Leave/holiday during term time in Council/Grammar school

[hermanmunster]

Eraldo, I am sure you will get some people who say that they were given the 10 days and others who were denied it and may or may not have gone anyway....

I appreciate that it may be nice to go somewhere in term time (I know of lots of people who would like to have gone away then) but british schools just don't allow it - can't you go on the trip in holiday time?

[mystery]

If it were me, and you really have to go, ask for permission (on the form provided by the school if they have one), limit the whole trip to 10 days and spell out the exceptional reasons for which this is necessary in a letter attached to the school form for leave of absence. Explain that your child's attendance is otherwise good and ask for information about work to cover while you are away on the trip. Keep copies of everything.

I think that whatever country you are from you are expected to use the summer holidays for prolonged trips.

I don't think schools want unauthorised absence ..... it's shooting themselves in the foot.

Don't do it unless you really need to. No, they shouldn't do anything to upset your child, but of course if your child misses a lot of new work that can feel uncomfortable. At some schools they don't miss anything so that won't be a problem! Also, some children find it hard to settle back after a term-time absence but otherwise experience a wave of popularity on return.

[mystery]

Etienne, that's a cruel bit of law about striking a child off the admissions register for absence. It's not the child's fault. What happened to the role of the Education Welfare Officer? So easy just to strike a child off the register rather than take the parents to task and get the child to school. And what about child protection? The child could just disappear without trace, be struck off the register, and no-one take action when something dreadful could have happened.

[Eraldo]

Thanks for all replies
Mystery ...your replies help me to take a decision ..I am sending you a pm please read it and reply me pm please ...I am worried about this too much as my child has just joined the new school ..and we parents and himself are against taking any leave but this an unavoidable function conducted at my home country ..many relatives from different countries will be attending so its not possible to change the date

[Etienne]

Etienne, that's a cruel bit of law about striking a child off the admissions register for absence. It's not the child's fault.

There are also countless appeals every year where parents have failed to apply for a school place on time, sometimes with quite serious consequences for the child and the family.

Then there are those who try and cheat the system to gain a school place. That's not the child's fault either .........

What happened to the role of the Education Welfare Officer?

I think it's probable the EWO would be involved in the checks I mentioned above.

It's not my role to defend the system, though - I'm just here explaining what can happen!

[Looking for help]

Eraldo - we are not from as far away as you, but our family live 450 miles away. At my children's primary there was never a problem regarding trips home in term time for family occasions. However when my youngest started secondary school the blurb on the website from this school said it had a policy regarding no approval for trips away in term time. Not even the 10 days that can be allowed.

However he has had time off on two separate occasions for family events, just a day or two either side of a weekend, I wrote a letter to the head teacher explaining the circumstances, and was given permission for him to be off. I think if you can explain that your family is abroad and you need to be with them for whatever the occasion is, I'm sure a reasonable head teacher will understand, as long as it is for no more than 10 days.

[Eraldo]

Thankyou for all your replies
Thanks Mystery for the PM.
If any forum memebers have experience about this please reply .

[Guest55]

You have no right to any absence in term time - it's at the Head's discretion.

If you just go then you might find you child will not be readmitted should the absence be prolonged. You need to explain this to relatives so that whatever the occasion is can be arranged at a time when you can be present.

[yoyo123]

before you do anything you need to speak to the Headteacher

[Looking for help]

That's not always so easy, G55 - we've had a god daughter's wedding to attend in May, and my brother in law's 50th birthday party in November. Neither of these we would have been prepared to miss, nor would they have been aranged to suit us. The 50th , well it had to be there or there about's the actual date, and the groom was in the army, so his dates were fixed.

My experience has been that the head teacher was understanding, my son caught up with class work missed, and his attendance otherwise was pretty good. It is very harsh to suggest you can't go to family gatherings - different if it is to go on holiday to Majorca off peak.