Anyone taken their kids out of school for 4-6weeks for a longer trip?

We are looking like being able to head to NZ and Aus for 4-6 weeks, 2 weeks of which is Christmas. With 5 of us flying it makes sense to go for longer time, plus we can stay with family a lot and hire/borrow a mates camper van round NZ.

We have family in Auckland, friends in Christchurch and Queensland, Lots of family in Melbourne and area, friends in Brisbane.

Duration of trip comes down to money and how much I can twist my bosses arm.

Tips, suggestions, thoughts…

it depends how old they are.
i would do it with primary school age kids but not secondary school, especially if year 9 or above. they would miss too much work.

OOO the teachers will be up in arms if you do that!!!

Shouldn’t worry too much about the teachers – they’ll probably be on strike…

Wouldn’t fancy doing that myself without a compelling reason, e.g. 90 yo Aussie gran wants to see the grandkids, or there’s just no earthly way you can schedule a trip like this for any other time etc. If it’s just a holiday then it seems mildly disrespectful to the school and their curriculum.

I’m sure nothing concrete would happen, but you’re basically saying you’re not that arsed how the school structures your kid’s learning at their current ages, and I would expect the teachers and your children to pick up on this.

Should say that my kids are pre-school so I don’t know how common it is to take these sort of out of phase holidays these days. Maybe everyone does it – still seems something to be avoided to me.

If under 13 I would.
Depends on how you broach this with the head though. Perhaps see if some work can be set, & give assurances that time will be spent doing it. Maybe suggest they could spend a day or two in NZ/Oz school with family/friends kids. If you go in with some constructive arrangements they might view it favourably.
My kids are just starting school & I felt guilty over them missing a day!!!

^ what he said. Have friends who have done this a few times and the kids go to school for a week in the middle – they love it !! Local schools are usually pretty happy to do this.

Are you kidding? If you can afford it and have the job structure to make it happen it’d be fantastic for them, and I don’t know anyone who’d think differently. Provided it didn’t screw up GCSE years I wouldn’t think twice, and even if in A levels it’d be worth postponing the exams for. Much of school is useless drudgery and the best teacher in the world is experience.

Do it, Matt. The more kids spending less time in school, the less competition for my daughter later in life.

Is there anything stunningly different they will do in NZ that you can’t do with them where you are? I’d not have thought there was much – other than the summer/winter thing.

probably scope to learn more if you do the right things over there tbh ….

not curriculum based but id do it if like the folk say they are young enough.

<Teacher>
Do it as long as they are not in exam years GCSE and above. Letter to Head talking about the experience how great it’ll be, lessened eth impact by going over the holiday period etc.
Strange question but can you get them a taster day or two in school when you are away? Head would love it/ potential for linking the schools. AND you’d get a day or two to ride without kids.
</Teacher>

Cheers all.

Mrs_oab and I are teachers and involved in edumacation of many young people.
In my experience most schools focus is passing exams, my focus is rounded, confident and resilient young people.
I see more and more young people who have never been out their own culture, own country and see little ‘education in action’. I do believe that a month spent travelling, seeing sights, heading into wilderness, meeting new people etc is easily as valuable as school, likely more so. It is not a beach holiday.
I also meet many young people who spent time abroad in youth years (myself included) and gained a lot from it. We had planned to work abroad at somepoint in life with our kids, but mrs_oab’s health care needs prevents this.
They are (Socttish) P4, 6 and 7 next year. Trip would be over Christmas and new year, so week of winter and week of spring term would be missed.
So a long trip, albeit to a ‘pseudo English’ place such as NZ, is on the cards.

Go for it, just dont hassle the teachers to give the kids work to do whilst they are away, teachers have enough to do. Having said that if the kids are struggling at school already it might not be the best option.