She's saying take him but "I never said that right"
The answer seems to be 'no you can't but there is no obvious consequence if you do'.
Correct they cannot authorise it nor can they punish it so it is your call.
They are not saying no they are saying they cannot say yes and they cannot punish you if you ignore this fact.
[quote=geetee1972 ]Sure and if the TDF finished several times a week in London, including the weekend, I would just bloody well take him then.
Well presumably if you're bothered about the obesity crisis you should take him to a sport which does. Though it's strange how spectators at sporting events still appear to contribute to the obesity crisis.
true that - my brother loves the TdF, almost as much as he loves cake
It'll be recorded as unauthorised absence and everyone will forget about in a weeks time.
Realistically the only reason not to take him is your relation with the school, which presumably you want to be positive for the next 5 years (or whatever primary lasts for in the UK).
Given that, and given your kid is only 4, I'd leave him in school. It seems to me to be a bit silly to risk getting a black mark against your name just to take your boy to a race he won't remember in a couple of years anyway.
We took our youngest out of school for half a term as his primary was dreadful. Home schooling meant he covered a weeks school work in a day.
No one from the local education authority got in touch whatsoever.
No one came to see how he was getting on.
Two days from school? You're not going to miss a thing.
It's not [url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10922307/Parents-fury-at-headteachers-term-time-holiday-to-watch-World-Cup-in-Brazil.html ]this primary school[/url] is it?
A friend took his two out of school for a trip to Alaska, the Head said that she couldn't authorise it but it sounds like a great trip, hope you enjoy it.
Better to tell them and preserve your relationship with the school then throw a Sickie, because a four year old is going to keep the secret - right?
Ridiculous - it's not like he is about to sit his GCSEs next week.
At 4 years old all they do is mess about in sandpits and pour paint over each other. It would be far more educational and stimulating experience for him to go to the TDF.
As a kid I had weeks off every year to go on holiday even into my teens.
I'm sure the teachers aren't really bothered but I recall they have to report unauthourised absences to the local authority, so it it better to just say they have a doctors appointment etc., then you are not putting the teacher in an awkward position even if they know/suspect you are going to the TDF.
Nanny state gone mad
Drac - Moderator
She's saying take him but "I never said that right"
This. I'd just take the little blighter.
[quote=PJay ]It's not this primary school is it?
I'm confused by that story - parents are complaining about double standards because they're fined if they take their kids out of school, yet he's been fined two weeks wages.
[quote=mudmuncher ]At 4 years old all they do is mess about in sandpits and pour paint over each other.
That is indeed all they do at school. Which makes it very strange that my son who's just turned 5 can now read.
Stupid government rules, blindly applied. They'll have no impact on the ones that need to be in school, as usual just another encumbrance to responsible folk. What will a 4yr old be doing in school in July?
Yeah, obviously make sure it isn't the day that they learn to read.
That day is quite important.
Which makes it very strange that my son who's just turned 5 can now read.
yes but can he tell a straw man yet .....well can he 😉
I'd be inclined to say whistle as it's not a legal requirement for your kid to be actually in school yet is it?
Is it going to be left to me to ask the obvious question here? What on earth do you want to take him to London for?!! when you could take him to Yaaaaaaaaaaaarkshire at the weekend instead? And see some proper riding, up proper hills, and stuff? And sample the untold delights of northern culture? Pies'n'stuff?
London indeed? What's he going to learn there?
*wanders off shaking head and tutting*
Stupid government rules, blindly applied.
Rules is rules. Gove took discretion away from the schools. It seems clear in this case the school is applying the rules whilst saying they dont mind. But dont let that stop the teacher bashing.
Oh and training days are days that dont count towards how many kids should be taught for, no one loses a days teaching.
And.... strike days dont count as those striking dont get paid.
FFS it's your kid. If you want to take him some where for a one off occasion then just do it. Why even bother asking the school, just tell them he will be absent.
At that age he will learn more from watching the TDF with his dad than spending a day in the classroom.
Unauthorised absence - big deal, hardly going to affect future job prospects is it?
I suspect your kid will get ill and not be able to go to school that day.
I think the grown up way to do this is just to either speak to or write a quick letter (best to speak tbh) saying you plan to take junior with you to the TDF which means he'll be out for the day. It's going to be a great experience. Obviously 'the system' means you can't sanction this absence and you are fine with that but thought you would do the right thing and tell the school anyway as your son is a rubbish liar!
Everybody has 'done the right thing', you don't look deceitful and the teacher types who have their hands tied (probably a good thing, you really don't want teachers making judgement calls - I mean, 'those who can't, teach' and all that is what you lot normally bang on about 😉 ) will respect you for it. Job done.
geetee1972 - Member
It's a day I'm talking about. Not a fortnight plus you can go skiing outside of term time whereas the TDF only finishes in London on that particular day (and it's only been to the UK twice before in 100 years!)POSTED 2 HOURS AGO #
Has it only been twice in a 100 years? Are you sure?
1974, 1994, 2007 and 2014....
