Taking your Kids out of School outside Official Holiday Time

[Biggles]

I'm looking for some advice from those good with words. I'd like to take my daughter out of school one week before her normal Half Term time during the skiing season next year so I can pay normal prices for a holiday and not get ripped off.
Has anyone got any excellent letters they have written to get the time off. Apparently my daughters school is run by a bit of a battle axe who is very much against taking kids out of school during normal school time.
Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.

[vince]

Could say :"the PE lessons at this school are woefully inadequate, so she`s going skiing to make up for it" or will that make the HT more angry?

[Ian M]

Nick,
When we have done this (between you and me reasonably often!) we have always gone along in person to ask. We have found that it is much harder to deny someone face to face than it is to be negative to a somewhat impersonal letter.

[Biggles]

Thats the route I was thinking of going down. Do you think it would be reasonable if I went down now for time off next february ?

[MikeCC]

Nick,

The rule of thumb is 10 days authorised absence per school year. If you take this in one chunk you need a pretty good reason but 5 days out should be OK.

As Vince says, a sesible purpose will help ie not just sunning your backside.

If you want to be really creepy you can ask what they'll be covering that week and get some worksheets to take with you. Most teachers will say "don't worry, they can catch up later"

Also, it depends on how you and your daughter are viewed by the school. I'd have you down as someone with a reasonable take on getting homework done etc so as long as your daughter's doing OK, that's another plus point.

Ultimately it is at the head's discretion and if you take it without a rubber stamp, no doubt a few choice comments from the head. (And possibly contact from the EWO . . . but unlikely for a one-off)

The arrangement at our local junior's is just fill in the form and hand it in. It's worth a call to the school first, but I wouldn't make a appointment to do it - head's are too busy. Timing wise, just do it before you need to commit for the booking.

Cheers

Mike

[codprawn]

Tell her you have lined up a trip to visit a glacier with a climatologist so that the kids will learning about climate change - that should impress her cos it's educational.....

[Ian M]

Originally Posted by Biggles

Thats the route I was thinking of going down. Do you think it would be reasonable if I went down now for time off next february ?

Nick,
Think I would wait for a bit, let them get the hassle of the summer holidays out of the way first!

[Polwart]

Or they could just be sick ?

[Nasher]

Though I do understand about the cost of holidays etc, I have a problem with taking kids out of school during term time, I just dont think its justified to save a few quid, just me being old fashioned.

I understand this will set me apart from the majority, and I will probably get some stick over it, but my kids education is very important to me and we all have our own views. In other words I don't want to fall out with anyone over something I know I have strong views about and that others may not feel the same way about.

Nasher

[Biggles]

Thats fair enough. I've never done it before. The eldest went through education without doing so. But then I did low budget self catering type holidays. Now I'm trying to catch up with everyone else and jump on board the cheap package holidays.
Anyway I thought the government was supposed to be stopping the practice of the Travel companies hiking prices. Or maybe school holidays could be staggered.

And I would have totally agreed with you 100 % but we have even had the report of a teacher go outside holiday time to get a better deal. Somethings wrong somewhere.