Stackpole beach. Copyright Gretta Schifano
Parents Stewart and Natasha Sutherland have been ordered by magistrates to pay £993 in fines and costs. Their crime? Taking their three children on a family holiday during term time.
According to a BBC report it was the family’s first holiday together for five years because Stewart Sutherland was unable to take leave during the school holidays. He works 12-hour day and night shifts as a Ministry of Defence guard and Natasha also works.
It seems nonsensical to me that these parents are being punished for trying to do the best thing for their children. Family holidays make for stronger, happier families, especially where parents work long hours like Stewart Sutherland. Everyone should have the chance to have a family holiday and if the only way to do that is for children to miss a few days of school then so be it, as long as it doesn’t interfere with important exams.
Family Holiday Association
Last year the Family Holiday Association, a UK charity which provides trips for disadvantaged families, published the results of research in to the effect of holidays on families. 84% of the participants said that their holiday had improved their quality of life. 77% felt happier after their holiday. Sadly, the charity’s website says that there are many families in the UK who can’t afford even a day out, let alone a holiday.
School holiday price hikes
One reason why parents want to take their children out of school during term time is financial. The travel industry is merciless in hiking prices during the State school holidays. Before the rules got stricter I used to take my children out of school, with permission, every year for a few days before the May half-term holiday in order to visit our Sicilian relatives. By taking an extra few days the whole family could fly to Sicily for less than the price of one airline ticket during the school holidays. In my experience children never seem to learn much formally at the end of term anyway and spending time with aunts and uncles and cousins in Italy is an education in itself.
Children can learn loads on holidays closer to home too. A family at a school I know used to camp at the Glastonbury festival every year as their annual holiday. Their two children had permission to miss school for this, as I understand. One year these children each returned to school with a diablo (a traditional juggling toy) from a circus skills workshop they’d enjoyed at the festival. Before long virtually every child in the school was spinning a diablo at break times. The teachers were delighted with the effect these toys had on their pupils hand-eye coordination and ability to concentrate. As I see it, two children missed a few days of school and the whole school benefitted from what they learnt on their trip.
Low income families penalised
The current system of forbidding term time holidays penalises those on low incomes. Many State school parents can afford to pay the fine for taking their children out of school during term time. Parents who pay to educate their children privately can avoid the school holiday price hikes completely because the independent school terms are much shorter than those of State schools. In contrast those who can afford neither a fine or the holiday price hikes but could probably stretch to a break in term time are being denied the chance to take one.
I know that the Department for Education’s line is that school absence is damaging but I think parents and teachers should be able to use common sense to decide whether holiday leave should be granted. In an ideal world children would never miss a day of school for any reason. But to focus on that objective dogmatically and offer no flexibility means that many children who otherwise would have the chance of a family break will never have a holiday: and that’s just wrong.
What do you think? Have you ever taken your children out of school during term time to go on holiday?
I totally agree! However, now the law says we can’t take our kids out of school for a holiday, I won’t do it. My eldest was taken out of school while he was in the infants, but then the school really tightened its rules (before the change in the law was brought in) and the head started refusing holidays, so I stopped asking.
Very sad to hear about that family – I thought there was some flexibility in the law for service families.
Sarah MumofThree World recently posted…Turning a bit weird (freelance life)
I know, I don’t do it either, any more, but I really think that the old system (where it was up to the discretion of the headteacher) was fine.
I really don’t know what the solution is, but I feel very frustrated by the huge hike in prices during school holidays.
natalie recently posted…New Year – New Gear
It is very annoying and must make family holidays unaffordable for many people.
I am similar to Alison in my view really – you do make some very good points that I haven’t considered before.
In terms of the shared experience we have in our personal lives I think it’s even more important for us to consider a child’s overall welfare.
Swazi recently posted…Itinerary of this Mum’s handbag
Definitely because if a child’s not happy then their ability to learn will be affected.
Before I became a mum, I used to think parents taking kids out of school, to go on holiday, was awful. I thought it equated to parents not caring about their kids’ education and valuing a cheap holiday over their welfare. But now, having read lots of parents’ views on it – and blog posts like this one – I think differently. It seems so short-sighted of schools to punish and fine parents. It’s tricky as they have to be seen to do something about kids’ attendance levels, and where do you draw the line in terms of just taking days off for family days out, but there must be a middle ground that works and that is sensible.
Alison Perry recently posted…40 Books To Read Before You’re 4
I know, it’s a very tricky issue. But I don’t think we can blame schools because they’re only acting under pressure from government over attendance levels and Ofsted reports.
