i always took mine out, for 1 week in may, or 1 week before the july holidays began, it depends when my husbands shut down weeks were.

i never took them out when it was exam time, or beginning of sept when school had just started back, and friendships were being made.

i never felt guilty for taking them out of school, the school never told me off, or gave me a fine, but i do know if the child has a low attendance record then permission would not be granted from the school.

how strange next year that both children will have left school, and we finally get a holiday in aug, so wouldnt have needed to take them out

shirley h wrote:

Hi Miss Pink. Didn't quite get what you were saying there. Did you mean you took them during school holidays rather than term time?

I read my post back Shirley and yes I am an idiot - it makes no sense does it Anyway what I meant to say we took our annual holiday in the school holidays so that did not have to take him out of school.

Hope that makes a bit more sense.

I knew what you meant Miss Pink

When my son was in infants and early juniors he sometimes missed the last week before a half term, but after that it was school holidays only. Ok it was more expensive, so we would have to stay somewhere that would not have been our first choice.
I have just got back from Lanzarote. The local children were still on holiday for our first week. The pool guy (an ex pat) told us that they were going back after 3 months off and that he thought that was too long for them to be off. I used to think 6 weeks in summer was a long time

Sorry to bring in a note of dissent - Is that the right word? I actually enjoy reading the comments on this thread every time the topic comes up.

It is no problem for me my kids have long left home and even the grand kids are getting near to that.

I can see and sympathise with every view expressed but at the end of the day the reason you do it - and I have also done so in my time - is the cost of not doing so.

Education is not just essential these days but, and we only really appreciate it benefits when we get older, a most wonderful experience. If only I had known all those years ago then I would probably be ruling the world today because I would have put so much effort in.

Yet I must also wonder why we create the problem. If we were really intelligent we would ensure the system allowed us to take our kids on holiday and enjoy that precious time with them without in any way creating a blip in their education that might disadvantage them in later life.

My youngest son makes a very good living working in the film industry. Have a look here for a sample.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=MXrizTZWpks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&feature=related&hl=en-GB&v=qo9pQZi58N0

He is also an artist and we spent many hours trailing around art galleries when he was young. It did not in any way effect his school/college results but simply indulged his interest. Which is why I reject the claims that is is educational. My eldest is a very successful chef and nothing we did with him had anything to do with his chosen career and success - unless it was the way his mum makes gravy. Sorry that is a family in joke.

TOs are in business to make money for shareholders. Yours and mine pension funds may very well owe their success to how well a TO does. When there is a big demand the price goes up. When it goes down then so does the price. With the number of retired people increasing the future could easily see the price they pay going up. At present we fill the places in the quiet times.

But then why do kids only go to school between 9.00am and 3.30pm? Would it not be better that they did the same hours as parents? 8.00am to 5.00pm - get rid of the dreaded homework and save many parents a fortune in child care?

When I was working I went on holiday but my work was waiting for me when I got back. I had a few weeks of catch up but that is all. Change the school year and hours to reflect real life and the extra hours could be put to use in helping kids to get a better education. Less stress and cramming and therefore better results.

There is another point to consider - If you are not allowed to take your kids out of school in term time does that also mean they cannot have two weeks off on genuine sick?

fwh

But then why do kids only go to school between 9.00am and 3.30pm? Would it not be better that they did the same hours as parents? 8.00am to 5.00pm - get rid of the dreaded homework and save many parents a fortune in child care?

Do you genuinely think that this would stop parents taking children out of school for holidays? By 3.30 we literally have chidren in the reception class sleeping on the floor, unable to keep their eyes open, especially towards the end of the week. It might perhaps work with the older ones, but at the end of the day there is only so much time that children can concentrate fully for. Also most schools have educational clubs after school such as for computers, music & drama, chess, footie to name a few.

If you are not allowed to take your kids out of school in term time does that also mean they cannot have two weeks off on genuine sick?

Can't really see the comparison here. No one in their right mind would choose to be sick. If you're ill, then you have no option to stay at home. Incidentally this is one of the reasons that there is a holiday every 6 or 7 weeks - to break the chain of infectious dieases that sweep through a school. You do have a choice whether to take your children out of school on a holiday. Each to his own, but when my kids were small 25 years ago, I chose to go during the school holidays. If I couldn't afford to go broad, during the school holidays - which incidentally I couldn't, then we went somewhere in this country that I could afford.

well this thread is living up to its predecessors in the wide range of opinions, now something i did not realise till this weekend,

our grand daughter now 3yrs 10 months only gets 2 weeks summer holiday [last 2 weeks September] plus the bank holidays she goes to school at around 7-30 [for breakfast club] and comes home around 5-30 [after school club] [teaching is 8-30 to 3-30], and she loves it, in-fact if she is picked up early she has been know to get the hump..

so where dose this come into the argument... young children are capable of doing a full day at school, and if your child attends this one then you have only one choice of when you go on holiday..The last 2 weeks of September, so she gets a few weekend camping trips throughout the year [they came with us this weekend]

brian

Hi wiz,

I agree that some young children can cope (and indeed enjoy) a long day at school but in my experience (20+ years as a teaching assistant), most under 5s get very tired by the end of the day. It is good that there is a choice but if the long school day were to be made compulsory, it would be most unsuitable for the majority. As in all walks of life, there are exeptions to the rule and I reckon your grandaughter is one of these

Moving on to the amount of holidays she gets- This is very unusual. In which part of the country is the school Brian and is it a state primary or a private nursery?

