Term time holdiays

[999 mum]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... rried.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wonder if I state that my children have worked extremely hard, would that count as exceptional circumstances and whether I can get four weeks leave or even two?

What about all of the other hard working teachers in that school?

[moved]

Me too, please! Perfect timing with KS2 SATs coming up!

[pheasantchick]

I guess that getting married would be classed as Exceptional Circumstances, but to,take four weeks! Maybe a few days prior to the wedding would be acceptable but then take the honeymoon during a regular school holiday.

[southbucks3]

I have a plan everyone now a precedent has been set, of a sort, how about we all renew our vows...every year in May or June somewhere abroad of course and our children could not possibly miss such an occasion could they.

[pheasantchick]

It be rude not to invite all your EPE friends to your wedding vow renewals....!

[doodles]

If May and June are getting a little crowded ceremonywise I'll plump for the first week in September in Italy and you are all invited I'm sure nobody will mind if the children are a week or so late back to school, I mean it's an important event meeting all their EPE "cousins"

[pheasantchick]

Sounds good to me. Think I'll need to re-join The Big Diet thread to loose some weight weight before the Big Day.

[um]

To be fair I have known quite a few headteachers take time off for sabbaticals/family reasons etc.
Some also take a term or so off to go and help weaker schools.
It cannot be compared to the situation of children taking this amount of time off as they miss out on large chunks of the curriculum that will not be covered again.

It is not entirely uncommon and is agreed with the governors, and will include a very clear plan for the school leadership and standards to continue at a good level, often providing very useful professional development to other senior leaders.

I would question why, with scores of headteachers doing something similar every term across the country, the Telegraph chose to hone in and demonise just this one.

[mystery]

It is unpaid leave. Good for the governors saying yes. They can spend the savings on something educational ad she can have a great wedding when she needs it to be for some undisclosed reason. They could have said no, so why is this head being criticised? The telegraph is stupid at times.

[southbucks3]

Every single paper in the country ran this story, most, like the telegraph, simply reported,, without offering opinion.

This is probably the first such request for leave for a holiday in tern time by a head teacher since the law changes last September. The backlash is more as a result of restrictions placed on parents, than the individual.

The story followed parents complaints, the lady has only been at the school for two years, so probably not earned her loyalty stripes yet from many long standing families.

A missing head tor a month means a teaching deputy has to perform more managerial tasks than teach, this causes disruption for the children, as they have a mix of teaching assistants standing in for their normal teacher. I would also have thought the school could have done with her support even more than usual during SATS month?

I believe she could have gone some way to smoothing things over if she had explained to parents why such long leave was necessary during school time. Although strictly not required, maybe it is the perceived "I am great at my job, so can do what I want" attitude that the parents find gauling and she has done nothing to change that. Her people skills are obviously lacking or she would not have antagonised her pupil's parents. She will doubtless suffer the repercussions when she has to report any absence to the local authority in the future.

Two teachers and one admin staff have got married whilst my children have been at primary school, they chose to do so over the school holidays, with just an odd day tagged on here and there, one deferred her big honeymoon to the summer.

I have booked the venue for June, we shall renew our vows in clovelly, and spend a week with family there, all you lovelies are invited of course (watch out for the cobbles folks, no busted ankles please) then spend a week just the two of us in castlenou, France. We can then meet the children, previously looked after by willing epe friends and spend two weeks celebrating with them in Disney and key west before returning to UK. Don't want them to miss too much of the cricket season. your invitations are in the post.