To think the schools break up far too late?

[justnotaballetmum]

They do, don't they?

It is nearly the end of July. The best weather (ha, I know, but stay with me!) has gone. It's practically August by the time they are released and distinctly autumnal.

Wouldn't it be better to break up start of July and give them a couple of extra weeks?

[CrispyKipper]

Yes yes yes! My dd finishes next Tuesday. Can't come soon enough.

[Twatting]

DS broke up last Friday. Back 5 September.

[redhat]

They're all different though aren't they. Mine have been off for a week but a friend's DD has been off for two weeks already.

[WorraLiberty]

I suppose it depends on where you live.

Here in the Southeast, the weather is normally really warm in early Autumn anyway.

[ShotsFired]

Depends on your position, surely? For me, I'd prefer it if they broke up in September.

But then I don't have kids and find it a PITA when all the nice places are rammed full of the blighters in the better weather

[dementedpixie]

Ours break up the end of June (scotland) and go back mid August. I have found that we get good weather as soon as they go back to school

[Soon2bC]

the root of school holidays was agriculture so the kids could help on the land and harvest fruit etc so i guess they dont do this so much now. My personal opinion is that it would have been better for my DS to have shorter holidays on a more regular basis and that the summer holidays are too long as it is and that they would benefit from more educational time in school, especially when they are in secondary school (not so much for the little ones)

[DownstairsMixUp]

Ours is ok but we are in south east. Mine breaks up Friday and goes back 12th of September (should of been 5th but the school is having buiding work done)

[Palomb]

August is not autumnal 🙀

[DerelictMyBalls]

Please no. Summer holiday childcare is complicated and expensive enough. If anything, they should break up later!

[BerriesandLeaves]

Yes. I complain about this every year. Other countries and private schools have the right idea.

[branofthemist]

August isn't autumnal . September has been nice for the last few years so maybe they break up too early.

Dd broke up last Thursday and Ds broke up yesterday.

I the weather was great in May. It impossible to tell when the best weather will be.

[gleam]

Yes, I agree. My dc has been told to 'look busy' at school today. WTF? Either give them some work or let them be at home.

[MrsJayy]

We break up in june it was great when dds were still in school go on holiday in low season

[Emochild]

One dd broke up last week, the other one has another full week in school (different counties)

They both go back on the 6th

Apparently leeds got an extra week last summer for whatever reason and are taking it back in this holiday

All the dcs are exhausted

[justnotaballetmum]

September is summery because the weather knows

I find August depressing: the nights start drawing in, and autumn is beginning. Then September is like July!

My DS has been watching DVDs all week.

[x2boys]

Not longer six weeks is long enough thanks mine break up this friday and go back 6th of september

[branofthemist]

Apparently leeds got an extra week last summer for whatever reason and are taking it back in this holiday

Really? We live on the Leeds boundary, although the kids don't go to school in Leeds. I thought they had broken up early as they had a very late Easter and spring break. I expected them to break up later as well.

Seems a bit unfair to take it back when this years, year 7 didn't get the extra week last year.

[FedoraRora]

June and early July was awful weather, lots of rain, it's only the last 2 weeks that the sun has really come out & August is always pretty hot for us.

As a parent I'm glad the holidays are 6 weeks, I don't understand how parents can handle any more then that but for my DCs it's far too short. Most of Europe seems to break up in June and go back Mid August.

Just curious do other countries get half term? Or something similar.

[BarbaraofSeville]

Ah, that explains it EMO I'm in Leeds too and I thought the 27th July was very late for school break up, but I remember last year my nephews didn't go back until something like 7th September.

A lot of other Yorkshire areas broke up yesterday, which is a bugger because we're off for the rest of the week, and I was hoping to squeeze in a day out before the start of the school hols and it seems that I've missed the boat.

As far as weather is concerned, it is so unpredictable that anywhere between March and October can be anything between rain/cold and even snow, to glorious sunshine.

[kesstrel]

August on average has 20% more rainfall than June or July. I think the summer holiday should be moved to June plus first two weeks of July. That way the time between Christmas and summer holidays would be almost equal, and we could have 4 terms of roughly the same length, which would also solve the problem of the much too long and exhausting autumn term.

[DisdressedDolphin]

We break up the first Friday of July. They go back the 15th August, then get three weeks at the end of Sept/beginning of October.

[MrsJayy]

That is true the weather can be anywhere from heatwave to monsoon

[grannytomine]

Yes to longer holidays, not much done in last week or two anyway. I don't think childcare should come into it, school is about education not childcare. Childcare is parents responsibility not the schools.

[ChocChocPorridge]

Yes. We live abroad and DS has been off school since 15th June! He's had some awesome weather, he's off at swimming lessons and summer club and having an awesome time with this long holiday.

Of course the down side is he only gets a week or a week and a half at any other holiday