Taking children out of school

[HotChipWillBreakYourLegs]

On 5/3/2023 at 5:53 PM, Jack.194 said:

I’m a teacher in a school, and I think it depends on the school as to what approach to take, some it’ll be best to just say they’re sick, some would appreciate being told. Almost none will care a massive amount I’m sure.

I always feel sorry for teachers that Glasto is during term time.

[Jack.194]

On 7/31/2023 at 10:49 AM, HotChipWillBreakYourLegs said:

I always feel sorry for teachers that Glasto is during term time.

It is a right pisser, I just try and approach it with the attitude that there are tonnes of ticketless people come the end of July, so there’s no point me sulking about only being able to attend for the weekend - some Glastonbury is better than none at all!

[themuel]

The thing to remember is that not one teacher or member of school staff actually has an issue with a couple of days missed to do something amazing. Not one. 

There is a statutory rulebook that we have to play by, we can’t get away with not following it to the letter. That’s the only reason things are unauthorised or that fines are given out. 
 

[Neil]

remember kids, schools are for life, not just for childcare during festivals. 😛 

[Harmonic Prospector]

My friend who is a teacher who comes every year, from Thursday evening to Monday morning, does it by calling in favours for time in lieu because of school trips she has done that incorporate weekends. But more recently has been more brazen and says to her Headteacher that other Teachers get to attend their own children's Christmas concerts, Sports Days, etc. and the school turns a blind eye (I know this isn't standard practice across most schools!) and she is being unfairly punished just because she doesn't have kids. The fact she has been trying to get pregnant for the last 10 years through IVF unsuccessfully certainly helps her case in terms of the Headteacher not saying No to her! 

Teachers and schools have to tow the Party Line when it comes to taking kids out of school, but I know for a fact, based on me being married to a Teacher, that by and large, they really don't give a sh*t but their hands are tied! 

[paulcxw]

On 4/15/2022 at 11:32 AM, Melm00 said:

I am taking my 7&9 year old children to Glastonbury this year. This will be their third Glastonbury but they weren't at school the last time they went. We're taking them on the Wednesday so they'll be missing three days of school. I don't want them to lie or to feel they can't talk about it with their friends so we're going to be honest with the school. How would you play it? Just ring up on the day & say they're not going to be in or request authorised leave in advance & if it is not granted go anyway (we will be going anyway!). Has anyone experience of this please? They've never had anything other than time off for sickness & even that hardly ever. Will we get fined do you think? Massive thanks.  Contact the school in advance: The best approach is to contact the school administration in advance and notify them that your children will miss several days of classes due to traveling to the festival. You may request formal permission for an absence if your school requires such notice. The only time I deceived the college was when I contacted a ghostwriting company, I found cn.papersowl.com for this. I understand your concern. If the school agrees to your request or allows the absence, discuss the instructional plan for the absence with your teachers. This will help you and your children stay on track and minimize missed material.

I understand your situation and desire to be honest with the school. Most schools have an absence policy, and fun activities such as music festivals may be acceptable reasons for absence as long as parents provide notice and receive approval from the school. However, policies may vary by school and state.

Edited September 22, 2023 by paulcxw

[BlackZeppelin]

Just tell the school that your kids really boost your vodka shot sales

[Avalon_Fields]

It’s becoming much more common practice for children to be taken out of school for holidays. It’s seemingly changed as a consequence of the lock downs and more recently the teachers striking. 

[danbailey80]

The whole giving fines etc initiative was to try to protect children who, sadly, were missing huge amounts of school (e.g 1/4 of year) due to neglecting parents not bothering/ choosing not to bring to school. Often these families have some very grim home life so it’s even more important the children are away from that and in a safe space. 
(At least Ive always hoped it was for this).

obviously, to be fair, it needs to be the same rule for all.

But…As a teacher I can assure you that we are not bothered if you take your child to go to something so inspiring for a few days a year. Enjoy it and be grateful you have the opportunity. 
 

now if only they moved it a month later…

Edited September 24, 2023 by danbailey80

[Ayrshire Chris]

I used to earn time of in lieu by doing things such as accompanying school trips, sports teams etc. sounds easy but try sitting in a bus overnight from Scotland to Alton Towers with the bus full of hyped up teenagers! 