Great article – I totally agree. I think that term time holidays should be allowed but regulated, for example 2 weeks out of exam time. Most of us just can’t afford holidays otherwise 🙁
Vicky recently posted…Escentual #FragranceAmnesty
Definitely, if that’s the only way families can have a holiday.
yer I think it’s totally mad tbh! when my brother was younger (before the new rules) my parents told his primary school they were going on holiday for two weeks and asked that they let them know the work he needed to be doing etc whilst he was away. They said they wouldn’t allow him to go, my parents basically had enough and decided to home school him from then on (for two years) by the time he went back to school he was almost moved up a year as he was so ahead of the rest (and it now a Dr!) x
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I love that story, that’s great!
It’s a difficult one isn’t it. I think, as long as you are not taking your children out of school all of the time, and not at important stages (i.e. exams) then I don’t see anything wrong in them having a holiday in term time. At the end of the day they are learning life skills and, if you are travelling abroad, language and culture. I definitely think there needs to be more flexibility, particularly for primary school children.
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As you say, as long as it’s not at important times and as long as parents try to take holidays outside of term time if possible.
There’s so much about school ‘rules’ that have me shaking my head in disbelief. They need to sort this one out because it’s clearly utter nonsense. The rules before where you needed to talk to the teacher/head and explain your reasoning when booking their time out of school were perfectly adequate. I am mystified as to why the judgement of the parent and teacher has been thrown aside in favour of a frankly stupid blanket rule. *grinds teeth*
Emily @amummytoo recently posted…Eat your greens + #recipeoftheweek 18-24 Jan
Exactly. The previous rules worked well and the way things are now is over the top.
I won’t take them out now but I have done in the past. I don’t think they’ll miss very much by missing school but I don’t think it’s worth the hassle of battling to take them out. We’ll just go away in the holidays but I do wish that the holiday companies were regulated so they couldn’t charge so much more!
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I don’t take mine out now either even though I think it would be fine to at certain times, away from GCSEs etc.
I agree with you, the overly strict rules are not necessary. If people take them on holiday several times a year then yes penalise it, but one holiday up to max 10 days a year as they used to be aloud to authorise – I think it’s fair enough. We haven’t taken our kids anywhere yet, it’s very expensive and being able to go in school times would actually make a lot more sense.
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I know, things were so much easier when term time holidays could be authorised by the schools.
If holiday companies didn’t raise their prices so much at peak times families would be able to afford to go then but as it stands its daylight robbery so of course people will take their children at cheaper times.
I say if the child isn’t in say year 6 about to leave school or high school exam times then a week or 2 isn’t so bad providing they catch up on their return.
Laura Halls recently posted…Happy Silent Sunday!
I agree, as long as they’re not missing crucial times like exams.
£993??? That would have covered another holiday! No seriously, I think it is disgusting, especially as holidays cost a fortune during school breaks. Maybe the magistrates should look into why family holidays cost so much during official school breaks, that many families need to go during term time.
VaiChin recently posted…Dr Oetker Tarte au Citron
It’s such a lot of money. I feel so sorry for the family who were fined.
I don’t disagree with you, but schools can’t really be run that way, with random children missing time for holidays. My children have to miss a lot of time for illness/hospital appointments and it DOES impact on their education and makes it difficult for their teacher to ensure they haven’t missed anything.
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I know it can be difficult but if the only way to have a family holiday is during term time then I think children should be allowed that opportunity for the sake of the whole family.
It’s equally as strict here, and if you are seen at an airport in term time, it is not unusual for you to be stopped by the police and questioned, it is that important… However, I do think you should at least be allowed a week if necessary so that families that can’t take holidays at any other time can at least get one break together…
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Wow, I wonder if the Police would stop and question people like that in the UK.
It’s a subject we have been debating with hubby since our little one starts school in September. We would try and explain our choice to the school but we feel it shouldn’t be as strict as all that and definitely, people shouldn’t be fined for a one off!
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The problem is that schools are under pressure from the government over their attendance figures so they don’t seem to ever authorise absences these days.
We’ve never taken our children out of school during term time for any reason. We holiday during the autumn or spring term as they tend to be cheaper than summer and as has been said, we use small private cottages etc to keep the prices down. We arrange dental/eye/doctors appointments for weekends or after school, however, just because I wouldn’t take my children out of school doesn’t mean I don’t think anybody should.
I think the family you’ve mentioned should have been able to take their children on holiday without being fined and I think the school should be able to deal with individual cases.
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I agree. The problem seems to be that schools can no longer authorise absences because of government pressure over attendance figures.
