issues with school

[chris northwest]

taking my two sons this year eldest is 15 (been twice before) youngest is 12(first time)! pretty much been told by the school that no authorised absences are being granted for any child regardless of the circumstances! this all seems abit clandestine to me, pissed off at the fact the school have more power than me to decide what is best for my lads, i'm 100% convinced that the pair of them would gain more education-wise in a week at glastonbury, than they would sat in a classroom!

[Guest musiclove123]

Oh dear-what would happen if you just said they were both ill?

[essex_jim]

Education is more important than a festival. They'll have years to go to Glastonbury in the future. What do you mean they'll learn more at Glastonbury in a week which is estentially a big piss up with lots of cool bands, than in a classroom?

[ggoon]

our kids' last primary school headmaster used to utilise a holiday form type of system, like businesses do. The new one evidently has quotas and targets to hit and says you can ask to take kids out of school but it will go down as 'unauthorised'.

It is his decision, however, whether to report the absence to higher authorities, and last year didn't report anyone. He knew when people were taking kids outta school, as did the last headmaster, and this way he hit his targets, but it still left us unsure if there was going to be reprisals when we returned.

Shit situation....but luckily kept on his good side so far, so will do the same again in June

[chris northwest]

Oh dear-what would happen if you just said they were both ill?

[MamaJojo]

have got a nearly twelve year old, and a 15 year old... they go to their gran's in Wales for the week, if the fifteen year old was missing any gcse exams (yr10) or modules then we'd have to change our plans.....

[beodeejay]

Oh dear-what would happen if you just said they were both ill?

[Clareno7]

Oh dear-what would happen if you just said they were both ill?

[jimmyt]

If you take them anyway it goes down as an "Unauthorised Absence" and it will count against their attendance figures which can lead to social services becoming involved. However, your child would need to have been absent for about 20 days (just over 10% of the school year) within one school year for it to become an issue. Have your children missed lots of school this year for any reason (this includes illnesses)? If not, just take them. Sure, the school will know where they are but there's nothing they can really do about it.

Oh, I'm a primary school teacher, by the way.

[matt2007]

Hi

Basically the school may allow up to 10 days away during term time as long as it follows the schools or local authorities policy. Each school must have such a policy and it must be available to parents.

The big questions is do your children have good attendance i.e. >95%, are they about to take any form of exam or SATS, and do you know of any other parents who have taken their children out during term time as a benckmark to how you should approach the school, always go to the headteacher direct with any request.

My view is that my children who are younger than yours will get a great "life, world etc experience" or education by going and I will always take them unless it would interfer with exams etc (I am the chair of the board of governors of one of my children's schools and understand both sides of this debate.)

It is of course up to you and if you do take your children out of school with or without permission waht will it do for them and what may it impact in the future, basically it won't do any great harm in my view.

Elsewhere on these forums is a draft letter you can use that is well written and a good start.

Good luck, take them and have a great time!

M

PS most people do not understand what Glastonbury is and so you will be talking to the nieve!!!!

[chris northwest]

Education is more important than a festival. They'll have years to go to Glastonbury in the future. What do you mean they'll learn more at Glastonbury in a week which is estentially a big piss up with lots of cool bands, than in a classroom?

[chris northwest]

If you take them anyway it goes down as an "Unauthorised Absence" and it will count against their attendance figures which can lead to social services becoming involved. However, your child would need to have been absent for about 20 days (just over 10% of the school year) within one school year for it to become an issue. Have your children missed lots of school this year for any reason (this includes illnesses)? If not, just take them. Sure, the school will know where they are but there's nothing they can really do about it.

Oh, I'm a primary school teacher, by the way.

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

taking my two sons this year eldest is 15 (been twice before) youngest is 12(first time)! pretty much been told by the school that no authorised absences are being granted for any child regardless of the circumstances! this all seems abit clandestine to me, pissed off at the fact the school have more power than me to decide what is best for my lads, i'm 100% convinced that the pair of them would gain more education-wise in a week at glastonbury, than they would sat in a classroom!

