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[Terbs]

Just been talking to next door neighbour. He sent an absent request to the head teacher of his 9 year old daughters school.
Evidently they are going to Dubai during the autumn half term. He explained the return flight does not land until the early hours of the Monday morning that the school starts back, and he requested she start back on the Tuesday.
He has just received a letter back stating his request is authorised.....on condition the daughter is back in school on Monday by 1pm
No thought of flight delays, child being knackered, etc.
What a total head plonker. He is going to lose out though, as my neighbour has just agreed to chair the PTA, as nobody else will do it, which the head is aware of, and took part in the 'persuading' of my neighbour.
 
The head is shortly to receive an e-mail, telling him where to shove the PTA job, and a few other choice words.
Neighbour says "I would rather pay a fine"....followed by and including many other expletives !!!! Money is no object to him.....just paid nearly half a million for the house, and is also looking to buy the village pub.
Can't wait for him to tell me the response.

[05omegav6]

One for STEMO...

[biggriffin]

Don't bother to ask for permission, just take the child on hollybobs, and phone them in sick.

[STEMO]

There are plonkers in all walks of life, and we only have one side of the story.

[Terbs]

Agree, Steve, but the facts I have been told, are the family are well involved with the school, activities, etc. A first time request, apparently, but by all accounts, this head is a 'bit weird' with some of his other 'actions'.
Apart from what the neighbour has told me, I do get this opinion from a number of people I come into contact with, due to my status and position at the Community Centre, where we hold many activities for young children, ballet, music lessons, etc.
I have found most head teachers I have come into contact with to be 'world wise and understanding'. However, the general consensus is, this fella does not figure in the above statement

[Bigron]

Before |I retired, I had spent 20 years in education - college, not school - and it has been my experience that head teachers/heads of department are promoted to those positions when they show a massive INABILTY to teach or perform any other useful function!


Ron

[Terbs]

Can't say that about the retired Head Teacher that lives opposite me, Ron.
I wish he had been head of my schools back in the old days. He asked me if I would be able to do work for the school in holiday times, and a few times in term time. This chap listened to what I proposed with work, allowed me and the site manager to sort stuff ourselves. Offered ideas, listened to why or why not. The teachers and the staff, also the parents, thought him the tops.
After taking the work away from the PTA, I got the school round to looking top quality, and did all the decorating for many years.
Knowing how he dealt with absenteeism, I am pretty sure he would have dealt with the OP in a more dignified way !!!

[Bigron]

Then he is/was one in a million, one to be treasured - you were lucky!

Ron.

[Terbs]

Trust me, he was, Ron. Head at the school for 27 years.
Unfortunately, the new Head that replaced him, caused all sorts of problems. I don't think she lasted long....I know a few teachers resigned, the site manager resigned. Another bloke who did more for the school than his hours required. I rang the site manager and asked if my services were required, but he said she is getting the PTA to do work, and its undoing all the good work I did. He said 'We are back to paint on windows, runs, and splashes over the furniture'  All Heads are allowed to run their own regime, but she went in with no tact at all, instead of a more softly, softly approach.
I understand the latest Head is more like the original, and things are again getting back to status quo. Too late for me, though, I have retired

[STEMO]

Before |I retired, I had spent 20 years in education - college, not school - and it has been my experience that head teachers/heads of department are promoted to those positions when they show a massive INABILTY to teach or perform any other useful function!


Ron

Like I said, Ron, there are plonkers in all walks of life. I take it you never made it to a such a position. Hard to see why really.

[Bigron]

Stemo, my comments were not due to sour greapes that I never got to be departmental head - I never aspired to the post. It would have taken me away from teaching and into admin - deffo NOT for me!

Ron.

[05omegav6]

If he's that bothered, he could always pay to send his kids to a proper school where two week half terms are the norm...

[steve6367]

I'm not saying I agree with the below, but department guidance is very clear that HT's have discretion to approve term time absence in exception circumstances only and specifically states that holidays, travel and visiting family are not regarded as exceptional circumstances. So the HT should have just said no, see you at 8am Monday if he wanted to follow the guidance.

Just to give some context to his possible decision making process.

Steve

[Marks DTM Calib]

Just been talking to next door neighbour. He sent an absent request to the head teacher of his 9 year old daughters school.
Evidently they are going to Dubai during the autumn half term. He explained the return flight does not land until the early hours of the Monday morning that the school starts back, and he requested she start back on the Tuesday.
He has just received a letter back stating his request is authorised.....on condition the daughter is back in school on Monday by 1pm
No thought of flight delays, child being knackered, etc.
What a total head plonker. He is going to lose out though, as my neighbour has just agreed to chair the PTA, as nobody else will do it, which the head is aware of, and took part in the 'persuading' of my neighbour.
 
