Disney world in term time- no fine

[quasimodo]

I suppose it all depends. You may have family abroad and consider it important that the children are aware of their heritage. The cost of travelling during the holidays with a family can be prohibitive for some families.

I have taken my children on a holiday with full support from the school. To obtain it, I found out what was being covered and made sure my son learned the stuff if he didn't already know it. All homework set by the school was duly completed. Moreover, I made sure that the trips included an educational element. Often linking it to the curriculum. I've taken them to the rain forest, the desert, mountains, castles, Roman and Viking sites, etc. Yes, we had fun and relaxed but did also visited a museum and learned something.

We did this a few times when my eldest was in the early primary school years.

Although I think that travelling itself is a great experience and can be a teaching opportunity, I'm not sure I would do this in secondary.

The current guidelines never applied to children who were not in the state school system. I am not sure if your son is in the state or private sector.

This is a link to the guidelines headteachers are currently applying in state schools.

http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/news-and ... d-absence/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The current guidelines even before the case of Platt require sensible decisions by the enforcers rather than a strict interpretation of the rules.As a case in point the rules state schools can only give days off for the day of the funeral of close family members as an exceptional circumstance.However schools can under another heading give time off so family members can be together in a time of trauma and crisis.This can be particularly acute when deaths are sudden and in some communities the mourning period can last up to 2 weeks prior to the funeral with literally hundreds if not thousands of people attending the home of the deceased to mourn together and pay their respects.During this period close family members would visit the mortuary or the funeral home to visit lost loved ones.Various funeral rites can take place prior to the funeral with the deceased.This would be a very troubling and traumatic time for young people questioning in some cases the very certainties of their existence.

Since the rules have not applied to private schools there is a double system in play here.My daughter in year 6 at a private school went to Euro Disney in Paris and visited Paris in February last year over 5 days including 2 days of the weekend.This was with my eldest and her parents.My youngest took 3 days off school after her 11 plus exams were out of the way.This was an education we were paying for almost twice over so as to speak once out of our general taxes for a state education should we have wanted it and again separately for the private education.Further we were losing three days of education we had paid for.In her years of schooling she had not taken any time off before except on the one day of her uncles funeral when she was 8. I agonised on that one as I thought she was too young but was persuaded by my brothers wife and his children.It was the right choice and it makes it is easier for her to deal with similar situations.Just this week sadly her class music teacher passed away at a very young age at her State Grammar.

However I am very unhappy about my dd taking any days off in her secondary schooling.I had an argument with my wife when a hospital appointment for my dd which had to be rearranged was not rearranged to the school holidays rather than to another school day requiring about 3 hours off school.My dd has had no other time off in year 7.

[salsa]

My son, now at a state grammar, went to our local state primary school. I did clear the holidays in writing with the head and never had them questioned. His attendance, otherwise was impeccable and he was doing very well at school. So, there was no issue of him falling behind. I did this when he was in his early primary school years. In total, they never missed more than a week in the whole year.

Nowadays, I agree that there would be circumstances when children have to take time off for family and cultural reasons. It's up to the parents and teachers to come up with the best solution.
I was listening to Question Time on radio 4, last night and the arguments were very interesting.

[Yamin151]

Still think a lot of arguments miss the point, including any court which makes claims about a child with an otherwise good attendance record falling behind. Clearly this isn't the case.
However, I disagree with taking children out of school because I think the only reason the child and no one else suffers is because not many do it. Those who do, take advantage of those of us who don't. We would all like to take advantage of lower prices, but if we did, just think how disruptive that would be. You could have a class of 28 with 10, 14, 20 children missing? And before anyone says that wouldn't happen, if it was a free for all to go when you liked then it would happen, June, early July with your children in primary? Great time to go.
Because most of us do what benefits the 'herd', those who want to take advantage do so on our shoulders. I don't think that is fair.

Whilst schools and education authorities try to build an argument on falling behind at school, against middle class well educated and articulate parents with good school attending children, they will fail over and over again and never get anywhere.

[salsa]

Very valid points. That's why I'm saying that it should be left up to the teachers to assess the situation.
As long as the teacher is not then having to produce extra work, I think it could work. In our case, we didn't inconvenience anyone.

Someone mentioned staggered holidays per region as it is in France. Do you think this would work?

[Yamin151]

Very valid points. That's why I'm saying that it should be left up to the teachers to assess the situation.
As long as the teacher is not then having to produce extra work, I think it could work. In our case, we didn't inconvenience anyone.

Someone mentioned staggered holidays per region as it is in France. Do you think this would work?

Think staggered holidays is a very good idea yes.
I do also agree on each case being considered individually but the only way to make it work without hordes going off each week would be to limit the number allowed, say, each week. The only reason yours didn't inconvenience anyone is because lots of people didn't try to take holiday in the same week, which they would have if anyone was allowed to ask. And the trouble with that is it would give rise to all kinds of ridiculous measures to ensure your family was the first to request etc, then arguments that it wasn't fair etc etc because Family A has a much better reason than Family B etc. Its all or nothing and at them moment it is simply not fair on those of us who obey the rules.

[JamesDean]

Someone mentioned staggered holidays per region as it is in France. Do you think this would work?

Not if you live on the border of two LAs and your children are educated in different ones! As someone said up thread, this is already happening where academy schools can set their own term dates without reference to anyone else ...

JD

[Yamin151]

Someone mentioned staggered holidays per region as it is in France. Do you think this would work?

Not if you live on the border of two LAs and your children are educated in different ones! As someone said up thread, this is already happening where academy schools can set their own term dates without reference to anyone else ...

JD

2 different shcools, 2 different counties here too. Add in one at an indie and holidays are a stretched out challenge zone!!!

[salsa]

I understand, but they were talking about areas. At my son's secondary, they decided to have different holidays than anybody else locally because it was better for those taking the IB. Some of my son's classmates went on holiday anyway!

[salsa]

There is a good debate going on at the moment on Radio 4.

[mystery]

In my personal experience of children at primary and secondary, and teaching at secondary, pupils who are otherwise doing well at primary missing a few weeks here and there is not an inconvenience to anyone - other children or teachers and it wouldn't make a jot of difference if almost all the class disappeared at good times for term-time holiday. But secondary is a completely different matter for the child - but not much inconvenience for the teacher. If the course is a well planned one it's not difficult to give clear instructions as to what a child should do to catch up on your previous lesson. After all, with music lesssons, kids are disappearing out of class here there and everywhere and it's usually not a big deal.