 Poster: A snowHead
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school leave authorised for the week from 10/03/14. we will have a reasonably tight budget really need to keep it under 2 grand for the 3 of us to inc. 3 for school, passes and 2 ski hire(2 oldies and a 10YO BTW). I know we can do Andorra and Bulgaria for that money. Bulgaria TBH doesn't really float my boat(even though we've never been). We've done Arinsal in Andorra a couple of times to get mrs ricfrench used to skiing, so been there done that. Looked at Soldeu which looks interesting and enough variation.
But what else could I look at in that budget. SC or hotel, TO or DIY not bothered. TO seems to working out slightly better especially if I can find any free child places.
cheers
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Soldeu is a good enough area with decent variety of terrain and a considerably bigger ski area than Arinsal. DIY can work out really well especially if you're a bit creative with things and don't get locked into all the usual places. There are lots and lots of ski areas little known to most Brits that are well worth a visit and often have lower prices. A good example would be Warth and Schroken in the Vorarlberg of Austira. You'll probably find less expensive accommodation, the lift pass is much cheaper and it has some of the most reliable snow anywhere in Europe. Flights to Zurich with Swissair were a good price a few weeks ago or you could gfly to Friedrchshafen.
Look also at some of the French Pyrennean resorts as well or even lots of French Alpine. We Brits tend to go to the same ones but what about Les 7 Laux for example or Alpe du Grand Serre or Aussois? These are all good ski areas little exploited by us.
I'd avoid Switzerland on price but there's plenty of places to look at. A lot depends on what you're looking for skiing wise and also in the village. Do you want to meet fellow countrymen or be amongst mainly locals? What level (genuine) of skiers are you all?
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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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ricfrench, Contact flangesax at austria-adventures.com. They have fantastic deals and can help you put together a really good budget packet.
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| ricfrench wrote: |
| school leave authorised for the week from 10/03/14. |
D'you mind me asking if this is this a state school? Reason I ask is we've just had a letter sent through with a copy of one from North Yorks CC, which says there's now legislation that says holiday can't be used as an "exceptional" reason:
"Headteachers would not be expected to class any term time holiday as exceptional. Therefore Headteachers will only be able to grant leave of absence in exceptional circumstances and this will still be at the discretion of the Headteacher."
and
"Leave is only acceptable against exceptional circumstances and should not be granted on the basis of attendance record, academic performance or the ‘experience’ offered by being out of school."
So up in North Yorks you're basically risking a penalty (which to be fair is only sixty quid!) as they're saying their hands are basically tied - no authorised hols.
Half term it is for us then!
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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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Whatever happened to educating the whole person? It's not just the fine but it could work adversley against your kids if you take them out. Having worked 35 years in education I'm aware of shall we say 'certain attitudes!' Hasten to add I no longer work in education. Try putting a case for language immersion and experience particularly if you put them into ski school with a view to them gaining later qualifications. Unlikely to work but worth a try. I once got a week unpaid leave to do an instructor course and I didn't have a particularly good relationship with the head.
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Yes, I'd seen that - but we hadn't had the letter from school.
Personally I'm not prepared to lie (and ask the kids to do so), and I wouldn't want a penalty so we'll just go at half term - I was more interested in the fact that some heads are still granting leave of absence for holidays.
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| Ade57 wrote: |
| Try putting a case for language immersion and experience particularly if you put them into ski school with a view to them gaining later qualifications. Unlikely to work but worth a try. |
I think our letter from NYCC categorically says it won't work. Whilst I can't really see that a week here or there, particularly at primary school, is likely to do any harm at all, I'm slightly cynical about the supposed "educational benefits" of spending week skiing, particularly as said benefits could be equally gained going during school holidays - unless you get more "enriched" the cheaper the holiday and smaller the lift queue? 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The relevant bits I was referring to was the "winter sports training" as the exceptional reason, and also Pams links to the policy etc, the impression I am getting is that if you do just decide you are taking them out that it will just mean it is recorded as unauthorised absence and nothing more will be done.
Though saying that I am personally planning to go half term for 2015 myself, but there you go. 
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andy from embsay, The benefit of doing it during term time can be the fact that you can go at all vs either not being able to afford it or in some parents case THEY themselves are not able to get the time off work to coincide with bob school holidays and the ski season.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It was a little tongue in cheek. Schools do, however, make a case for term time skiing trips on this basis, so it's far from lying and many schools (particularly poorer state schools) are now going back to term time trips! I'm sad to think that we no longer class experience as educationally beneficial. We really have been conned this last 30 years. No wonder we're in the state we are!