The head is shortly to receive an e-mail, telling him where to shove the PTA job, and a few other choice words.
Neighbour says "I would rather pay a fine"....followed by and including many other expletives !!!! Money is no object to him.....just paid nearly half a million for the house, and is also looking to buy the village pub.
Can't wait for him to tell me the response.

Actually, he's to be applauded for such a response.

The rules are no absence to be authorised, period. He's taken a pragmatic approach, bent the rules and I am sure the same would be considered if there were flight issues. I would not waste the email on the head teacher, its your MP that would benefit more.

Remember, the masses are suffering due to the few who take the piss with school absence. 

[Sir Tigger KC]

So we have a fella that has a few quid, about to become chairman of the PTA and has thrown his toys out of his pram because he dosn't get the preferential treatment he thinks he deserves.    As chairman of the PTA he should be setting an example not trying to bend the rules. 

The school is better off without this plonker in my opinion. 

[Terbs]

That's a bit unfair, Steve. He is not trying to bend the rules. As far as I am aware you have to ask permission. I know families in other schools who have done this, and received authorisation for the same circumstances.
So, whats the option, call in sick Pay a fine......
There are many many people who do this, for many different reasons.
So you play by the rules, and get a non thought through result, imho.
I don't have this problem with children now, mine are grown up. I still do not agree with the big brother attitude over this. Since time (or education began) we have achieved a fantastic results in science, men on the moon, computers, Concorde, etc, etc, etc. Then two years or so ago, some do gooder idiot decides we cannot achieve anything more unless children spend every single day in school.
We got to where we are today without this rule.
If a child has a certain level of attendance, this should be taken into account.
I do take a bit of offence at your post Sir Tig, as the family are not as you suggest. They get involved in all school activities and are really normal everyday people, ready to help if they can. Yes, they have a few bob, he could have stuck two fingers up at the rules and paid a fine.....but no...he followed the rules. As he also said, his daughter has an exemplary attendance record. And its the first time they have required absence.
I wonder if the Head worries about kid's education when his union calls a strike.....!!!!!!!!!!

[STEMO]

Head teachers haven't been on strike for as long as I can remember, maybe never, but don't let the facts ruin your point of view.

[Sir Tigger KC]

No offence meant Tony, it's just how I read your OP. 

[STEMO]

This thread is the same as so many others. Terbs heard one side of a story relating to one headteacher and posted about all headteachers. It's just the way it works........human nature.

[05omegav6]

Is he vegan per chance

[Terbs]

No probs Steve (Sir Tig)

Steve (STEMO).....maybe a wrong choice of title, for which I apologise. As I stated into the thread, I did say there were good Heads, and there are many.
Maybe I had one side of the story, but...had I not had a long time association with the family concerned, and know what they stand for, maybe I would have thought differently. This coupled with other situations that have arisen and been discussed with parent groups, leads me to my conclusion of 'ill thought out'.

I took my kids out of school when they were little....I had no choice. I was not allowed holidays during school holiday times. Both my children have executive high powered jobs, so it did not affect them.
I have spent a month away at the tin tent, and there was a fair splattering of kids there on hollibobs. I only spoke to one who had a 12 year old boy...they said they would pay a fine...it was cheaper than going away in August. And that in many ways is a large part of the holiday problem. (I appreciate that money is not a factor in my original case)
We have just spent £500 for the month away...I said to swmbo.. 'Lets have the van out during August and have the grandchildren down for a week each......cost...£1200, and that's for just me and swmbo.
That is not the Head teachers fault......it lies with commercialism. Stop that and maybe these situations would not arise so much.

[STEMO]

It's ok, Terbs, look at the title of the last thread I started.

"They're all at it" 

[Rods2]

I see it rightly or wrongly that it is a parents role to support their children's education and the school's rules. If he is not prepared to accept the headmasters decision then the school have had a lucky escape with him not taking the PTA job.

IMO there is far to much my Waine / Wainetta is a perfect angel and the parents backing the child against the school. We have recently had the current media crop on how they have been sent home where the mother has complained about the unreasonableness of the school that their latest fashion statement is not compatible with school uniform rules.

When he joins her to collect the weekly 'social', he will be able to wear what he likes.

[Migalot]

I fully support the head.

At the end of the day, if any school is shown to be lenient over this issue, the playgrounds would be empty during the first days of term. The rules are there and the parents knew them before they booked the flights. End of.   

[stuyg]

spot on!!!!

I see it rightly or wrongly that it is a parents role to support their children's education and the school's rules. If he is not prepared to accept the headmasters decision then the school have had a lucky escape with him not taking the PTA job.

IMO there is far to much my Waine / Wainetta is a perfect angel and the parents backing the child against the school. We have recently had the current media crop on how they have been sent home where the mother has complained about the unreasonableness of the school that their latest fashion statement is not compatible with school uniform rules.

When he joins her to collect the weekly 'social', he will be able to wear what he likes.


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