[philipsteak]

2 hours ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

I used to earn time of in lieu by doing things such as accompanying school trips, sports teams etc. sounds easy but try sitting in a bus overnight from Scotland to Alton Towers with the bus full of hyped up teenagers! 

I work in a youth hostel so see a lot of school trips.

Nothing but respect for the teachers who go on them. Looks, frankly, f**king awful.

[Ayrshire Chris]

5 hours ago, philipsteak said:

I work in a youth hostel so see a lot of school trips.

Nothing but respect for the teachers who go on them. Looks, frankly, f**king awful.

Southwaite services on the M6 at 3am with 100 fifteen years olds to control was a bloody nightmare. The time off in lieu was well worth it though! 

[gherkin8r]

Just now, gherkin8r said:

Say nothing and just take them. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Don't ask them to lie about anything. Just go and enjoy yourself.

We took ours in 2022 when they were the same age as your (plus a 2 year old). They openly told their teacher and they were fine with it. If you approach them officially asking for permission you will likely get denied.

[amfy]

On 9/24/2023 at 6:26 AM, danbailey80 said:

The whole giving fines etc initiative was to try to protect children who, sadly, were missing huge amounts of school (e.g 1/4 of year) due to neglecting parents not bothering/ choosing not to bring to school. Often these families have some very grim home life so it’s even more important the children are away from that and in a safe space. 
(At least Ive always hoped it was for this).

obviously, to be fair, it needs to be the same rule for all.

But…As a teacher I can assure you that we are not bothered if you take your child to go to something so inspiring for a few days a year. Enjoy it and be grateful you have the opportunity. 
 

now if only they moved it a month later…

Absolutely this.

No one is going to get fined for taking their kids to Glastonbury if their kids are there the rest of the time. You might get a pretend telling off, possibly in writing, but that’s about it. 

[danssol]

My wife and I got our first fine last year, after 4 visits with the kids. Although, only liable for one now as the other has left school now 🙂 I've found its a bit of a lottery. 

[britvolli135]

On 5/4/2023 at 9:23 AM, moogdroog said:

I bit the bullet and emailed to request leave yesterday, prompted by school announcing there would (for the first time ever) be formal Yr 9 exams on 20/21/22. I hoped to get ahead of the curve, so didn't mention that... Had a reply back 5 mins later 'authorised, have a wonderful time' 😊 

Kids are Yr 7 and 9 - first G for them.

similar story))

Have a great vacation by the way

[snailcheeks]

Talking of children. I’m swaying on taking my ten year old but in two minds. What are people’s experiences of taking a little one? Did they enjoy it? Too busy? Able to see the bands due to smaller height? 

[Ayrshire Chris]

Having been on the other side of the fence we tended just to turn a blind eye to kids being taken out for Glastonbury and early starts to holidays. That said Glastonbury takes place on the last few days of term in Scotland, so not much getting done anyway, exams finished, end of term activities etc. 

[danssol]

6 hours ago, snailcheeks said:

Talking of children. I’m swaying on taking my ten year old but in two minds. What are people’s experiences of taking a little one? Did they enjoy it? Too busy? Able to see the bands due to smaller height? 

Mine loved it but it will change your festival. Found the days we're pretty much all about the kids. So less music but lots of other great stuff. 

[dirtysteve]

15 hours ago, snailcheeks said:

Talking of children. I’m swaying on taking my ten year old but in two minds. What are people’s experiences of taking a little one? Did they enjoy it? Too busy? Able to see the bands due to smaller height? 

Yeah, do it, it'll be an amazing experience for them. I've taken both of my kids since they were 4 and they love it. My main recommendation is to not try and see too many bands, kids don't have the stamina for it (even though they can find the energy to run around for multiple unbroken hours in the Kidz Field...). If you do go and see anything on the Pyramid, go up the hill about halfway or more or the kid won't see a thing of it. If it's hot, get yourselves settled in under the tree at the top of the Pyramid field, I've spent hours in the shade under there on sunny afternoons sitting on a blanket listening to music with my boys.

