Taking children out of school for 'O'

[youngladdie]

Has anyone had problems taking children out of school for Orienteering activities?
I mean, it is hardly educational, and more of a holiday, surely?
I note a youngster in South Africa this week - Big5O

[jab]

Not all schools are back this week.

[Electrocuted]

Scottish schools don't go back until next week.

[Happy]

I've obtained permission to take child out on Friday lunchtimes when travelling a long way for important events e.g. British Longs at Sheffield last year. Headmistress is quite accommodating when it is a National event.

[greywolf]

Scottish schools don't go back until next week.

except for all the ones that went back yesterday

(Abdnshire off till monday I think)

[andypat]

Has anyone had problems taking children out of school for Orienteering activities?
I mean, it is hardly educational, and more of a holiday, surely?
I note a youngster in South Africa this week - Big5O

Is this any randon child you are talking about youngladdie or one of your own!?

[graeme]

It seems quite normal for children to skip lessons for serious sports events. When there are major races on schooldays we've not had a problem. I'd be surprised if kids didn't learn anything interesting by visiting South Africa, even if they have to skip the odd geography lesson.
We haven't reached the "running BOC during exams" stage yet, not sure what we'll do then.

[frostbite]

Has anyone had problems taking children out of school for Orienteering activities?
I mean, it is hardly educational, and more of a holiday, surely?
I note a youngster in South Africa this week - Big5O

You do not approve, I guess. I would say it is a matter for the family involved and the school, and nothing to do with us.

Government guidance on holidays during termtime is here
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Sch ... DG_4016103
There is no requirement that the trip should be educational.

[Clive Coles]

The Big5O looked to be a smashing event ~ if only fitter and younger.........

I have found schools flexibile over interpreting the rules if study/examinations is not compromised. You just need to make a case and then ask. My grandson (then aged 14) was taken out for 6 weeks last spring for some hands on volunteering in Sri Lanka. The school's head view was that the experience to see how other folk live was just as valuable as 6 weeks in a UK classroom. Couldn't agree more.

My guess is that if you are paying that sort of money to fly down to SA you will also make a holiday of it as well. The event was held in great area with lots to do apart from orienteering. And of course they would have been within a few hours drive of Kruger and the Drakensbergs.

I say ~ well done. A great opportunity.

[frog]

My son's snowboarding this week and doesn't start back until Monday.
His school would probably OK for him missing school for orienteering if he was in with a chance of a medal and it wasn't near exams.

[sketchweppers]

We have just been deciding in which O events to participate this year, and have decided to go to the Lake District for the BOC weekend. I thought we should book up accommodation now, as it will be busy in the Lakes over bank holiday weekend. In order to save a bit of money, we have decided to camp - this means towing a trailer with all our gear - so we can't travel as quickly. We need to arrive at the campsite before 8pm - which cannot be done if we leave at 4pm when our son finishes school on Friday.
Also we thought it would be better to leave earlier in the day as the traffic is likely to be pretty awful later on. This means that the kids would need to take the Friday afternoon off school.

I assumed that this would go down as unauthorised absence, but reading the comments on this thread, perhaps I will actually bother to complete the 2 sides of A4 requesting half a day's absence for a major sporting event. Let's hope that the Heads are as accommodating as Happy's. It would actually appease my kids, who actually don't want to miss school, if the absence was authorised. They always seem to want to aim for 100% attendance - I am not sure exactly where they got this commendable attitude and I realise that they are pretty special people and this is probably not normal behaviour for teenagers!

[jab]

We have always been granted authorised absence for orienteering - for family travel to events like the British in Cornwall or Scottish Champs, and when oldest child has been travelling to things like the JIRCS and needed the Friday off school. It's never been a problem. When we would have needed to ask for absence during the exam period, he was on exam leave anyway so the school never needed to know.

[Mrs H]

Likewise - the school actively supported our orienteering endeavours over the years with authorised time off and a bursary when Young Neville went to the World Schools.

[DeerTick]

It's youngladdie, so it's got to be a troll.

[PhilJ]

We haven't reached the "running BOC during exams" stage yet, not sure what we'll do then.

last year my lad and others missed BOC as they had an English GCSE exam on the Monday - the welsh (and probably the scottish) have different exam times to the english schools and therefore if BOC is to continue be held in May (any reason why it is?) why not Sept.. seeing as the Elites now have their own champs...then some juniors may miss out.

Seems historically BOC is in May but things have moved on with Middle/Sprint/Elite champs, time for a re-think to finally put an end to this clash with exams.

Haven't looked at this years exam timetable for AS's yet, hopefully we can attend this year's BOC.

Re taking children out of school, our comprehensive have always been very supportive and my 2 have missed many a Friday afternoon when travelling to Ireland/Scotland etc for home internationals, similarly to BOC if it has been necessary to leave on Friday. Simple phone call to the head of year was all that was needed explaining the reason.