 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I would have to budget a minimum of £4500 - 5000, probably more.
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I'm sure you could do it for less than that. Nice 2 bedroom slopeside apartment in France, about €1150. Nastier apartment for quite a lot less. Driving to the Alps and buying lift passes costs no more than other times of the year though lessons are a little more expensive in peak times. But yes, if you want to pay people to look after your kids, that gets expensive at any time - we could never afford it, even in early January. Do you not have some teacher friends you could join up with, to do some cooperative child care? Or a single NQT who, in return for a free holiday, would look after the kids for you?
Having a telephone consultation at time of your own choosing seems entirely reasonable to me. I have a number of teachers (including daughter and son in law) in my family so I am not anti-teacher by any means, but having a rant at any parent who decides to take kids out of school (as I confess to doing years ago) really isn't very helpful.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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There are a couple of options to Innsbruck in Feb half term, not many granted. But some.
Flying on sat or sun?
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pam w, I'd have thought the big laughing face smiley probably gave clue to the idea it was typed somewhat tongue-in-cheek... scarcely a rant at all. However, I'll add some more, maybe that will help... 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Corduroy, no need for a battle, just don't expect the absence to be authorised. |
Im not, i stated that in letter i don't expect their approval.
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austin7, best value hol we had was to Chalet La Giettaz. Its self catering with the benefit of the best croissants in the world delivered fresh to you each morning and a bar & restaurant on premises. Chalet is lovely and has hot tub. The chalet is not slope side but transport to slope is quick - if you do take a car then its no big deal at all. Lift pass and ski hire was so much cheaper than the French resorts we had normally visited. Theres a great nursery at the slope and they were really flexible with bookings (almost a drop in centre they were that casual about it). Have a look into it.
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Stupid rules that I will always ignore, another stealth tax. Last years penalty notices were used to light the fire, same as the year before.
The more people who choose not to pay the penalty notices the better, clog the system up and show how unpopular it is.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Namsbreh wrote: |
Stupid rules that I will always ignore, another stealth tax. Last years penalty notices were used to light the fire, same as the year before.
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Seriously? Was there any follow up from the education authorities or do they just forget about you?
I am assuming only the courts can enforce it.
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Corduroy, I'm sure there are a lot of hoops to jump through before a fine can be enforced - I wonder if there is yet any case law on this matter?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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For info, below is the guidelines for Northants Education Authority. My understanding is that the school has to report the absence to them and they will then take any action.
Based on recent parents eve, providing your child is doing well, chances of it being reported by school are slim and chance of Education Authority taking any action are slimmer still! We ahve told the school we are going now and they unofficially are fine, but officially can't agree. On the offchance we get fined, pam w, has agreed to pay mine 
The issue of a penalty notice should be balanced proportionally against the option of a further warning notice dependant upon the amount of unauthorised absences. Where the volume of absences is low the Education Entitlement Service may use their discretion as to which action is required but the issue of a penalty notice must be proportionate. Officers may only issue a penalty notice when there are 10 cumulative days of absence over a given period where the issue of the notice and the payment period fits within the six month rule for bringing proceedings should the notice remain unpaid.
The key considerations are:
Whether, given the facts of the case the investigating officer believes that the issuing of a penalty notice will be effective in helping to ensure that the parent secures the regular attendance of the child at a place of education.
The parent is judged capable of securing their child’s regular attendance at school but is not taking responsibility for doing so, for example failing to engage in voluntary or supportive measures.
That the notice has been issued only for an offence that the local authority is willing and able to prosecute.
The action is proportionate to the level of absence and the six month rule
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Boris, I think that extract says it all, really. Still, people do like something to huff and puff about, don't they?
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pam w, I will admit to huff and puffing, but that was prior to having found the advice online about likely impacts!
Panic first then act rationally later that's my view
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You know it makes sense.
