School holiday now?

Another two caravans arrived next to us yesterday (Thursday) with two early teenage kids and a cluster of others, mostly of school age, I would say.

Apparantly enquiries for holidays in term time are up......that idiot judge has a lot to answer for.

What will happen to all those bookings when they tighten up the wording about keeping kids in school......such that even gormless judges can understand them?

A Church of England school in Gateshead has two weeks holiday for this half term, saying it gives parents the opportunity to book a holiday at a cheaper price. I'm assuming they work longer days or take less time off at other times of the year.

I took my kids out of school, a few years back, for a once in a lifetime holiday to the USA.  I did not ask the head teacher - I told him!

I had got a sum of £5K, my work holidays were fixed by order of seniority and I had no choice in the matter. Since then my kids have avowed that they did not suffer as a result and quickly (with our help) caught up on the missing parts of the curicculum.  Why can't todays parents do the same?  Schools are now all too important with Heads thinking that they are the final arbiters in this matter. Tell them where to go!

"Well son, I'm thinking of taking you out of school for a holiday of a lifetime. Do you think your school work would suffer?"

"No Dad. Of course not"

I took my kids out of school, a few years back, for a once in a lifetime holiday to the USA.  I did not ask the head teacher - I told him!

I had got a sum of £5K, my work holidays were fixed by order of seniority and I had no choice in the matter. Since then my kids have avowed that they did not suffer as a result and quickly (with our help) caught up on the missing parts of the curicculum.  Why can't todays parents do the same?  Schools are now all too important with Heads thinking that they are the final arbiters in this matter. Tell them where to go!

agree with most of your post,  but heads are not the final arbiters at all, they have to follow the guidelines (rules in effect) from the DfE, which state that they cannot authorise trem time holidays unless there are exceptional circumstances, and having getting a cheaper holiday is not exceptional circumsatnces (again quoted as such in the guidelines). If a parent thinks there are exceptional circumsatnces they should put that in writing. In effect parents can still tell them where to go as they can still take their child out of school.

If in the future it becomes common practice to take children on holiday during term time. With the head teacher's permission of course. Surely those children could catch up on their missed subjects by keeping schools open with volunteer staff during the standard children's holidays. Those volunteer staff could then take their holidays during term time and benefit from off peak holiday prices.  A Win Win situation all round.

k

Are you volunteering, K? 

Just back from Haven  Pwllheli.No school age kids on site,Superb site at £9-90 per night all in.

If in the future it becomes common practice to take children on holiday during term time. With the head teacher's permission of course. Surely those children could catch up on their missed subjects by keeping schools open with volunteer staff during the standard children's holidays. Those volunteer staff could then take their holidays during term time and benefit from off peak holiday prices.  A Win Win situation all round.

k

You mean they wouldn't just give up their time for free.....as a sort of pay-back for all those holidays they get?

If in the future it becomes common practice to take children on holiday during term time. With the head teacher's permission of course. Surely those children could catch up on their missed subjects by keeping schools open with volunteer staff during the standard children's holidays. Those volunteer staff could then take their holidays during term time and benefit from off peak holiday prices.  A Win Win situation all round.

k

You mean they wouldn't just give up their time for free.....as a sort of pay-back for all those holidays they get?

Ian, get off K's bandwagon! 

I was assuming he meant volunteer staff from the wider community, not just teaching staff. After all, it's such a piece of cake anyone could do it (as long as they only have 2 or 3 youngsters at a time of course!)