Blue Maverick
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 6 Aug 2010
- Messages
- 19,352
It's not even about foreign check out how much centre parks but up their fees it's scandalous
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Term time holidays
- Thread starter Cheesy
- Start date
Mad Eyed Screamer
Moderator
Ha ha no worries!Yes mate, apologies I must of misconstrued your message, but to be honest it was total tongue in cheek on my part bud
My daughter messaged me today and they are fining her £240 for the holiday. I get it for the 8 year old, but the 4 year old?
I am contacting the council and telling them I shall be paying the fine at £10 a month!
Ha ha no worries!
My daughter messaged me today and they are fining her £240 for the holiday. I get it for the 8 year old, but the 4 year old?
I am contacting the council and telling them I shall be paying the fine at £10 a month!
How do parents get criminalised (is that a word?) for taking a family holiday?
Mad Eyed Screamer
Moderator
Taxing the less wealthier parent/'s making holidays in July and August the exclusive for the well off....How do parents get criminalised (is that a word?) for taking a family holiday?
Taxing the less wealthier parent/'s making holidays in July and August the exclusive for the well off....
You're right, it is a tax. Without wanting to get all political, where does the money from these fines go? Improving education, better facilities in schools, paying for after school classes for those kids that have fallen behind/been on holiday? We all know the answer to that eh?
Have a great time with your family and if they give you any mither let me know and I'll brick their windows ;)
ChesterRdBlue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 29 Aug 2008
- Messages
- 1,695
My holidays are rostered and unfortunately none of my leave next year falls during the school holidays. Between both of mine in school, they've only had a couple of days off since starting, so next year it's a choice of taking them out in term time or not going anywhere. You can ask school for permission which has been granted to others, so we'll try that but it's not as simple for some as going away whenever they fancy, I know others with strict holiday policies where only a couple of people can be off at one time so once the school holidays are gone they're snookered.
We have quite a good relationship with the school and my partner does a lot to help out, we don't want it to be us against them, like a lot of things a bit of common sense goes a long way. A couple of days here or there to bring prices down, fair enough, 4 weeks every year, maybe not.
We have quite a good relationship with the school and my partner does a lot to help out, we don't want it to be us against them, like a lot of things a bit of common sense goes a long way. A couple of days here or there to bring prices down, fair enough, 4 weeks every year, maybe not.
Shouldn't be fined until child is in y1.Ha ha no worries!
My daughter messaged me today and they are fining her £240 for the holiday. I get it for the 8 year old, but the 4 year old?
I am contacting the council and telling them I shall be paying the fine at £10 a month!
School isn't statutory until then.
Lancet Fluke
Well-Known Member
For me this is the issue. The whole thing about fines was presumably brought in as an attempt to deal with kids that are never in, trying to force people who aren't remotely arsed about their kid's education to at least make some effort to get them into school. But like lots of things that end up being judged in OFSTED reports, it ends up being a quantitative box ticking exercise rather than anything truly qualitative. So yes, it's probably much easier for a school to deal with several parents whose kids have 95% attendance and take their kids away for a week than it is to deal with one grim **** who doesn't give a shit about their kid's education and whose kid is only in 50% of the time. So that's what happens and genuine attendance problems are probably still not dealt with any better than they ever were. Plus the idea that a court can rule that 90% attendance isn't "regular attendance" is fucking laughable, I think the whole thing has been a stitch up tbh.what's more annoying is that the parents of children with an appalling attendance record often are not fined whilst little Johnie's parents are fined because he took a week off in a year to go on holiday
squirtyflower
Well-Known Member
Whilst I agree with most of your post i don't believe 90% is a regular attendance, in fact, statistics show that students with an attendance of less than 95% underachieve compared to similar students with a higher attendance. An attendance of 90% is a day off per fortnight and that is too high.For me this is the issue. The whole thing about fines was presumably brought in as an attempt to deal with kids that are never in, trying to force people who aren't remotely arsed about their kid's education to at least make some effort to get them into school. But like lots of things that end up being judged in OFSTED reports, it ends up being a quantitative box ticking exercise rather than anything truly qualitative. So yes, it's probably much easier for a school to deal with several parents whose kids have 95% attendance and take their kids away for a week than it is to deal with one grim **** who doesn't give a shit about their kid's education and whose kid is only in 50% of the time. So that's what happens and genuine attendance problems are probably still not dealt with any better than they ever were. Plus the idea that a court can rule that 90% attendance isn't "regular attendance" is fucking laughable, I think the whole thing has been a stitch up tbh.
However what needs to be looked into is the pattern of attendance. a serious bout of illness is not in the same league as regular odd days off here there and everywhere. You can't help getting the measles or breaking your leg so leniency should prevail.
I have known kids who haven't darkened the school gates for whole years, never mind 50%!
Their parents are taken to court and a lenient magistrate will listen to the 'bullying' sob story and tell them to try to improve their attendance, so they go in for a few days and then are off full time again
Holidays though are a fixed penalty fine introduced by the Labour government as they fixated more and more on attendance figures, as it was an easy soundbite to say we've improved attendance, it was only later that it became an absolute stick to beat up schools with by both the LAs and OFSTED. Because it's a fixed penalty you have very little right of appeal and it's used like a tax by the LA. Unfortunately schools don't get the money.
Personally I believe families should be allowed time together, whether it's in the Louvre on on a beach in Benidorm, it's the middle class snobbery coming out when posters mention that. But I would draw a line if the student had an attendance less than 95%
peoffrey
Well-Known Member
I'm working class. I'm the son of a lorry driver and a secretary who started life on a council estate. Benidorm is my idea of hell. I took my last holiday in Stockholm. Belgrade next.
My overall view is that schools are trying to stop a precedent of everyone pulling their children out during term time. The worst case scenario would be half empty (or half full) classes and teachers having to help pupils catch up each week.
Instinct as a non-parent is that pulling your child out for two weeks for a holiday is wrong. It just doesn't rub well with me. I never was.
My overall view is that schools are trying to stop a precedent of everyone pulling their children out during term time. The worst case scenario would be half empty (or half full) classes and teachers having to help pupils catch up each week.
Instinct as a non-parent is that pulling your child out for two weeks for a holiday is wrong. It just doesn't rub well with me. I never was.