[cejx]

There is a dummy letter somewhere on these forums which you can use for the head teacher.

[Partyofspecialthingstodo]

My sixth form is kicking up a fuss over college time holidays but it's after exams and I have very good attendance rate, so I don't really see the problem.

[chris northwest]

Don't do that - you could be fined.

Suggest you email the head, with several links to the official site sections about Good Causes, Charities, Green Issues, Kids Field, theatre, Leftfield etc etc.

Make the case for a social / world-view opportunity - as well as the chance to see a few bands !!!

Tony Benn, Nick Clegg, Prince Charles & loads more all spoke last year. Radio 4 record there - It is a festival of contemporary performing arts, not just a big gig.

I'm a school governor, and my kids have been loads, prob about five times each since being 9 yrs old.

Offer to get them to do a scrapbook / project if it helps.

very helpful, thankyou.

Good Luck

[Cooter]

Education is more important than a festival. They'll have years to go to Glastonbury in the future. What do you mean they'll learn more at Glastonbury in a week which is estentially a big piss up with lots of cool bands, than in a classroom?

[G1T]

I used to be a stats officer responsible for monitoring absence figures for an entire LEA, and saw that, in reality, the court/fining option they have is only really used if they've run out of other options. Courts tend to throw cases out if they start being used as a first resort.

The head's under pressure to keep his figures good, and is focusing on that over more human factors by the sound of it. Never heard of anyone refusing authorised absence and recording it as all unauthorised tho. Usually they try to fiddle the figures by doing the opposite (authorising unauthorised absences retrospectively). Perhaps people got wise to that and changed the targets so the fiddle runs the other way.

As Richie used to say in Bottom though, 'Hey ho, it's all a load of bollocks'.

[swell]

Education is more important than a festival. They'll have years to go to Glastonbury in the future. What do you mean they'll learn more at Glastonbury in a week which is estentially a big piss up with lots of cool bands, than in a classroom?

[Morse Code]

There's some good advice and a letter proforma on here /index.php?showtopic=159381&hl=school&st=0">My link

I'm taking my 14 year old son and despite the fact we've been told this will be an unauthorised absence it's HIGHLY UNLIKELY (in big capital letters) that if attendance for the rest of the year is good there will be any repercussions.

If there are I shall remind the headmaster of the day the school thought it was appropriate to go to the cinema and do a bit of shopping as a 'reward' outing!

[Jackmypie]

I've been going to Glastonbury since since I was 6, I always went down on the Friday morning so I wouldn't have the 2 other days off. I started going with on my own with friends when I was 14 and that was when I wasn't allowed to go. I just said f**k it and went. They can't exactly expell you worst I got was detention cos all the teachers found out I go everyyear

[jimmystobo]

just tell him they're to cool for school.

[hashcity]

If you are a responsible parent, and ensure the kids catch up on all the work that they miss, I really cannot see the problem. School is 90% mucking around and only 10% actual work, anyway. Actually, if kids were more used to working independantly, instead of being dictated to every step of the way through their education, they would be much better able to handle the pressures of university.

At the end of the day, you're the one who should decide what is best for your kids. It is the state's job to provide education not tell you how to raise your children. Least of all is it their job to insist that your children attend every session, like some kind of a prison. Provided you are not neglecting your children (i.e. not taking them to school at all) it is no one else's business how you choose to raise or educate your own kids.

I doubt the school would react well if you told them those truths though. Ultimately, the school has decided to take an inflexible, blanket approach to granting authorised absence, and to officiously ignore your rights to freedom. Making a fuss about it may get you nowhere, or worse. If your kids learn how to pull a sickie, they will probably find it a useful skill in later life!

Edited May 4, 2011 by hashcity

[jimmy93]

I finish my exams on the 27th of this month and am being disallowed authorised absence for Glastonbury - time to pull out the art of the 'sicky'.

[russycarps]

What a turd this head teacher is.

You are taking them out of school for what, 3 days?

I would definitely speak to him/her face to face though, and explain about the qualities glastonburt has - the politics, the green themes etc. It is easy to reject a letter, it will be far harder for him to say no to your face.