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| Boris wrote: |
Panic first then act rationally later that's my view |
My mantra
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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This morning had an email from the head teacher, stating the same as the phone call last week, apologies they can't be any help but the absence will just be in authorised and it's upto the education welfare if they wish to take it further, so to me no big deal. We will just wait and see, possibly take one week un authorised and the other sick? Either way I am not concerned, my son is bright, doing well at school and rarely has time off.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys
Has anyone looked into whether a flexi-schooling arrangement would cover a skiing trip. Flexi-schooling can be approved by the head teacher on either a short term or long term basis. During the period of flexischooling the parents are totally responsible for the child's education and not the school and the register can be marked with a C rather than an unauthorised absence. There doesn't appear to be much info out there about flexi-schooling as to what is or isn't allowed. It might be worth a shot and I would be very interested in hearing any success stories
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Shimmy Alcott, thanks, will do 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Ianjenn, welcome to Snowheads.  What an interesting first post. Parents have a legal obligation to see that their children are educated - by sending them to school "or otherwise". That's where home schooling comes in, but its quality will be inspected. I guess that "flexi schooling" is the sort of thing that happens when, for example, parents take kids to France for six months, or on an extended sailing trip. There's some information available if you google but, I agree, not a lot. Very interesting - sort of short-term home schooling. 100% home schooling is a bit much - and most children gain a good deal from school, apart from the Gradgrind stuff. But a spell out, perhaps for travelling, with a focussed programme of interesting and stimulating activities, why not?
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That was my thoughts also. The interesting thing about a flexi-schooling arrangement, is that the head teacher does not have their hands tied, as the decision is entirely theirs to make. At the moment our head is being resistant to agree to flexi-schooling as she is saying that skiing is a holiday and flexi-schooling cannot be used for a holiday. However, there is nothing that I have found to say that flexi-schooling can't be used for holidays and as skiing is an Olympic sport, I hardly think a holiday is the correct terminology. In fact what happens during the period of flexi-schooling is nothing to do with the head teacher and not their responsibility! I hope that one or two will apply for flexi-schooling for a ski trip and get it approved and then hopefully a cascade will follow. So give it a go and report back.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Quick update on this - after being declined permission for a week in January, the school set off on their own ski trip - LAST Thursday, a full week before they broke up for Christmas
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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From the occasional skim of this thread, it looks as though the fines should be higher for the parents of schools in affluent areas.
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Well our kids broke up today - son reports no writing, no maths all week, instead they have spent a day at a pantomime, had class parties, watched films, had a visit from Santa and rolled perfectly good jam-jars that could have been used for jam in a mixture of glue, salt and glitter tied raffia around the tops and put in tea lights to make daft lanterns that went straight in the waste when they were sent home as all the salt was going everywhere. Yet, I would not have been allowed to have taken my son off school to go on holiday. Daughter was chucked out of school at lunchtime - no official school day off - so 2000 kids all lost half a day so I make that 1000 wasted school days, and loads of parents who had to sod around sorting out kids coming home earlier than usual. Yet, I could not have requested a half day to take time off to go on holiday - of course we can't call it 'double standards' can we?
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Yep my daughter was similarly chucked out of school at lunchtime, as it was closing at lunch time there was no after school club so forced to take half days leave.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Fri 20-12-13 19:43; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Megamum,
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Well our kids broke up today - son reports no writing, no maths all week, instead they have spent a day at a pantomime, had class parties, watched films, had a visit from Santa and rolled perfectly good jam-jars that could have been used for jam in a mixture of glue, salt and glitter tied raffia around the tops and put in tea lights to make daft lanterns that went straight in the waste when they were sent home as all the salt was going everywhere. Yet, I would not have been allowed to have taken my son off school to go on holiday. Daughter was chucked out of school at lunchtime - no official school day off - so 2000 kids all lost half a day so I make that 1000 wasted school days, and loads of parents who had to sod around sorting out kids coming home earlier than usual.
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Utter nonsense, I agree with you.
