Child Day Off From School. Am I Wrong?

[AJS-]

How awful has England really become?

[IanMorewood]

AJS- said:

How awful has England really become?

Horrible, just ask all the Syrians.

[Bushi]

Thanks all for the interest and support, apart from the expected 1-2 weirdos some good advice and experiance here.

Think I need to see the bigger picture, its a good school and ill play the system as it stands, in future a quiet word with her teacher I'm sure will go a long way.

Ill pop in and see them tomorrow RE this event.

Thanks all learnt a bit, every days a school day they say.

[pincher]

Keep us posted OP

[TwigtheWonderkid]

ATG said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Andy888 said:

You have to wonder sometimes really. Clearly schools are their own little empires run by people who get off on power trips over parents and kids.

Care to comment now others have got in before me to tell you the school have no leeway in this and it's completely out of their hands..

Not true according to a minister on the radio a couple of months ago. There appears to be a perception in quite a few schools that they don't have leeway, but according to the bod on radio they were wrong.

Frankly I can see why the school might want to think they had no leeway as it would make it easy to handle the standard holiday pisstake requests, but apparently thems ain't the rules.

They have leeway within the criteria. Eg, they might not allow time off for a family wedding in one case, but might take a different view in another. As time off for family events is within the criteria, at the head's discretion. But they have no leeway to grant time off outside the criteria. Like a trip to see a rocket launch, which for all it's merit, still falls within "a nice day out".

[WinstonWolf]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

ATG said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Andy888 said:

You have to wonder sometimes really. Clearly schools are their own little empires run by people who get off on power trips over parents and kids.

Care to comment now others have got in before me to tell you the school have no leeway in this and it's completely out of their hands..

Not true according to a minister on the radio a couple of months ago. There appears to be a perception in quite a few schools that they don't have leeway, but according to the bod on radio they were wrong.

Frankly I can see why the school might want to think they had no leeway as it would make it easy to handle the standard holiday pisstake requests, but apparently thems ain't the rules.

They have leeway within the criteria. Eg, they might not allow time off for a family wedding in one case, but might take a different view in another. As time off for family events is within the criteria, at the head's discretion. But they have no leeway to grant time off outside the criteria. Like a trip to see a rocket launch, which for all it's merit, still falls within "a nice day out".

It will have far more educational value than a day in an exam factory.

[surveyor]

I think we are one of the few families to get authorised leave. And for travelling to the US. It was for our wedding though.

In practice our daughters school would normally refuse leave, because them's the rules, but we've only ever heard of one set of parents be threatened with the fine, and that child's attendance record was dire.

We've got the ever popular Michael Gove to thank for these policies.

[mcelliott]

We've taken our kids out of school on a number of occasions in the past (Le Mans), it's never been authorised, didn't do them any harm.

[Leptons]

mcelliott said:

We've taken our kids out of school on a number of occasions in the past (Le Mans), it's never been authorised, didn't do them any harm.

And did a fine arrive in the post?

[mcelliott]

Leptons said:

mcelliott said:

We've taken our kids out of school on a number of occasions in the past (Le Mans), it's never been authorised, didn't do them any harm.

And did a fine arrive in the post?

Nope, we're not in a jurisdiction that imposes fines on absence however, we did get a standard letter quoting statistics about children missing school, and how it can harm their education, etc. Blah, blah, blah.

[surveyor]

That reminds me....

My brothers daughter and step-daughter had some time off to go away with very poorly grandmother, not expected to be around later that year (she's going nowhere it seems... but I digress)

The infant school gave consent. The Secondary academy (pre-GCSE) said nope, and issued fines. Only they fined both parents. I always assumed that it would be a fine per couple...

He got out of his, pointing out that he had no parental responsibility for the step-daughter....

[williamp]

Bushi said:

Thanks all for the interest and support, apart from the expected 1-2 weirdos some good advice and experiance here.

Think I need to see the bigger picture, its a good school and ill play the system as it stands, in future a quiet word with her teacher I'm sure will go a long way.

Ill pop in and see them tomorrow RE this event.

Thanks all learnt a bit, every days a school day they say.

In that case.....

[deadtom]

I'm highly jealous of the experience your daughter will have, and also that she met commander Hadfield.

As others have said, challenge the school to come up with something, anything, as engaging and worthwhile for that day.

Signed,

recent astrophysics graduate who never got to do anything anywhere near as cool as what you have planned.

[AndrewEH1]

I do really hope that you do take your child out of school for the day even if it isn't 'by the book'.

[Chrisgr31]

Leptons said:

And did a fine arrive in the post?

I believe they have to be out for a week in order to get fine.

[Bushi]

deadtom said:

I'm highly jealous of the experience your daughter will have, and also that she met commander Hadfield.
.

I dont tend to get star struck, but that man has some charisma.
It was a few weeks ago he was simply giving a talk for his new book in North London but was the most motivational speaker I have witnessed.
Small girl asked him why he sang in space so he whips out the (luckilly) close by hidden guitar and off he goes for a 5 minute singalong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5clqxURVhY


He stayed for hours meeting everyone and singing happy birthday.
Everyone who left after seemed in a religious Hadfield haze, very strange experience.
Follow his twitter etc.. whenever he is close pop along, however small the event.

[Andy888]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Andy888 said:

You have to wonder sometimes really. Clearly schools are their own little empires run by people who get off on power trips over parents and kids.

Care to comment now others have got in before me to tell you the school have no leeway in this and it's completely out of their hands..

Nope. Pretty sure it's the school that makes the decision.

https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence/overv...

[Impasse]

Chrisgr31 said:

I believe they have to be out for a week in order to get fine.

For clarification: 10 school sessions. Each half day is a session, so five days. (I dun did maffs, see?)

Mostly fines are issued by the Head but some Local Authorities just churn them out automatically.

Again, to remind those who wish to chastise or challenge the school - these measures have been brought in by the government and the schools have to comply just as much as the parents. Aim your ill informed angst at the right target.

[anonymous-user]

When I last lived in the UK my twins were given an afternoon off class to watch England in a World Cup, I was furious about it, my kids have duel nationality neither of which is English, but my big issue was giving them the idea that football was more important than school.
A few weeks latter I was transferred overseas, so was due time off with the family before I went, the WRC was on and I decided to take the kids, headmistress refused, I visited told he the kids were going to the WRC and if she had an issue I'd make the private complaint Id'd made to her about the football official, she gave me permission in writing on the spot.
Subsequently I stayed overseas and the kids went to Norway to school, they were allowed two weeks extra holiday a year to visit me in Asia the headmaster accepted the educational value, both my kids have solid degrees from top universities, just take them out for the days.

[Dodsy]

Going a bit off topic here but worth mentioning - you only get fined if you keep the child off school. If they (the council/authority) dont have a place then you have no power to fine them (which would be a nice turnabout) !. My boys are both High functioning Autistic, oldest spent 2 years from 13-15 sat at home , youngest a year from 13-14 while the council tried every trick they could think of to avoid sending them to a special school.