Taking my son on holiday in the middle of September

[Meme1980]

I have booked to take my son on holiday beginning of September as I can't afford to do it in the summer holidays. I have never taken him out school before, my ex sister-in-law has informed me that they start doing they assessments 2wards there GCSEs. O u think he will miss much in those 2 weeks. I'm worried I may be easing up his education :/

[MichaelZZ]

Don't do it!
If he's just about to embark on his GCSE assessments you'll need all the help you can get from his school. Taking the lad out of school for a holiday at this time will certainly not endear you to the school staff and will send all the wrong messages.

[Mosaic]

If it's all you can afford, it's understandable. Personally I think if he is at the start of year 10 he will be able to catch up, and if the school could provide him with some work either on paper or online that would be even better. If there are timed assessments during this time there must be mechanisms for kids who are off ill, or on Hajj, or who join the school later in the year. After all it is in the school's interests to accommodate these pupils and not deny them access to assessments.
However - it isn't the best approach. Education isn't just about the factual content of lessons, but also emotional bonding, and kids miss more than the two weeks by not being there.
Is there someone on the satff you can talk this through with? economic needs are an important reason but for the lad's best future you need to be working with the school.

[NOX]

Take him on holiday as planned, two weeks will make absolutely no difference whatsoever.

[factor-fiction]

Have you had permission from the school? Fines can be issued.
A better alternative would be to forgo a holiday this year, in my opinion.
I generally agree with Mosaic but as a teacher I always felt it was cheeky when parents taking their children out of school expected me to prepare two weeks' work for them.

[Mosaic]

Hey factor - I've served my time well and truly at the chalkface ad ai know of which I speak!
I think you only have to look at the difference in holiday prices between last week in August and 2nd week in sept to see that for anyone even vaguely hard up, it's a no-brainer. You either take them out of school or have no holiday. And schools have had a good 12 years of IT funding aimed specifically at making 24-7 access to learning resources possible.

[Buenchico]

You can't legally take your son on holiday during term time unless the school has given permission. (You face being fined if you don't get such permission in advance). No responsible headteacher will give permission if there's the slightest risk of a pupil's examination results being affected. So ASK the school for permission and see what response you get. (Most headteachers will be in school for much of this week)

Some examination courses have a series of 'mini exams' throughout years 10 and 11. If a pupil is not in school on the relevant day (even if, say, they're in hospital) they will automatically score zero for that course component. (The assessment can't take place on any other day).

While it's probably unlikely that any such formal assessment would occur during the first two weeks of term, the preparatory work which leads to such an assessment may well do so.

Chris

[sherrardk]

If its booked and paid for then it would be stupid not to go, and it is early in the term so shouldn't make too much diffence. I wouldn't take my children out of school during exam years, although I have, and will continue to (money permitting) take them out of school for holidays when they are not in exam years because of the exorbitant cost of holidays in the actual school holidays.

[gness]

If I was asking myself that question I would ask what if he was ill for two weeks?
I would go for the holiday.

[factor-fiction]

Yes, we both have that experience. And yes, if the parent is happy for their child to use online tools- eg mymaths- then that is easy for me to set work, but it's when they expected me to provide lesson notes, worksheets and sets of answers that I found it a bit much.
And as a parent (when I had a different job) I did take my own children out to miss the occasional day. I wouldn't have done it for two weeks though and certainly not at the start of a new year when they could be getting to work in new classes with new classmates and teachers.
But it's the parent's call

[sunny-dave]

Surely, at the point where you make an informed decision to have children, part of the deal is that along with all the upsides (love, happiness etc) there are some downsides - and being constrained about when (or, indeed, if) you can take holidays for a few years is one of them.

I get pretty irritated by the "I have children and want all the good things that they bring, but refuse to compromise my life at all to get them" attitude.

[sherrardk]

Factor, I taught for 16 years and always got irked about the attitude of some members of staff towards term time holidays - they didn't seem to be able to comprehend that cost is a major factor for lots of people. A holiday is an important part of family life and if one can only be taken in term time then it should be allowed. (But I also expect the pupil to ask classmates what has been missed, I wouldn't expect the teachers to provide lesson notes, etc.)

[Mosaic]

Schools were given funding to ensure that they put in place virtual learning environments that could be accessed securely on the www by pupils and teachers. This funding was given every year from 2000 to 2010. Initially it was ring-fenced so heads could not spend it on anything but IT solutions. Latterly it was added to schools' general fund so heads could fritter it on what they wanted. Guess what most did.
To think that it is really an issue in the 21st century that you need to sit in a specific room on a plastic seat to receive learning beggars belief.

[sherrardk]

SD - I don't think that is the case. We take our children on holiday for lots of reasons, but we don't go on holiday for ourselves (holidays aren't holidays for parents and we go to super-child friendly places so that they have a fabulous time).

[gness]

No Dave. A holiday with me was much more important than two weeks in school .
Never asked for extra work. Kids have done well and not suffered and by god do they have great memories of holidays with me. :-)

[Mosaic]

Well said that Gness!

[sherrardk]

Mosiac - I going to pout now, I said nearly the same things Gness and before she said it! :(

[funnygirl]

I've taken one of my sons on holiday in term time and I asked permission which I got along with extra work for him to do. He managed to find a hour a day to do this extra work.

[Prudie]

having been a secondary school teacher for several years I fail to see how 2 weeks off school would have much impact.

[Mosaic]

And so you did Sherrard. I was bad not to notice you, so have a dip in the treats bag as a reward.
Oh god, 30 years reflexes come out....

[sunny-dave]

I am, as most of you know, talking hypothetically here (no kids myself) - so I bow to your practical experience.

And actually my main target is the selfish parents who drag their unhappy children around on 'holidays for grown-ups' to the misery of the children and other people on the same flight/hotel/holiday.