I completely agree.
As I said earlier, we chose to take our 6 year old out of school during term time for a holiday.
My husband is self employed & works away Monday to Friday, we arranged the holiday to fit in with a quieter time in his work schedule.
I honestly believe the disruption to his education was minimal at that time, he's in all the top groups within his year & his overall attendance even after the holiday was 95.9%.
Yes, we did save money & yes we told the truth & paid the fine, but I do believe that both our sons benefited from spending some much needed quality time with both of their parents. TBH, that's all I'm concerned about.

Quite. Not seeking sympathy votes here but as full time bread winner in the house I get to see my 8 year old about an hour a day. Weekends are tough with various things to be fit it.

That full week or two we spend together as a family is irreplaceable in my eyes. I am sure it is for other families. If that can only be afforded in term time then I think it's fairly important that it's taken.

Nobody suggested that all schools are perfect, but that's hardly a justification for additional disruption.


I can tell you right now that you're the exception and not the rule. The vast majority of parents who want to take their kids on holiday during term time have no plans and no intention of compensating the way you did. And the timing is important as you mention. Which is why each request should be dealt with individually.


It's not just about the kids that go, as mentioned earlier.


Education is not a game.

There are other ways to afford a holiday. Going somewhere cheaper, for instance. All a matter of priorities.

I have always had our holiday in August and have never taken my daughter away in school time. I feel school is where she should be. Unfortunately she is still yet to gain 100% attendance over a school year because she has recurring, wipe her out kidney infections at least 3 times a year , so to add to her lack of attendance by throwing a holiday in there is , in my eyes, wrong.

We authorise time off if immediate family are ill abroad or things like that. I think the reason less holidays are authorised is that often a kid will come in with a note saying they are going on holiday in 2 days time. Never going to be agreed but we obviously can't stop them.

I have known students to miss 2/3 weeks to visit Bangladesh or Pakistan and after a certain number of days the student will be taken off roll.

All are issued fines which i think were £50 per parent, per child.

As a school, we are continually badgered about attendance levels and what we are doing to improve them.
However, we are a secondary school and i accept that it is very different to primary. I dont believe a child should be removed from secondary education during termtime at all.

What the law saysHolidays during term time - what the law says
You should not normally take your child on holiday in term time - it can be disruptive both to your child's learning and to the school. Schools will only consider holidays in term time where both

rlhttps://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016103rl

Where were you taken for the week your school did spelling?

So let me get this right: your advice is to lie. And presumably this example is handed down to your children, too?

By the way it was Prof. Robert Winston before he became Lord Winston. He'd be very angry if you likened him to what we terms "junior doctors" (ie Registrars and the like).

It was readable. Just!

Incidentally I missed a lot of schooling as a youngster. I hope it doesn't show.

I spent large chuncks of the school year away visting my father who worked overseas. Twenty five day's a year or so. Of course this is going back a while to a time when my school any way, didn't give a hoot about absence. Time's moved on of course now.

SATS will be in May

Fill your boots and have a good holiday

This comes from someone whose combined attendance of my 3 kids is 99.9% over the last 6 years.

And if anyone says that losing 5 days education will have a major effect,well im guessing mine will be, as their secondary school opens a week later than most others due to it being a new building.

Took our kids out of school a few times because of cost, we always tried to mix the holiday with some educational visits to the likes of Ephasis, Knossos and Pyramids. It hasn't done them too much harm, they are both doing well in life with families of their own. I think its more about keeping school stats high rather than the needs of the kids.

Ironically, my daughter is now a teacher and is not allowed holidays in term time, while her pupils go when it suits the parents.

Indeed, if we started taking 4 days off here and there in term time for a cheaper holiday, would that be ok?