For us as a family fortunately its not about the cost its about when we can get leave from work, together, as myself and my hubby have to share holiday leave time with other members of staff and have seasonal leave restrictions its also about wanting to come out for more than a week.
I have and will continue to take my children out of school, we only nick a few days either side of the Whitsun holiday so we can manage about 12 days in turkey and then about about 2 and half weeks in August.
I try to tag the few days to the school holiday so I don't take them out for too long, this doesn't actually save us any money but there is no other school holiday where we can take 2 wks together.
Up to this point I haven't been fined but my children have always had 98%/100% at the time, but having said that I may be tempting fate as I will be doing it again this Whitsun...so watch this space.
To be honest I think I am becoming a rebellious parent as I am getting sick and tired of being told how and what is best for my children by establishments that haven't got a pigging clue, children are being pushed and pushed many are unhappy and stressed, the latest farcical drama about the sats is only the tip of the iceberg.
My friends school has recently had an incident where a 7 yr old shockingly tried to jump out of a window because he couldn't cope, children are no longer allowed to be children they are just coached into how to be an adult version of a child ready for the big wide world....and they wander why so many children have mental heath issues....err hello let them be children....let them come home from school and be kids not ply them with home work from 5 years of age!! .
Well I can better prepare my children for the big wide world by taking them out in it so they can see for themselves thank you very much.
We are hard working parents, earn a decent living, we are kind people have good morals which I am hoping my children will learn from.
So I say good on the Isle of Wight chap for taking on the dept of education again and won, perhaps he should become the education secretary because Nicky Morgan and her predecessor Michael Gove are making a right pigs ear of it.
Rant over!
markar