School holiday dates

The extra holidays for private schools are not related to whether or not they have Saturday School.
Two private secondaries in my town. No Saturday school at either, but longer holidays than the state schools.

They did consult on changing them recently. They’re staying as they are.

Move to Wales, it's still quite sensible here.

The Christmas one sounds terrible. Feel sorry especially for any SEND families having to do that

Schools can choose to do their INSET days as twilight sessions and gain more days off. It works out the number of days for the children but can be put together to have an extra week off at May half term for example. My grandson's primary tried it to avoid people taking holidays in term time but it didn't work

Academy set their own holidays. Nothing to do with the government.

...In fact this has just prompted me to make this year's spreadsheet to keep track of it all...

Your holiday dates are different to those of maintained LA schools. The academy trust can set its own dates without consultation. Another Conservative government move to weaken LA involvement and local democratic control.

With an LA maintained school, school leaders and governors are consulted on proposed school term dates, (well ahead - think 3-4 years) the LA evaluate responses from schools and put a proposal before elected council members. This gives a wider view and a local democratic decision for all LA maintained schools. (rather than trusts doing their own thing).

I'm in NI. The kids get all of July and August off (as well as 2 weeks at Christmas, a week in Febraury, two weeks at Easter, and a week in October) and let me tell you, it is a pain in the fucking arse. They're all SHATTERED by the end of June because they haven't had a break since April, and finding something to do with them for 9+ weeks over the summer is a nightmare. By the end of six weeks off they're bored and listless and really need to get back into a routine. Fine if you have a non-working parent and/or an endless supply of money to entertain them with but otherwise it's hideous.

Too long a Christmas break. The observation about the autumn term is valid so two weeks in October seems a better option.

Of course it would be easier if we stopped putting clocks back in winter.

The children do. The Autumn term is exhausting.

I completely agree. More time off when the weather is likely to be warmer! Who needs 2 weeks off in October?!

DDs primary school have changed theirs this year to 1 week for Easter and 2 weeks in May. They didnt do it last year, but like you OP I prefer it. Weve managed to get an abroad holiday in that second week for a lot cheaper. Iv checked the calendar for next year and theyve done it again, so we are looking at disneyland paris. I hope they dont revert back to the old way, this is the only way we can afford an abroad holiday as a family of 5. I think it depends on your LA what school holidays you have, although my nieces school are in the same village as ours and they still have the 2 weeks Easter and 1 week May, so no idea whats going on there.

I’d love our school holidays to be spread across the year!

We live temporarily in the US for DH’s work, and our kids’ school year starts in August. They then get a week at Thanksgiving (late November), a week at Christmas and then nothing but the odd national holiday (Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Martin Luther King Day etc) until the summer……then they get 12 weeks from late May to late August 😳😳😳😳
Its insane.

Northwest and we get

1 week in Feb
2 weeks Easter (and sensibly we have the week either side of actual Easter this time)
2 weeks summer half term - (I love this as we can usually bag a cheaper week away in the second week, we usually opt for Dorset but trying another part of the UK this year)
5 weeks summer
1 week October

2 weeks in October is odd. The private schools around us get two weeks for each half term (feb, may, Oct) but all the states only get one week. That being said, if you want a cost effective way of going on a long-haul sun-seeking holiday then that two weeks in oct would be the way to do it.

my kids are at a state primary, which is also a free school. So they get to choose their own holidays, within reason (I think). They have one week each half term, 3.5 weeks at Christmas, 7.5 weeks for the summer, and we are currently in the middle of their 3.5 Easter break. It’s a lot of holidays to work around…the summer one is lovely if you’re able to work remotely or something, but too long for any regular working parents with normal holiday allowance.

3.5 weeks at Christmas?! That alone would drive me insane.

With lashings of ginger beer?

The long summer holidays are a nightmare. Our LA took a week off them and added it to October holiday. It’s much more manageable as trying to keep kids entertained for nearly 8 weeks, whilst working full time was awful.

im grumpy because i just looked at a week in Mallorca for the May half term next year and its 4.5k (self catering) but the week after (that we used to have) - all inclusive! is 2k. So no holiday for us and lots of weeks stuck inside whilst it lashes down and blows a gale all through winter… yay.

Flights are more expensive because May HT is literally 5 wks away but looking on Skyscanner, you can get return flights to Palma for approx £300pp. Searching on Airbnb for 2 bed places - there are still lots of choice for under £1.2K for the week so that's still under £2.5K for flights & accommodation and there are cheaper accommodation to choose from.

I would pick a cheaper flight under £100pp like Northern Spain so under £400 for a family of 4 compared to £1.2K for flights to Palma. Eveb Malaga is just over £100pp.

Where are you looking that it costs £4.5K? DIY your own - it'll save you at least £2K! Booking budget flights is easy as is booking SC accommodation on AirBNB or booking.com.

Book the holiday in May OP and just pay the fine….im a teacher btw (fining system is shocking)

For everyone who feels as you do, there’ll be someone else who says “oh god I hate getting the kids up for school when it’s cold and dark, give them their time off in winter. Plus there are so many bugs going around, best let them stay at home and give their immune systems a break”.

So they probably can’t please everyone.

It does sound like a lot of time off in total though!

Is this a private school? I've never known a state school have 3.5 weeks at Christmas.

If it really is 3.5 weeks at Christmas it may be because they want to shut during the cold weather to reduce heating bills.

DDs school has 1 week October, less than 2 but more than 1 at Xmas, 1 week Feb, 234 weeks for Easter and blink and you’ll miss it weeks in the Summer

@ackarackaru but why can’t we have the other 4 in the summer?! June onwards off would be lovely!

Please no 😭Single folks like me rely on you guys not being on holiday until July, we won't get a 'look in' with holidays if you bring school holidays earlier!

But - more seriously - I do agree that the whole system is a complete mess, and I do wonder if out education systems (nationally) could be more radical and introduce more flexible systems of learning across the whole calendar year, just like most other service industries. It just needs a bit of lateral and creative thinking. No doubt unions would resist this but the current September-July academic year belongs in the past, and doesn't serve anyone particularly well.

Malta is beautiful in October: far too hot in the summer months but still 20s-ish in October and far quieter too.