 Poster: A snowHead
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I know skiing in the school holidays is not at all ideal and most would avoid it, but with primary school aged kids we will be booking these weeks for a long time to come.
We got back last night from our kids first week on the snow and am very pleased to report that they loved it as much as we do! So my mind has already started to look forward to next year and the years after that. We will try to wait for the snow before booking next year as although the resort had done an excellent job, conditions were poor.
So, which weeks do you aim for and why?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@breeze11, the exact week depends on lots of factors.
Some counties can end up with a slightly different holiday dates to others resulting in a particular week being cheaper for you. Nb I am assuming you are using a TO there.
If going independently then the local holidays of that it neighbouring country can be more of a factor though flights will still be impacted by uk holidays.
Next December my girls break up on the Friday giving them a full week before Christmas but other schools don't break up until during the following week.
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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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My daughter and son in law are teachers. They would choose Christmas and Easter as cheaper and far less crowded than half term and new year. They have two small kids and would be taking them out of school if they weren't teachers.
Glad your kids took to it so well.
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Feb half term because we get the loan of friends' apartment and it's in a relatively low altitude resort, so we get the best chance of good snow. I should note that as we live in Fife, our half term is generally a week ahead of England's.
I'm increasingly tempted by a bargain late booking in Dec/Jan or at Easter as the kids' skills improve and their love of sliding down mountains grows. Summer holidays are overrated!
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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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First week of Easter every time
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Normally go for New Year. Xmas at home and the excitement for New Year skiing is great. However, next year (2016-2017) this is not possible as kids and OH teacher are all back in school on 3 Jan.
Looking at Xmas 2016 week now. Worry about snow going out 23rd December after last two years though. Aiming for a high resort to minimise risk.
A lot depends on when Easter is. This year its in March and our local authority has started the Easter holiday a week before most of the country so we have saved about £1500. This swayed us away from New Year which from snow reports was fortunate on this occasion. Next year 2017 Easter is 16th April and some snowheads would suggest you go high again (I am no expert on this).
Glad your kids enjoyed it as it will mean fun ski holidays for many years.
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Xmas & New Year will be deemed unreliable after this season's poor start. If the snow comes early, as it may well do, there could be a lot of unsold late availability bargains next Xmas.
Feb half-term is the most reliable snow-wise, but you have to be very creative to avoid crowds and high prices...France is a definite no-no, particularly if it coincides with Paris school hols weeks! Italy doesn't have School hols in Feb, though some regions have a few days off at Carnevale/Lent (Monday, Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday), this sometimes coincides with UK, sometimes not, 2016 doesn't.
I reckon 1st week Easter would be great if you aimed for a high resort with north-facing slopes...France comes into play here as French schools generally have their Spring hols later, so Easter is low season pricing. UK tour ops will still try and charge more though. Flights out of UK to obvious ski destinations will get pricey too unless you get in early.
As some have said look for anomalies in the timing of School hols, some counties/areas have different dates to the rest.
Also if your school authorities have tacked on some inset days to the start or end of a school break, you could take the rest of that week off and not incur the possibility of a fine by taking off 10 consecutive sessions.
This week, the kids round here have today off for Teacher training, so this week would have been great...only 8 sessions off school and one of the cheapest weeks of the season for package deals, I could have gone to Meribel with my eldest for £260 each in a catered chalet inc. Gatwick-Lyon flights if I had booked on Friday knowing the snow was due to arrive...but sadly need to be in Blighty this week for other reasons. 
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And, of course, you can take the kids out of school, especially when they're way off exam age. That's what we always did and in most LEAs its perfectly possible.
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Sometimes wish the wife was not a teacher. Seen some great deals in catered chalets for January. However, if she had a 'normal job' she would only get a few weeks off each year which would make problems elsewhere.
