I'm a science teacher so I have set holiday dates. I have no complaints about this whatsoever.

Unfortunately the Pass'Portes du Soleil event is not during my holiday time. I can however apply for leave of absence, but I need to write to the school governors requesting leave of absence.

So- any suggestions as to how to make it a good letter? I don't want to appear too ingratiating!

can i just say your gonna get torn apart by the STW vultures and rightly so 😉

Go and get a proper job, beardy sports jacket wearing layabout.

I'd suggest starting the letter with the line "sorry to wake you, can I be excused classes because I want to go and ride my bike with the other boys"

I know. It is UNPAID leave I'm requesting though. And I'm fundraising for DEC and RNLI.

Maybe you could just tell them you're snowed in?

I almost was yesterday 🙂

Just in case the humour police swing by, the above was mostly Tongue in cheek. I actually have a lot of respect for sports jackets.

I'd suggest you're up front and honest with them, mention it being the dream of a lifetime and something you need to do whilst still able. Surely there's some science related experiment you can combine with it? Get the education board and governors seeing it as an opportunity rather than a problem of how to fill your vacancy?

If it's around the same time as school budget review the head might be grateful of a way to temporarily reduce the salary cost?

Have a good idea and proof of level of money raised, possibly some way of linking your experience into your teaching and emphasise the hardness of the 'expedition'

Don't say, it'll be great fun and I'm only raising money as an excuse so I can skive off school.

Or just spend few weeks before complaining of stress and then take a sickie to last past when your broken body will be recovered enough to go back.

My sis once got my dad to ring up her work and claim she was off with flu whilst she was away skiing! How she explained the suntan and broken arm 1 week later I've never discovered!

I aim to be as honest and transparent as needed.

Anytime anyone that's reported to me has asked for this kind of time off I've asked the "wiifm" question. Sell the benefit to your boss and it should be a piece of cake.

Good luck!

Ambrose

can you get a student teacher to cover you??????

or play with the gas taps again and get the lab shut down 😉

As they say if you don't ask you don't get so give it a go, at worst they can say no.

Good luck

and for the record Ambrose would have been an awesome teacher to have so leave off about sports jacket, it has reflective strips on it for biking duties lol

Cheers Pete, it's good to here stuff like that, much appreciated. BTW- can you come out to Morzine too?

Ooops, missed the edit. For 'here' read 'hear'. Appologies.

Anyway, letter submitted to Governing Body today… gulp.

Yay- did the trip- and what a blast it was!