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Yet, I could not have requested a half day to take time off to go on holiday - of course we can't call it 'double standards' can we?
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The trouble is that I don't imagine that the complete waste of this week's school is not the immediate responsibility of the DfE, but down to the schools themselves. Given the choice, I expect the DfE would like to say that the time should be used more constructively but then I suspect the teachers would be up in arms as they want to use that time to write reports or something. If the coalition started to proscribe what the schools did every minute of the day there would be a riot.
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I dont begrudge my kids having an easy last week in school - school should be fun too. It was lovely being able to send my daughter off with a tray of cakes for their Christmas Party and telling her to enjoy the panto.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Megamum wrote: |
| Well our kids broke up today - son reports no writing, no maths all week, instead they have spent a day at a pantomime, had class parties, watched films, had a visit from Santa and rolled perfectly good jam-jars that could have been used for jam in a mixture of glue, salt and glitter tied raffia around the tops and put in tea lights to make daft lanterns that went straight in the waste when they were sent home as all the salt was going everywhere. Yet, I would not have been allowed to have taken my son off school to go on holiday. Daughter was chucked out of school at lunchtime - no official school day off - so 2000 kids all lost half a day so I make that 1000 wasted school days, and loads of parents who had to sod around sorting out kids coming home earlier than usual. Yet, I could not have requested a half day to take time off to go on holiday - of course we can't call it 'double standards' can we? |
So what are you doing about it? I gather you're a school governor.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Shimmy Alcott, I used to love my easy last week at school too  However, when I was enjoying it my parents weren't being told that they couldn't take me off from school for a few days holiday instead if they wanted to.
achilles, Not any more I'm not - I've done my term and my son isn't at the school after this year. Besides which there isn't anything that Governors would be able to do about the 'not being able to grant holiday' rule as that is a national edict.
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Megamum, I was referring to your apparent disapproval of
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| no writing, no maths all week, instead they have spent a day at a pantomime, had class parties, watched films, had a visit from Santa and rolled perfectly good jam-jars that could have been used for jam in a mixture of glue, salt and glitter tied raffia around the tops and put in tea lights to make daft lanterns that went straight in the waste when they were sent home as all the salt was going everywhere.... |
Governors can affect the ambience of a school.
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You know it makes sense.
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achilles,
I don't doubt that most of us on this thread (foztrotzulu excluded) have done our bit lobbying our MPs, but that and partition signing apart there isn't a lot we can do ... except go ski
Our soon to be retired primary school principal would rather the kids went skiing. I've always liked her, she really knows what is best for the children's education.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I know I'm a lone voice here, but I'm still surprised that people don't 'get it'. In days gone by head teachers had the power to authorise absence during term in exceptional circumstances. Every man and his dog then interpreted that as an automatic right to extra hols. An independent review reported that this sort of low level but widespread absence was indeed a problem and as heads seemed unable/unwilling to crack down then the DfE took action. Of course there are times when absence is unavoidable and in these cases it can still be authorised, but taking a skiing holiday (still viewed by many as a luxury) during term time purely because it's cheaper is not unavoidable.
Of course it's not going to be the end of the world if little johnnie skips the last half day of school but if that is allowed then, once again it becomes expected.
It's all a bit like going to one's boss and saying that as he/she allows you to take a few days sick leave with a doctor's note then you have decided to combine those days into another week's holiday.
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Poster: A snowHead
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achilles, well I guess it was deemed fun stuff for Xmas, and I wouldn't expect to see it canned, it was just the contrast between the schools being allowed to do fun stuff with our kids, but as parents we are now being told we can't have them to do fun stuff with ourselves on holiday* . A bit like the report above, when as parents we can't have term time to take the kids skiing, but the school can be allowed to take them. Hypothetically the parents of kids in the same class who weren't on the school trip would have been refused permission to take their kids to the same resort at the same time because it wouldn't have been part of the 'official' school trip. The new National ruling seems fraught with problems that will relate to inconsistencies such as this, and will only affect the law abiding middle class. The uppers can afford the fines and those that would typically stick two fingers up rules anyway will continue to do so without a mind to the consequences.