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We have always done pre-Christmas, Christmas or Easter but always go high. If snow wasn't an issue, pre-Christmas would be our favourite, simply because we love having the slopes to ourselves and it's the cheapest week of the 3.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Mike-H wrote: |
| Sometimes wish the wife was not a teacher. Seen some great deals in catered chalets for January. However, if she had a 'normal job' she would only get a few weeks off each year which would make problems elsewhere. |
Exactly, it would be nice to take them during term time but then we'd have to find additional cover for the school holidays, e.g. booking them into a child minder, which we'd rather avoid outside the long summer break. They did miss 1.5 days at the end of term for us to make the Christmas week away this year though. We wrote to the school and they didn't object.
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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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I think the first week of the Easter holidays is usually the best option for reasonably priced accommodation, decent snow (if you pick your resort carefully) and avoiding crowds. Have a look at the historic snow depths for Easter compared with Christmas / New Year and you may be surprised.
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Indeed. Snow depths often better at Easter. The much longer days and warmer temperature can take its toll on snow quality regardless of depth but also make for more pleasant conditions for littlies. Aspect is at least as important as altitude late in the season.
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You know it makes sense.
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Late season does seem to be underrated, had excellent skiing in April on several occasions while Christmas is patchy. Same in Scotland when there is a rush to ski after the first snow hits the central belt but then much quieter after half term.
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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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Christmas: cold, dark, unreliable snow.
New Year: expensive, cold, dark, unreliable snow.
Half term: extortionate, crowded, reliable snow.
Easter: warm, excellent snow high up but spring conditions lower down.
Not a great set of choices. Before we became tied to university terms instead of school terms, we almost always found that the best compromise was a DIY trip to North America in February, taking 1-2 days off school to avoid weekend flights. People often have trouble believing this, but for our family it was always cheaper to ski for 8 days in the States than 6 days in the Alps at half term.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Easter for preference as can maximise leave by using the 2 Bank holidays - is also longer ski days and chance to sit out in sun.
Does depend when easter is though - this year is great as early.
Christmas is second choice
Only once done Feb half-term and it was fantastic - but only as due to some odd quirk Northants schools were off the week before rest of UK!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kids now off to University but went skiing with them every year at school still affected by school holidays as one of our skiing friends is a teacher.
I was not always able to get time off myself during school holidays so sometimes took them out of school, their education did not seem to suffer unduly and I wouldn't worry to much about it.
We didn't take them much at xmas /NY . We went throughout their entire time at school at Easter which in my experience is a particularly good time for younger children as they love playing outside even when not skiing and are not particularly bothered by slush.
As they got older we also went in Feb half term, as they got older they preferred the generally better conditions is Feb.
Although it is said to be very expensive my own experience was that I could do it a reasonable price and certainly far cheaper than the brochures on a DIY basis.
We generally went to Austria where they don't put up the prices to the same extent as France and booked flights very early, driving would be another option, if you live within reasonable distance of the channel or North Sea ferries.
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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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I'd agree strongly that if half term is best for you avoid both France and tour operators. And any resort popular with Brits. Go somewhere not in the brochures. but not in France because the non britpack resorts will still be busy with French families.
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| Quote: |
Xmas & New Year will be deemed unreliable after this season's poor start.
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This is a good tip I think.
Consider also that xmas was bad the previous season too. We have our flat booked out for 3 weeks in Jan, all of Feb (a week for us) and a week in March - just saying it rents easily. Despite that we didn't get a booking for xmas - I think because people were waiting for snow after xmas 2014. People will likely be even more cautious for xmas 2016 - I'd be inclined to look for a late deal.
Beyond that, when are kids were little we went first week of easter - they were only ready for short days and we felt warmer was better. As they have got keener and stronger we moved to colder weeks. Feb HT is the most expensive and busiest but you do generally get the best conditions...
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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: |
| And, of course, you can take the kids out of school, especially when they're way off exam age. That's what we always did and in most LEAs its perfectly possible. |
Sadly Pam, we live in a Nazi state and there's the very real possibility of getting fined for a week-long unauthorised absence these days...though the cost of any fine is probably dwarfed by the saving of not having to go on a peak week...and a child would no doubt learn more than it would at school by doing a week in the Alps learning and perfecting a sports skill along with all the Language, Geography, Maths, etc that any alert parent would bring into play!! 
