Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School holiday dates

111 replies

ackarackaru · 14/04/2025 08:57

My DC school has just announced they’re doing away with our second week in June to align with the rest of the trust schools.

looking at the school holidays, we now have:

2 weeks in october
3.5 weeks at Christmas
1 week in February

so 6.5 weeks during the most miserable, cold, wet time of year

then the rest align with everyone else I expect, Easter, may then summer holidays.

why can’t the government change it so we have longer when the weather is better? One week in October is fine for me, 1 - 1.5 at Christmas, not bothered by February but if the kids need a break then 1 week is fine.

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

is it just me? Can we start a petition?

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.

OP posts:
whitenoisewave · 14/04/2025 14:14

I want 8 weeks summer and the rest can be 1 week each.

Thisismetooaswell · 14/04/2025 14:14

Overthebow · 14/04/2025 09:10

But if you get 2 weeks October you could go away then?

It’s much better to have a 2 week may half term than October - you don’t have to go far in may to get good weather

Flossflower · 14/04/2025 14:09

All this time off in winter really looks terrible.
Are the schools doing this to save money on heating during the winter?

Justploddingonandon · 14/04/2025 14:08

When DD's school moved to a two week October half term I wasn't a fan, but actually it's not that hard to find something to fill the time (some free, some not), although we're the sort of people happy to put a coat on and run around the park etc so long as it's not actually raining. Also the Autumn term was still 14 weeks long and everyone was struggling by the end.

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 14/04/2025 14:02

AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti · 14/04/2025 13:57

That’s a week too many though. Unless one of those weeks is actually 5 INSET days.

Show quote history

Summer break works out as 5 weeks plus INSET days at start and end, plus staggered start at beginning of new year - so 6 weeks in total give or take a day depending on year group.

haveacat · 14/04/2025 14:00

1 week in October
2 weeks at Christmas
1 week in Feb
1 week for Easter
Bank holidays in May
July and August off

Pleasegodgotosleep · 14/04/2025 13:59

I'm in Scotland, we get -

2 weeks Christmas
3 days Feb
2 weeks Easter
1 day May (BH weekend)
7 .5 weeks summer (end June to mid Aug)
2 weeks Oct
2 days end Nov

That includes in-service days.

arcticpandas · 14/04/2025 13:58

My friend who's in France got 2 w october, 2 w december, 2 w february, 2 w april, lots of random days off in May, 7 w summer. Maybe move over there :).

Welshmonster · 14/04/2025 13:57

What kind of school as if secondary then they would have GCSE and A Level exams after the usual May half term.

schools can set their own term dates but the downside of being part of a MAT is they like everything to be the same. How dare one headteacher have autonomy over their school! Many academies you now have to have everything the same. So PowerPoints are the same across 25 schools etc. it’s ridiculous.

you could just book the holiday and pay the fine. It would be cheaper than the half term price but I would book it soon and claim ignorance of the letter. You might not have opened it 😉

but the following years the fines go up so be careful.

AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti · 14/04/2025 13:57

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 14/04/2025 13:37

London seems to get:
2 weeks October half-term
2 weeks Xmas
1 week in Feb
2 weeks Easter
1 week summer half term
6 weeks summer.

Relative in rural Devon have the same except 1 week October half-term and 2 weeks in the summer.

Suspect that is due to harvests historically.

That’s a week too many though. Unless one of those weeks is actually 5 INSET days.

BreatheAndFocus · 14/04/2025 13:57

One week in October is fine for me, 1 - 1.5 at Christmas, not bothered by February but if the kids need a break then 1 week is fine

The Autumn term is hellish in schools. There are a huge amount of bugs, darkness and ill and tired children and staff. I work in a school and from Sept to Jan I had Covid, strep, two colds and Influenza A. The children had worse as they also had chickenpox, scarlet fever and god knows what else. Everyone, young and old, was struggling. That’s why we need preferably two weeks for Oct Half Term and ideally 3 wks at Xmas to recover and rest.

thewindbeneathmywings · 14/04/2025 13:57

Are you northern Scotland OP? My friend up there gets 2 weeks in October. Traditionally it was the tattie holidays.

my kids school get
2 weeks at Christmas
long weekend in Feb (Sat-Tues)
2 weeks at Easter
May Day bank holiday.
long weekend at end of May (Friday-Monday)
Break up for Summer end of June for 7 ish weeks. Go back around 20th August
long weekend (3 days) at end of September
1 week off in October
long weekend (4 days) in November.

AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti · 14/04/2025 13:56

Overthebow · 14/04/2025 09:09

Where are you? This isn’t a UK government thing, at dds school they get 1 week October, 2 weeks Christmas, 1 week February, 1 week May, 6 weeks summer holidays.

Same. Plus 2 weeks at Easter.

CautiousLurker01 · 14/04/2025 13:55

Seachanger · 14/04/2025 09:01

3.5 weeks at Christmas sounds like a nightmare. I've never heard of such a long Christmas break.
What on earth is the rationale behind that?

Edited

My kids private school used to do this, I suspect because Sept-Dec is a hideously long term and the last few weeks are just Christmas orientated, but the Independent Schools Inspectorate did a visit one year and felt there were not enough teaching days. So the school extended this term by another week. During which more Christmassy crap was done and not much more teaching took place…

Wexone · 14/04/2025 13:52

Overthebow · 14/04/2025 09:09

Where are you? This isn’t a UK government thing, at dds school they get 1 week October, 2 weeks Christmas, 1 week February, 1 week May, 6 weeks summer holidays.

Do you not get two weeks at easter too ?

Thindog · 14/04/2025 13:50

Having longer off in winter means cheaper heating bills for schools, less time lost due to snow days, fewer children taking time off for winter ailments.Makes sense.

PinkyFlamingo · 14/04/2025 13:47

Morph22010 · 14/04/2025 09:01

That’s your opinion though, lots of people don’t like a long summer holiday, and the autumn term tends to be the longest so that’s why lots have a two week break then. 3 and a half at Christmas seems very high though we get two weeks at Christmas which is plenty

Didn't mean to quote sorry!

Where are you OP, you're not in Scotland that's for sure!

OhCrumbsWhereNow · 14/04/2025 13:37

London seems to get:
2 weeks October half-term
2 weeks Xmas
1 week in Feb
2 weeks Easter
1 week summer half term
6 weeks summer.

Relative in rural Devon have the same except 1 week October half-term and 2 weeks in the summer.

Suspect that is due to harvests historically.

Delphiniumandlupins · 14/04/2025 13:37

I think go away in October and/or in your 3.5 week Christmas holiday.

KateShugakIsALegend · 14/04/2025 13:37

ackarackaru · 14/04/2025 09:20

Hm yes good point re: GCSEs.

I assumed it was government led, my mistake.

the problem with October is you have to go further afield for decent weather and for me the benefit of more holidays in the summer is you don’t necessarily even have to go abroad. You could holiday in the U.K. which is cheaper, better for our economy etc.

and its not just about going on holiday. It’s child entertainment. The summer is so much nicer - park visits, farm visits, beach visits, hell just go in the garden. Winter? Sit infront of a screen, or trash the house with painting, crafting and baking.

Catch a train to the South of France from Paris. Lovely weather in October.

CosyLemur · 14/04/2025 13:35

Where do you live? I've never heard of anyone getting that much time off!
Most people get
1 week October
2 weeks Christmas
1 week February
2 weeks Easter
1 week June
6 weeks August!
They're spread so that the kids are at school for no more than 6 weeks at any time.

Disneyrunner · 14/04/2025 13:32

This is why parents take their kids out of school for holidays - £120 fine to save £2,500 is a no brainer!

SJM1988 · 14/04/2025 13:32

Its not a government thing, its a school trust / local council thing.

We have:
1 week Oct
2 - 2.5 weeks Christmas (depending on year and training days)
1 week Feb
2 weeks Easter
1 week May
6 weeks Summer

Our school trust tries to balance out at 6 week terms but sometimes it isn't possible - we have 4.5 weeks next term just because of where easter falls. I think it is much more important to have steady equal terms than holidays all in the summer.

PoppysAunt · 14/04/2025 13:23

A private school? That makes sense, with all the holidays and the OP keeping them occupied over a long summer with no worries.

BuildbyNumbere · 14/04/2025 13:21

Start summer break in June?!?! 🤣🤣 Do you work???

Swipe left for the next trending thread