*(it would also be great if schools could come up with worthwhile 'make' projects that could be kept rather than things that aren't really worth the time the kids put into them)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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foxtrotzulu, When you say that the report found it to be a 'problem', did they define this as being an actual problem with the education of the children concerned, or a 'problem' in that it was an official nonattendance and therefore increased the figures?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
rolled perfectly good jam-jars that could have been used for jam in a mixture of glue, salt and glitter tied raffia around the tops and put in tea lights to make daft lanterns that went straight in the waste when they were sent home
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missed this the first time.
How did your kids feel about that? Im not sure showing such disdain and disregard for something they had made and probably enjoyed making was a kind thing to do.
Dont get me wrong - we cant keep everything our kids make but IMO, just like us, kids appreciate praise and it wouldnt have hurt to put it on a shelf for a couple of weeks. Be careful you're not punishing your kids because youre having a strop over GOVERNMENT decisions.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Oh come on guys - my daughter brings home all sorts of stuff she has created (she's 7) almost all is junk modeling and it is several pieces a week ( most at after school club), and yes we do praise her but also yes we sneak them into the bin at the first opportunity, it is just too much. A few better pieces we keep but we wouldn't be able to move in our house now if we kept them all (over three years worth average 4 a week). I am sure anybody would be lying if they don't do the same?
Previously it was all the drawings from nursery - my colleague takes the drawings to put up at work - yet funnily he only has about 4 pieces pinned up in the office
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Maybe I'm lucky where we live, but the school gave permission for us to take our 8 and 6 year olds out the week before half term. They used to allow 2 weeks, with no questions asked. Now you just needed an appointment. Our excuse being that I travel about 190 days a year and that its good for the kids to spend a good solid 2 weeks with their Dad and I couldn't do any other dates. They granted us the leave. Max 1 week a year. I live in Kent by the way.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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ps.. I think the attendance records of the entire school is a key factor and as they have pretty much 100% record of attendance they can afford to let people out in special circumstances.
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NickyJ, I did say
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Dont get me wrong - we cant keep everything our kids make but IMO, just like us, kids appreciate praise and it wouldnt have hurt to put it on a shelf for a couple of weeks
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my point was not to just stick it in the bin the minute they got home - theres more thoughtful ways of dealing with it eg your friend taking the pictures to "work"
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Shimmy Alcott, he does take them to work, they just go straight into the work recycling bin. Yes, we do sneak them into the bin after they go to bed or sometimes keep a few days before disposing des retest and I am sure Megamum is the same?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Avalanche Poodle,
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foxtrotzulu, When you say that the report found it to be a 'problem', did they define this as being an actual problem with the education of the children concerned, or a 'problem' in that it was an official nonattendance and therefore increased the figures?
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AFAIK It was found the be damaging to education generally. I seem to remember there were two issues:
1. Children missing two weeks out of 39 (i.e 5% ) was detrimental to their education.
2. Having a significant, but constantly changing, proportion of children away at any one time was disruptive to the education of the class/school as a whole.
There was no mention of any issue of damaging the schools attendance figures. This was an independent report so they might have mentioned this, but I doubt they would and I'm not sure it's relevant anyway. I suspect the key issue was that children are spending less time in school than they thought best and this quasi-approved holiday leave is the easiest issue to resolve. Not easy to tell parents their children should be ill less often.
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NickyJ,
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Yes, we do sneak them into the bin after they go to bed or sometimes keep a few days before disposing des retest and I am sure Megamum is the same?
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in her post she said it went straight in the waste when it got home (the Christmas Glass Lantern). Each to their own, but I dont think it would have taken much to put it up on a shelf until after Christmas. I got the impression, from her post, that MM was just cross with school and the kids lantern hit the bin as a result.
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