This has developed into an interesting thread indeed

its a fee paying [supported] Prep school in Buckinghamshire no we do not have money [daughter has taken a job as semi-skilled laborer roofing to pay] it was the only option when they moved, no places available at the local council schools [except the bottom of the league ones] the stupid thing is directly opposite where she lives a new primary school is being built [not 500 yds away] and she wont be in the catchment area

she loves school and seems to be ahead on maths music oral English and nature and not bad on drawing and very good athletic wise [won 3 races in her age group [up to 5 yrs] at sports day in July.
but we digress from the topic

sorry all

brian

Hi Brian - if those sort of hours became compulsory at school, my main worries would be twofold. As Shirley said, the majority of under 5's would never cope with those hours. They have a job to cope with the present hours. In my opinion (only) - if a child is at school by 7.30am then they need to be in bed by 7pm at night, so when exactly would I be spending time with my child. If they don't get home until 5.30 they have around 1 1/2 before bedtime. Take out bath and story time & what's left?

interesting topic, but the real reason alone why it happens is cost, but parents of schoolkids are not the only ones who face this problem , 2 people i work with have to take holidays in school holiday time , one of them has grown up kids no longer holidaying with them but his wife is a teaching assistant and is never allowed a school day off , and the other one has a husband who is given set holidays of last 2 weeks august and 2 weeks xmas and his workplace closes down because everyone is off . so they have to holiday at expensive times, no choice whatsoever, for them its high prices, busiest time in resorts, and everyone elses screaming kids.
i thought they were going to make the half terms holidays 2 weeks long and reduce the summer holiday , doubt that would stop people looking at prices the week before or after school hols and taking their kids out then because they would be cheaper, it will never change whether people think its right or wrong because we all look for the best price we can get when booking holidays.

I"m not sure about the two weeks at whitsun thingy - they (whoever they are) have been talking about this for the best part of 15 years - well all the time my kids have been at school and no action on it yet, so cant see it happening.

The only people who ever seem interested in it are those that want a fortnights cheap holiday then and the holiday companys who are muti-national businesses will put the costs up, urgo it's a no win situation based on a non-educational reason for introducing it.

What will happen then, will folks take their kids out for the week before/after the oft-discussed 2 week break to get a cheap price ? Ergo three weeks off instead of the two -sounds like a disaster.

A lot of revision times, mock exams, essential public exam course work and then the actual GCSE's, AS levels and A levels all seem to happen in the Spring.

I'm not sure that an enforced two week break would be good for the last 4 years worth of children that are involved in these. Perhaps that's why they don't change it.

The Authorities must know a certain amount of people will take JMI children out of school every year regardless of what the regualtions and implications for their education are. It has been going on ever since the package holiday was invented back in the 70ties and holidays abroad came within the reach of the masses.

Even the fine system does not seem to have curbed it as most schools/LA's don't bother to enforce it - probably extra admin involved, when their real job is Educating children - don't blame them really, too much red tape involved in Education from what I can see anyway.

What will happen then, will folks take their kids out for the week before/after the oft-discussed 2 week break to get a cheap price ? Ergo three weeks off instead of the two -sounds like a disaster.

A lot of revision times, mock exams, essential public exam course work and then the actual GCSE's, AS levels and A levels all seem to happen in the Spring.

I'm not sure that an enforced two week break would be good for the last 4 years worth of children that are involved in these. Perhaps that's why they don't change it.

I completely agree there Chris. This 2 weeks May idea would work for younger children but certainly not after year 10 and into 6th form . They are of course expected to revise over school holiday breaks at this time of year too .In reality it's not easy at the best of times but take them away for 2 weeks too and I can't imagine many will do well in their exams that start the week before half term and continue after .

Our school , possibly borough did try to fix the easter break a couple of years ago to End March regardless of when easter fell in an attempt to spread those spring terms out equally . The year before last I think it was or maybe the year before we had 2 weeks Easter holiday and the Easter weekend seperately . Of course what happened was that parents still booked the Easter week , some aware of the differing holiday , some not . I took mine out for 4 days as my husband and eldest son had pre fixed easter holiday which is always the week following the easter weekend . I don't think the school has or will repeat that and things have now gone back to coincide was easter week.

I must admit I used to feel terribly guilty dumping my kids of at breakfast club at 8am then not picking them up until gone 5 because I had to go to work. It is very difficult for working people with children, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Luckily they've turned into well behaved and responsible teenagers so it didn't do them any harm.

I used to feel terribly guilty dumping my kids of at breakfast club at 8am then not picking them up until gone 5

that was you.. but how did your children take it... as i said Myah enjoys and wants to be there,they are not a babysitting alternative for her but additional educational experience,

If I could see my child was really enjoying the experience I probably wouldn't feel guilty but I'd definitely feel I was missing out on being with them. I'd hate to spend so little time with them especially when they're so young.

we've strayed

On saturday I am taking 14 kids to Chiocago for a week. 2 kids from 7 different schools. The schools are quite OK with them missing a whole weeks schooling plus being half dead for a couple of days when we return (if they come into school that is). On the register they will be recorded as being 'educated off site' or 'on an educational visit'. Howver I doubt any of the schools would be happy if their parents took them out on holiday for a week. Double standards?

I am a school governor and a parent of a very active 9 year old boy so do have some perspective from both sides of the fence!!!

To try and accommodate a cheaper holiday we have had a two week holiday at Whit for the last 4 years and it appears to work well - there are very few complaints from parents

As our attendance rate is 0.3% below the acceptable OFSTED level, and has been for some years despite numerous efforts to increase it, we have introduced for this year, that the headmaster will refuse permission for any term time leave/absence unless the child has an attendance rate in excess of 98%. I can't really say if it is working yet as we are only just into the new school year.