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Both the OH and I are teachers, plus we have a teen who is heading towards exams. For the last 6 years at least we've gone twice a year at Christmas and Easter. Up until last year Christmas was always good, we'll take the risk again next year as we can still have a nice holiday.
This season Jnr has a half term ski trip with school. The OH and I were planning on a quiet week at home, but we think we've found a 3-4 day DIY trip, reasonably priced and off the UK TO beaten track so with flexible accommodation.
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When my other half was a teacher we always went at Easter, usually the 2nd week as it was cheaper. We usually suffered from masses & masses of snow & zero visibility on most days  He's not teaching now so we had a week in January last year - lovely sunny days & only one day of white out. Very cold though.
Easter 2011 was interesting - boiling hot, but I still had one of my best ever days of skiing.
Yes, you take your chances at Easter, but I think the last few weeks have shown that the conditions can be iffy at the other end of the season.
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1 Easter
2 Xmas
3 Half term
4 New Year
Primary School- take them out at the end of Jan or 2nd week of March
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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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Wow, thank you all so much for your replies! Some great advice and things to think about here.
Since reading your replies I've had a quick look at Easter this year. We booked everything independently and I've already found that the accom is much cheaper. I will certainly keep an eye on the snow levels.
Pamw and Frosty we are not against taking them out if needed but if we can do school holidays then we'd rather do that.
Bergmeister I love the idea of skiing every school holidays!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We are limiting ourselves to 4 ski trips in the school holidays this year (2 in Xmas hols as they broke up early)..... I can't imagine the comments at work if we went for a ski trip in each holiday 
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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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@luigi, we don't live in a nazi state. Have you actually read your LEA's Code of conduct on unauthorized absence or just the Daily Mail? In the majority of areas a week ski holiday wouldn't be a problem if your child had an otherwise good attendance record.
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The OH and I realised that we don't have matching school hols next year So what could have been a lovely week before Christmas and back home on Christmas Eve will probably end up as a flight out on Christmas Eve and back on New Years Eve.
We're looking to get our own apartment, so hopefully we can find something we want so we can just do our own thing and not be at the mercy of Sat/Sat changeovers.
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You know it makes sense.
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@breeze11, Its not just the money - the joy and safety of quiet piste, restaurants, lessons etc is terrific.
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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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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
| @breeze11, Its not just the money - the joy and safety of quiet piste, restaurants, lessons etc is terrific. |
+1 We went to the Grand Massif in the second week of the Easter hols a few years ago and the slopes were unbelievably quiet. My two children had a ski school class together and it was effectively a private lesson at group rate prices. The apartment block was also half empty so the pool was never crowded. It is busier there the first week of the Easter holidays but nowhere near as busy as half term/New Year.
The only drawback at Easter is that it can get very mild and slushy in the afternoons. It is worth getting out when the lifts open in the morning to make the most of the best snow. In the afternoons stay high up until the last run home and make sure you have decent well waxed skis to get through the softer snow/slush.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
| @luigi, we don't live in a nazi state. Have you actually read your LEA's Code of conduct on unauthorized absence or just the Daily Mail? In the majority of areas a week ski holiday wouldn't be a problem if your child had an otherwise good attendance record. |
Which is exactly the case with my kids. It's not even an LEA thing, our school hasn't sent them in to the LEA, so we don't get fined. Our kids have good attendance records and are high achievers, so the school is fine with it. My friends, who I go skiing with during term time, get fined, as their school has a policy where they do send them in. This is despite the fact that their kids also do well at school and they live in the same town as me.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| pam w wrote: |
| @luigi, we don't live in a nazi state. Have you actually read your LEA's Code of conduct on unauthorized absence or just the Daily Mail? In the majority of areas a week ski holiday wouldn't be a problem if your child had an otherwise good attendance record. |
Pam were you able to read that letter I scanned and linked to on another thread? I am not certain I have done it right so please let me know if you cant reach it. That very clear stated that the school has to report pupils with 5days or more unauthorised absence.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| NickyJ wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| @luigi, we don't live in a nazi state. Have you actually read your LEA's Code of conduct on unauthorized absence or just the Daily Mail? In the majority of areas a week ski holiday wouldn't be a problem if your child had an otherwise good attendance record. |
Pam were you able to read that letter I scanned and linked to on another thread? I am not certain I have done it right so please let me know if you cant reach it. That very clear stated that the school has to report pupils with 5days or more unauthorised absence. |
I've just read that, Nicky, where does it say the school has to report it?