As a teacher, I can confirm that schools are not allowed to authorise days off unless in very exceptional circumstances, such as a parent’s wedding or a family funeral. I don’t think I’ve seen any agreed holidays in a couple of years.
Laura @ Kneadwhine recently posted…Parsnip, apple and leek
I know, the schools are in a very difficult position.
I have taken my boys out for a once in a lifetime holiday last year and will be taking them out again for a long weekend in Feb.
I am a firm believer that life should be fun for primary ages school children and the boys learn more with me than at school.
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I’m sure they do! Obviously it’s different once they’re at secondary school and working towards GCSEs and other exams.
Research has proven that better attendance leads to better progress and achievement. Surely we should be looking to the holiday companies who are charging extortionate prices during the school holidays rather than looking to blame schools or parents? Schools are under ever increasing pressure from the government to get good attendance figures and children who are taken on holiday during term time are affecting these figures. Also, what about the people who work in schools and have to take their holidays during term time?
You’re right, we shouldn’t blame schools or parents. I think we should go back to the days when term time leave was at the discretion of head teachers and they should be allowed use common sense in this area.
I think “exceptional circumstances” should apply. Even better though the schools should stagger the holidays (within a county say) so there isn’t this peak demand during the 6 summer weeks. Teachers, families and the holiday companies would win.
I think that’s a really good idea Jo, as long as there’s some overlap for families who have children at school in different counties.
I’ve taken the kids out of school for the odd day e.g for a wedding, but never a week. Since they’ve started school we’ve had to change our wag of holidaying – we generally holiday in the UK now as we cannot afford to travel abroad in holidays. We also look for independent owners of self catering cottages, as not all of them put their prices up in the holidays – unlike the bigger companies!
Our school is strict about holidays during term time, but it does annoy me when they spend the last week of term watching DVDs or other non-learning activities as I would feel justified in taking them out during these wind down weeks.
I know, it does seem ridiculous that they’re so strict about missing school but the kids spend the end of term not really learning much. The last time I took mine out of school was four years ago when my husband was sent to work abroad for a year at short notice. We went away for a week together before he left and we really needed that as a family.
This is very difficult. There are plenty of studies that show the more days a child attends school the better they do in exams (I’m thinking here GCSE). State schools have very short holidays – a week for half term, two weeks at xmas and easter; six in the summer. In multicultural areas, such as London or Birmingham students often have loyalties to more than one community – to miss a grandmother’s funeral because it is in another country which would be unaffordable to visit for just a week at half term (and frankly who could plan that anyway) means that child loses contact and the social glue with their extended or far away family. I don’t think we can call our community schools community if that’s the case.
But you are writing about holidays and with planning I do think the school holidays are sufficient. The fact that the prices are hiked makes me furious. I’m also aware how poor one feels surrounded by people who take endless mini-breaks (every half term is a plane trip) and also how unsustainable that will be both for the planet and the child’s own long-term aspirations.
To resolve these problems in my own family we try to make really good use of what’s near us – to really know our locale, and then (when school term/cash permits) by extension the UK. For example we started walking hadrian’s wall when our girls were 7 and 9 (using half terms and holidays over three years) and it was funny how many people we met in Hexham (sort of the centre point) who’d never even visited it, let alone thought of taking a walk along the wall. A holiday is really just a holiday from routine, that’s all. It’s not about buying an experience or spending a shed load of money.
So in general I reckon I’m against parents taking their children out of school during term time. On this forum i also expect to be a lone voice! Anyway good blog post. Nicola
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments Nicola. I know you make the most of school holidays with your children. Your Hadrian’s Wall expedition sounds fantastic. I really think that if parents can’t get time off during the school holidays they should be allowed to miss school, wherever they’re travelling to.
I’ve heard about the studies you mention but they don’t ring true in my experience. My daughter has had various health issues over the years which have meant her missing a lot of school – in the worst year (Year 2) she missed a third of the school year. I was beside myself with worry about it until a very experienced, older teacher assured me that she would be fine and it would make no difference in the long term as long as we kept reading together every day. We always read loads anyway and now my daughter is preparing for her GCSEs and predicted to get excellent results, despite that fact that she’s missed loads of school through illness and also through term time holidays. (The last term time holiday was when she was 11 as her secondary school don’t allow it.)
Holidays are so expensive out of term time. The prices are ridiculous. Children learn so much on holiday, it’s a great time to spend with the family. I think it does penalise those on lower incomes too.
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I know, it just makes me really sad that so many children are missing out on family holidays because of this.