Back to school, but for how long?

Ruth Stone
Sep 5, 2018 · 3 min read

Most parents have this week returned their children to school and taken a deep sigh of relief as they enjoy a 7-week long return to a much-missed routine. But for me the drop-off was the next step closer to a one-week return to school before we depart as a family to America for a work trip on which I must take the children.

The level of support from the school while we travel was left open-ended when the summer holidays began and I have this morning written a letter to the Head Teacher advising her of my decision to let her make the decision. I have done my best to sway her in a letter reaffirming my commitment to education on the road in the hope she will protect the children’s school places in return, but everything still hangs in the balance.

Here’s the letter….

Dear Mrs XXX

I write to follow up on my previous letter, our subsequent meeting, and a summer of research and contemplation.

I have discovered that The Education Act supports ‘parents who travel for work’, but only those of certain ethnicities, so I have even begun a petition to remove what I believe is a racist element of The Act. If you’re interested you can find it at www.bit.ly/RuthsPetition. While the law doesn’t support me yet owing to my creed, I am encouraged to know that the mechanics to support parents who travel for work and need to take their children with them are established.

As well as undertaking desk research I have also spoke at length with the Welfare Officer assigned to the school. She has informed me that you could support me, as The Education Act does other parents, and mark the class registers as ‘educated elsewhere’ during our absence which will have no adverse effect on your statistics and ensure the children can return to XXXX Primary when we return home. I can then take a one-off brief for each child and cover the topics and learning objectives of each as we travel and provide evidence on our return or work on a piecemeal basis with each teacher, depending on which works best for them.

The reason I am taking the children with me is because I am a single working parent who is the sole financial provider. The business I am working on while away is one of three income streams. The other two are UK-based. Therefore the option of de-registration and home education on our return while we join a waiting list for places at the school will make my return to work in my two other professions much harder and create genuinely tough financial consequences for us as a family.

So, my final decision is to put my trust in you in the hope that you will take into consideration both the children’s excellent attendance records, my promise to you to teach them while we travel and your understanding of my financial situation.

If you could let me know what you decide before we leave I would really appreciate it.

Yours Faithfully and Hopefully

We meet on Friday to discuss it, so hopefully I will know then where I stand, and hopefully the school will support me. Do you think they will?

Ruth Stone

Written by

A spinner of plates. I’m a single parent of 2, PR consultant, Yoga Teacher, Fitness Instructor, Parental rights campaigner, traveller & BoxHead Craft Founder.

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