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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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The notice is full of lots of "may" and few "will". A lot will therefore depend on your relationship with the school. In any event I would imagine that a £60 penalty notice per child is much less than the savings for a family of 4. What's the real issue?
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| tarrantd wrote: |
| The notice is full of lots of "may" and few "will". A lot will therefore depend on your relationship with the school. In any event I would imagine that a £60 penalty notice per child is much less than the savings for a family of 4. What's the real issue? |
Quite.
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| porkpiefox wrote: |
| pam w wrote: |
| @luigi, we don't live in a nazi state. Have you actually read your LEA's Code of conduct on unauthorized absence or just the Daily Mail? In the majority of areas a week ski holiday wouldn't be a problem if your child had an otherwise good attendance record. |
Which is exactly the case with my kids. It's not even an LEA thing, our school hasn't sent them in to the LEA, so we don't get fined. Our kids have good attendance records and are high achievers, so the school is fine with it. My friends, who I go skiing with during term time, get fined, as their school has a policy where they do send them in. This is despite the fact that their kids also do well at school and they live in the same town as me. |
I rest my case...there's a very real possibility of a fine for a 5-day/10 session unauthorised absence under the current regime...very different to even a few years ago when 10 days could be authorised by the school during term-time.
My local LEA insists that the local schools report any 10 session absence or attendance figure below 85% in a 6-week period so they can issue a fine of £60 per parent per child. You may get one warning letter on your first offence. If you don't pay the fine, they can prosecute under current legislation and you risk a criminal conviction.
OK, calling it a Nazi state was a literary hyperbole, we aren't gassing Jews yet, but threatening criminal convictions to parents who want to take their kids skiing is a very authoritarian stance.
Found this well-researched newspaper article (regional press, not Daily Wail) with official statistics of 1000s of parents fined and prosecuted for unauthorised absences in E Anglia, notice how this has ramped up in the last few years since this regime was tightened. Norfolk issued 2,747 fines last year!!
http://www.wisbechstandard.co.uk/news/fines_for_parents_taking_children_out_of_school_during_term_time_are_rocketing_1_4102940
The editorial seems to suggest it's parents that want to avoid peak holiday pricing that are being fined, not just the irresponsible parents of truants.
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| luigi wrote: |
..... but threatening criminal convictions to parents who want to take their kids skiing is a very authoritarian stance.
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The PCN is NOT a criminal conviction and by paying it you save hundreds of pounds on the cost of your skiing holiday. I don't understand your problem!! Now if you do the same thing with the summer holiday and become a serial offender than of course a prosecution is inevitable.
Don't forget that the impact of lost school days is not just on the child. If they miss the introduction of a new concept then, on return, they may require extra support from a teaching assistant, which is not in the school budget and may impact on the support provided for other less able children.
Just to be clear when my kids were in primary school I took them skiing during term time, always authorised by the school but that was 25+ years ago.
A question for you who is the worse parent - one who takes their child out of school in order to pursue their own hobby or one who despite support, has a child who plays truant for 5 days a term?
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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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@tarrantd, Exactly. Many kids get a range of experiences while on holiday.
Tangent alert...
And why is it OK for the school to close so they can use it as a Polling Station? And why is it OK to have kids doing bug all (playing games, watching videos etc.) for a week before Xmas or before Summer holidays?
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Did I lose my reply - when people say "carefully chosen resort" for Easter skiing - any tips?
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FAQ