The Kidz Field and Theatre & Circus are right next to each other and I've found that area makes a good base for the day with the kids, so much to see and do all around there but all quite manageable, easy to deal with, lots of places to sit and chill out for a while to recuperate. Safe, too, especially in the Kidz Field, you can be very confident to just let them go do their own thing if they want and come back to where you are when they're ready, there's a lot of staff there and they don't let kids on their own leave the field (not that wandering off's likely a concern with a 10 year old anyway). If it's raining, the circus is a great way to spend a few hours sheltering, but even if it's blazing sunshine I'd still say spending time in the circus is an absolute essential when you've got kids with you, it is always an excellent show. Cinema and Acoustic Tent are right there as well.

Green Kids up by the railway line is also really good, huge pirate boat climbing frame there as well as lots of activities for all age ranges. Green Kids is open from the Wednesday, whereas Kidz Field doesn't open till Thursday lunchtime.

Last tip to make life easier having an extra person in tow that won't be carrying all their stuff, get one of these of these three-wheeler bike buggies to move your stuff from the car to camp and back again: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145630644333?itmmeta=01HQMRQG27R57PR96XYKAWMYAG&hash=item21e843486d:g:VwQAAOSwsk1l2jEp You can buy them new for around £120 but I've always managed to get secondhand on ebay relatively locally for <£50. I've been using these for the last decade's worth of Glastonbury, have gone through a few now as the site kicks the sh*t out of them... Longest I've had one last is three festivals before it's too buckled to take apart again... Still worth it though!

Last thought, the family camping in Cockmill Meadow is very good, but I'd recommend heading for the higher part of it. You'll have to walk up and down the hill multiple times every day but it's much flatter at the top of the hill so more comfortable camping, and it gets filled up much less quickly than the lower part of that field. Alternatively, get yourselves a 2 man scout tent in Worthy View, plenty of room for two adults and a kid (they let you have a kid in with you for no extra cost FYI) and there's decent toilets and showers there.

Edited February 27 by dirtysteve
Extra info re camping

[Nice hymer]

On 2/22/2024 at 9:16 AM, amfy said:

Absolutely this.

No one is going to get fined for taking their kids to Glastonbury if their kids are there the rest of the time. You might get a pretend telling off, possibly in writing, but that’s about it. 

Agreed. If the kids have solid attendance the rest of the year, it shouldn't be an issue.

Fines are likely to be issued after five days, so if they take Weds, Thurs, Fri and Mon off, that's only four days and no one will raise an eyebrow.

I've been phoning them in sick for the last 15 years, never had a problem.

[snailcheeks]

2 hours ago, dirtysteve said:

Yeah, do it, it'll be an amazing experience for them. I've taken both of my kids since they were 4 and they love it. My main recommendation is to not try and see too many bands, kids don't have the stamina for it (even though they can find the energy to run around for multiple unbroken hours in the Kidz Field...). If you do go and see anything on the Pyramid, go up the hill about halfway or more or the kid won't see a thing of it. If it's hot, get yourselves settled in under the tree at the top of the Pyramid field, I've spent hours in the shade under there on sunny afternoons sitting on a blanket listening to music with my boys.

The Kidz Field and Theatre & Circus are right next to each other and I've found that area makes a good base for the day with the kids, so much to see and do all around there but all quite manageable, easy to deal with, lots of places to sit and chill out for a while to recuperate. Safe, too, especially in the Kidz Field, you can be very confident to just let them go do their own thing if they want and come back to where you are when they're ready, there's a lot of staff there and they don't let kids on their own leave the field (not that wandering off's likely a concern with a 10 year old anyway). If it's raining, the circus is a great way to spend a few hours sheltering, but even if it's blazing sunshine I'd still say spending time in the circus is an absolute essential when you've got kids with you, it is always an excellent show. Cinema and Acoustic Tent are right there as well.

Green Kids up by the railway line is also really good, huge pirate boat climbing frame there as well as lots of activities for all age ranges. Green Kids is open from the Wednesday, whereas Kidz Field doesn't open till Thursday lunchtime.

Last tip to make life easier having an extra person in tow that won't be carrying all their stuff, get one of these of these three-wheeler bike buggies to move your stuff from the car to camp and back again: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145630644333?itmmeta=01HQMRQG27R57PR96XYKAWMYAG&hash=item21e843486d:g:VwQAAOSwsk1l2jEp You can buy them new for around £120 but I've always managed to get secondhand on ebay relatively locally for <£50. I've been using these for the last decade's worth of Glastonbury, have gone through a few now as the site kicks the sh*t out of them... Longest I've had one last is three festivals before it's too buckled to take apart again... Still worth it though!