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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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NYCC's letter says "experience" gained (presumably of any sort) isn't to be taken into account, so it's tricky to see how they would - but as i say I'm more interested in whether different LEAs are interpreting the legislation.
It will be interesting to see if LEAs get stricter about imposing penalties - presumably they'll have Gove on their backs to hit some kind of "target"!
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You're probably right Andy! I wonder how academies work in this. I assume they can make their own decisions.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Ade57 wrote: |
| You're probably right Andy! I wonder how academies work in this. I assume they can make their own decisions. |
I was wondering - but if it's "legislation" I was wondering if they are able to opt out? I guess they won't get the pressure from the LEA that our primary is clearly getting - although our eldest's secondary is an academy and we've had a very similar letter from them.
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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'm not sure how they fit in to be honest but they would certainly want you to believe you can't go. You'd have to check out the legislation. I'm just very cynical. Sorry!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Ade57 wrote: |
| I'm not sure how they fit in to be honest but they would certainly want you to believe you can't go. You'd have to check out the legislation. I'm just very cynical. Sorry! |
From reading it the head can give permission in "exceptional circumstances", and NYCC have defined "exceptional" as never including holidays, not including educational reasons etc. So I guess that if you can convince the head (or they're a bit of a rebel) then you're fine. Our school (youngest starts secondary this time) is an academy and has said (paraphrasing) "don't even ask"!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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well... i've already been mentioned (ta Sue) so I might as well have a pimpy post...
Flights to Salzburg from London are coming in at under £90 at the moment - return!.. so lets say £350 with bits and bobs...
Coach transfer is €135
Passes (2 adult and child) for 6 days are €567.50
Ski rental (1 adult and 1 kid, skis boots poles) €130
Catered chalet accommodation with yours truly (obviously there are tons more of places available throughout the whole of ski amade!) €866
Total = €2094
Which in £'s is just over £1850 (based on 1.13 to £)
BUT... haven't included lessons  ... we get a deal with the local skis school, they do a 10% discount for cash bookings made by our guests..... but at least i've tried!
What kind of lessons are you looking for?... full courses all week, or private groups etc.. etc..?
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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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flangesax, thanks for that ill take a serious look at that. Lessons wise we just do group lessons, all different abilities. But I would like to start to try some off piste stuff, I feel ready for the progression now.
andy from embsay, not had that letter, but we are in herts so may very well be very different. They don't give weeks away lightly, I suffer the joy of having rosta'd annual leave, every year so far I have managed to find a swap cos most people don't want an early winter week, but next year it seems that every one in the HT slot wants to stay there for some reason. We just put in a covering letter saying this and it's been granted.
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ricfrench, Herts won't be any different as this is UK wide legislation. In terms of rosta'd leave I actually think that should, obviously has, count as exceptional circumstances.
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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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ricfrench, I'd have a look at Les Carroz or Flaine in the Grand Massif...
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| Boris wrote: |
| ricfrench, Herts won't be any different as this is UK wide legislation. In terms of rosta'd leave I actually think that should, obviously has, count as exceptional circumstances. |
I'd agree - the NYCC mentions military leave, so I reckon rosta'ed leave that can't be changed (especially this far in advance) would count as exceptional.
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ricfrench, the budget worked out by flangesax looks good - realistically you are not going to get anything catered within that budget but it's not far off. Normally there are some very good deals in the smaller French resorts with passes, hire etc all included in rental BUT that is still French school holidays which probably means there are few good deals to be found - and most resorts will be pretty busy.
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We had a week at Falcade in the Dolomites this year and it was really good value. If you just get the local pass (which still covers 3 areas) instead of the Dolomitisuperski pass it is pretty reasonable. Accomodation and food was decent and you could fly to Innsbruck, Venice, Salzburg, Munich (we drove from Munich, was about 3.5 hrs I think). It would be great if you wanted to start skiing off piste as no one else was skiing it, we were there a few days after the last snow and there was still acres of untouched snow I would choose based on the price of the pass as everything else can usually be found cheaper if you shop around a bit but the ski pass price is fixed, it also sounds like you don't need a massive ski area so a good place to make savings.
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FAQ