Ooops
[quote=Junkyard ]yes but can he tell a straw man yet .....well can he
No, but his spelling's not too bad 😉
Some councils don't actually fine unless the child has been absent for a certain number of days. Leeds council frinstance only fines once a child has been absent for 5 days in a term.
To answer the OPs question
(Rather than discuss how he might circumvent the rules and the consequences of that action)
No.
Your justification for the trip is hilariously crap, but as has been stated already, at 4 at the end of summer term they will be doing nothing at all (in fact pretty much throughout primary school ours seemed to do nothing for the last two weeks) so just take him.
He will not remember it in two or three years time but who cares.
A days unauthorised absence (UA) will go on his record and may come into play if you continue to take him out of school for rubbish reasons. I agree with fines being imposed for UA as it does impact on both the teachers and other children - especially when a week or more has been missed.
Have a good time.... I hope it doesn't rain all day.
it is a resonable excuse - no its not, its quite laughable actually.
Just take him, he's 4 FFS. I took my 4 year old out for the day to goto Thomas land. He didn't melt and I don't think his education suffered lol.
My daughter's going to be poorly on the last day of school.
I am a teacher*. Take him.
My Mum & Dad took all 5 of us on a 3 week trip to Norway to see the Sun at midnight on the Arctic Circle on 21st June. We are now a Teacher, a Graphic Designer, a Petroleum Geologist, a Lawyer and an Accountant respectively. I don't think it did us any harm. The curriculum of your life includes more than a narrow academic spectrum.
*Luckily in Scotland where Gove's rules do not apply.
We are now a
Teacher, a Graphic Designer, a Petroleum
Geologist, a Lawyer and an Accountant
You'd have solved world hunger and brought about world peace if you hadn't missed that school...
Thanks for the constructive feedback (yes even you Sharkbait - bet you haven't got kids have you!)
The plan is to talk to the headtecher to see if the 'no, but it's not our call and if I were you I would just take him' possibility is indeed correct.
Honestly I wouldn't want to cause any ill feeling.
I don't get any of it, pay double for a holiday, maybe £2000 more per family in holiday season or go in school time and pay a £50 fine? No brained isn't it, did these folk not go to school themselves!
Its another way of indirectly trying to control the drongos, kids learn far more from life experiences, he may well remember that trip for life as most folks memories go back to 4 or 5 yr old!
Tell them he will do so homework glueing, colouring etc and make a photo montage of the day to show the other kids, that way he will be one step closer to being a geographer and a more confident public speaker!
Our boy is the same age.
He's not legally required to be in school until he's 5 ( https://www.gov.uk/school-attendance-absence/overview Section 1 Para 2) so there's little they can do about it if you wish to take him.
We're camping at the Dales bike centre and going up after school on the Thursday evening so he'll be missing Friday at school. We wrote to the school as the centre is putting on kids' bike races and and the school is doing the tdf as a topic anyway. The Head authorised the absence as 'educational'.
and pay a £50 fine?
I don't know for sure but I think the fines can be quite a bit more than that, like £1500 but I might have got that wrong.
why not save all this web space and just book a doctors appointment, say just before lunch. Keep it close to the visit to another school you have in mind and that will fill a day!
Because my son would never keep the secret; he's crazy about cycling and will be absolutely beside himself if he does go.
All of you saying he won't remember it don't know my son 😀
I don't know for sure but I think the fines can be quite a bit more than that, like £1500 but I might have got that wrong.
It's "up to £60" per absence, ie per day. I suspect £1,500 comes from taking two kids out for a fortnight's holiday (and rounding up for headline purposes 😉 ).
Just tell the school in advance that he will be ill that day. It will be an ace day out. Please post a few photos of how much educational fun you have. I'll be scheduling a few days absence for our 5 year old in the next few weeks for a few short camping trips and extended beach days before its gets overcrowded with tourists and thousands of other families. She'll be taught cycling, swimming, surfing, fishing and advanced rock pooling and species identification. If they had school lessons on these important life skills i wouldnt be forced to take unexpected days off to teach my kids. You gotta make the most of the long warm summer days as they will be gone before you know it.
well my daughters in her last year at primary and isnt going to the same secondary school as the rest of her class so when they go off for two days next week to thier new school she has been asked to help in year 3... so i ve said you teach her or she wont be there..
Take him. I saw this on twitter during the Basque Tour, assuming you don't speak Euskara it says "Reason - Going to watch uncle race"
(Amets Txurruka's nephew)
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Given that, and given your kid is only 4, I'd leave him in school. It seems to me to be a bit silly to risk getting a black mark against your name just to take your boy to a race he won't remember in a couple of years anyway.
Oooooooooo! A black mark! Seriously, have a quiet word with yourself, the child is four, isn't legally required to be in school, and any possible threat is utterly toothless.
The finger-wagging going on here comes straight from a Daily Mail op-ed, which I'm really finding hard to believe.
geetee1972 - Member
What do other people think?
Haven't read all threads but watched something related on the news last night regarding children attending mother's wedding ...
I think the system is so stooopid for trying to control family life.
I am not going to vote for any of the big parties from now on.
🙄
Too right. I'm sure UKIP will sort it out.