Last thought, the family camping in Cockmill Meadow is very good, but I'd recommend heading for the higher part of it. You'll have to walk up and down the hill multiple times every day but it's much flatter at the top of the hill so more comfortable camping, and it gets filled up much less quickly than the lower part of that field. Alternatively, get yourselves a 2 man scout tent in Worthy View, plenty of room for two adults and a kid (they let you have a kid in with you for no extra cost FYI) and there's decent toilets and showers there.

Brilliant thanks for all the info, much appreciated. Yes does feel like it would be a different festival. Standing further back at all stages would be the way to go (and utilising any big screens too I guess). Not my usual but still worth it to go to Glasto.

I also hadn't appreciated the cinema, acoustic, kids field, circus etc were all close together. Would certainly help if there were periods of time with no band we were seeing. Just areas I have never explored before.

Did you buy ear protectors for the kids?

[dirtysteve]

12 minutes ago, snailcheeks said:

Brilliant thanks for all the info, much appreciated. Yes does feel like it would be a different festival. Standing further back at all stages would be the way to go (and utilising any big screens too I guess). Not my usual but still worth it to go to Glasto.

I also hadn't appreciated the cinema, acoustic, kids field, circus etc were all close together. Would certainly help if there were periods of time with no band we were seeing. Just areas I have never explored before.

Did you buy ear protectors for the kids?

I did get ear protectors the first year I took my eldest but he wore them once and then didn't bother again, and have never took them since. It's not really needed imo, unless you're sitting right close to a speaker stack. The sound is quite diffuse at the distance you're likely to be from the stages with a kid. Might be worth having on you just in case, though.

Yeah, Kidz Field, Circus, Theatre, Acoustic, Cinema are all within minutes of each other, and the Pyramid isn't more than a few minutes amble further away. You could (and I have, many times) spend the entire day just in that relatively small footprint of the site and not see a single band play a single note but still be 100% entertained from start to finish. There's also an open air circus there with wooden bleachers for sitting that I've seen some really good shows at, too. And until a few festivals ago, there'd also be a "gorilla enclosure" set up around there that my eldest used to get real freaked out about... the costumes and the way the actors moved around were just a bit too realistic for him... haha. Happy memories, man.

Loads of food stalls in that area, too, including some good ones for the kids; the wood fired pizza opposite the Astrolabe in the T&C field is a really good meal for a kid. There's a great smoothie stall opposite the main entry to the Kidz Field, they sell fresh fruit as well as smoothies if your kid needs a healthier energy boost. There's usually a crepe stall next to that, too, nutella crepe recommended for kid's breakfast!

Seriously, that area is a festival in and of itself, you don't need to go and do anything else! 😄

 

[snailcheeks]

Another question - has anyone taken their kids into the music tent areas like Woodsies etc? I can't think of a standing spot in the tents that would suit the little ones unless they can sit on the railing right at the back of the tent? (My son is 10 so not the smallest of kids to take.) For Park stage I think you could find a slope for example. Just thinking I can imagine a few of the bands I want to see being in the tents. Other stage you could probably just stand quite far back or might be more sparse depending on who is playing at the Pyramid. Cheers 

[Miathedog]

31 minutes ago, snailcheeks said:

Another question - has anyone taken their kids into the music tent areas like Woodsies etc? I can't think of a standing spot in the tents that would suit the little ones unless they can sit on the railing right at the back of the tent? (My son is 10 so not the smallest of kids to take.) For Park stage I think you could find a slope for example. Just thinking I can imagine a few of the bands I want to see being in the tents. Other stage you could probably just stand quite far back or might be more sparse depending on who is playing at the Pyramid. Cheers 

This is a question I have wrestled with for years. Been taking our son all his life and yet to watch an in-tent band with him, apart from Bootleg Beatles. He’s preteen now so wondering if we might try it this year. But we usually always head to pyramid for headliners as near home (Cockmill) and easy exit etc. but with this year’s rumoured headliners really not appealing at all (except Stevie) wondering what we’ll do this time … we have a small stand-on box thing in the kitchen for reaching cupboards, maybe that might help!