people like you with little choice, but serial abusers who don't give a toss whether their offspring goes to school or not.

I have been threatened by my son's high school too, because of his appalling attendance (and it is indeed appalling). Since I responded rather belligerently (I don't take well to threats ) by saying that if they tried it, I would defend and counter-claim for their inability to keep said child in school (I drop him off at the gates, where 2 teachers stand every morning, he then picks and chooses which lessons to attend, the little sod ), not another peep out of them.

I would say to the school: "Look, I don't have a choice, we are going, whether you give us permission or not, I hope you understand" and hope that they are sensible about it, the alternative is not to go!

PS: My husband works for the railway and also gets his holidays allocated to him, if he can't swap with someone to be off at the same time as the kids, we're stuck too. (or would be if we could afford to go anywhere, lol)

[honey5]

id have to agree with Bookie here my son after just having the two week easter break (hes 13) actually went on holiday with the school to france, and no not an educational visit, so if they can why cant you
honey x

[ozzywizard]

Yeah, thanks heaps everyone. I am going to go on the holiday and deal with it when I get back, if anything is said on their return I will state that they have made no effort to phone me or write to me to inform me she cannot go. a 10 word slip with a no tick box that is unsigned is not sufficient and being passed on with my 7 year old is not acceptable as I am not sure if it was received.

If they try to go to court I will defend and counter-claim for their inability to communicate with me as requested in my letter.

[Spiceskull]

Even though you have no choice about the holiday dates, and you are decided on your course of action, I would still advise speaking with the head regarding the seven year old. As you have already said, they declined by way of a tick box form...and at this point the request/denial is just another number.

Ultimately it will be the head who decides whether or not you are "punished" - at least ensure he/she has all the facts, and that you have a written confirmation of his/her reasons for accepting/declining your request. That way if they do pursue you you will be able to demonstrate that you have been thorough.

And I certainly agree with Bookie about the four year old - no law exists that states they should be in school anyway...

[ozzywizard]

Thanks heaps Spice, I will keep you posted on how it all goes. Thats interesting that a 4 year old cannot be forced to go to school, didnt know that. probably why they have not gave an answer on him yet. Kinda ironic how its the 4 year old that has 100% attendance. 7 year old has 80% but she has been genuinly ill as had a lot of problems with headaches (under treatment at the hospital) . . This is another issue how she has been refused and her cousin in the same class has been accepted for the same holiday. a 7 year old should not be penilized for being sick. If I did play by the book and cancel the holiday how would I explain this to her that her cousin is still going but she is not because she has previously had headaches.