Summer holidays should be longer

Honestly, I think some of the commentators are on a wind up tonight (telling people just to swan off abroad for a month…)

Most Parents get 28 days annual leave days a year. There are 13 weeks of school holidays.

Parents usually work as part of a team so its not just a case of taking all annual leave exactly when you want (we work ours out as part of the team im in to be fair to everyone, to make sure everyone gets time with their families).

Holiday clubs cost anything from £20 a day (cheap) to £45 a day in our area per child.

Many people dont live near their families in 2025 - you move for uni, work, house prices, your job etc, so dont live up the road from family for free childcare.

80% of Mums work - we dont have all Summer off like alot of us can remember from decades gone by. The pension age is rising (most likely to 70 soon) so those in their 30’s/40’s now are most likely working until late 60’s at least and won’t be free all Summer to help with childcare in the future.

We dont need longer Summer holidays - as much as I love the holidays and enjoy every second with my kids, 6 weeks is more than enough. I’ve never met anyone in ‘real life’ asking for more than that and most children are excited to go back in September and like the routine/seeing friends etc.

What we can look at is how they are divided up through the year - would a longer October half-term be better to break up a long Autumn slog for kids and teachers? Would it reduce bugs in the classroom to have a good break and also help with everyones mental health? It’s time it was looked at and everyones views taken into account, but I dont know anyone asking for a longer Summer.

My son's school (academy) has an extra 3 weeks holiday a year, 2 are added to summer so 8 weeks and 1 in October. This is achieved by a longer school day meaning over the year they have the same amount of classroom time as any other school.
I must admit we have absolutely taken advantage of this when it comes to family holidays, saving quite a bit by going in July before others break up, or late August so it runs into September when others have gone back. We also usually manage a fairly cheap UK break in October by going in the extra week rather than main half term week.

So actually no, totally disagree, absolutely do not roll this out to everyone 🤣

I'd like workers holidays to be longer! Inevitably the lowest paid also get the lowest holiday entitlement. Most NMW pay bare minimum in 'perks' and actually act as if you should be grovelling in gratitude
If workers and schools were more closely aligned there would be less issue over childcare. Two NMW parents would still struggle to cover holidays let alone be able to take them at the same time.

Here you go from the court verdict:

I agree with. 6 weeks isn't a lot of time, plus it is usually very hot abroad, to hot for fun in the sun.

I get 20 days ...plus bank hols

As someone with multiple young children in the street screaming from morning til evening .. no.. no they shouldn’t 😂

We have 9 weeks in Northern Ireland. 😊
works well for us as i’m a teacher although i do not get the full 9weeks off

I can’t read all the posts but other countries don’t have kids at home all holiday when they are 13 weeks long. Someone commented that in portugal the camps are £50 a week - my kids haven’t done really serious school work for quite a few weeks now (its been trips, sports day, end of term fun etc), so whats the point in making the Summer holidays longer, giving hard working parents even more childcare pressure, just to replace school with Summer camps?

100% we love the summer in our house but it takes at least a week to get into it and then after two weeks you feel like your prepping to go back. Parents need to stop seeing schools as childcare.

I have family in America and they head to Italy for a month every year and immerse themselves in the culture. I have family in Italy and they will head off on a family holiday and the children will be off in a camp in the mountains learning the stuff they don’t teach in schools. We need more of that, and parents not expecting schools to teach their kids everything.

It isn't bigoted. It is true. How lower incomes are we talking about anyway?

Absolutely not. My DS is autistic and disregulated to hell and we’re only halfway through.

Massive meltdowns over trivial things. Lots of TV (too much) as it’s the only way to regulate him…

In Poland, the kids break up at the end of June (around the 25th) and go back on the 1st September so we have two full months. The kids love it! We don't have as much time off at Easter and Christmas and we don't have half terms but we do get a two week 'Winter Break' in Jan/Feb. There are lots of summer camps but not organised by schools. Most people manage child care by using family: it's pretty usual to have family in the same town or even house and lots of kids go and stay with Babcia (Grandma) for weeks on end! I've taught in schools in both countries and although the slog through to December is difficult here, the two month holiday is fantastic!

It would wonderful if everyone had more holidays, if you have young children then having the option to work term-time only would be hugely beneficial. Companies like Amazon have been exploring this. We have a situation where most people (often mums) feel burnt out and exhausted trying to juggle working effectively and parenting to a relatively acceptable standard.
There are lots of university students who would welcome the opportunity to cover the holidays and earn some money. In proffessions where this isn't possible, it might help with recruitment (nurses, social workers etc) if there was a term-time only option for parents with children aged under 14. We can't keep expecting parents to work like they aren't parents.
Schools aren't responsible for childcare.They shouldn't be responsible for trying to fix all of society's flaws either. They are only responsible for education. There is a huge difference.
As a wider society we need to recognise that mothers (especially) need flexibility. It would benefit our mental health, our children's mental health and provide better bonding time for families. It would also be cheaper than having to arrange state funded holiday schemes. It would cut down on people quitting their jobs from burn out and a host of mental health conditions. More holidays for everyone!

I think in an ideal world where parents (and everyone else) got much, much more leave and flexible working the best for kids would be shorter school holidays and much shorter school days.

In the place I grew up in we got roughly the same amount of holidays but our school started at 8am and till year 10 finished at 1pm every day, ie Monday to Friday.

This meant we had every day hours of unstructured time where we could just be kids. Plenty of time for extracurricular activities as well without being overloaded

of course back then mums often didn't work and if they did kids just stayed at home alone. I csnt imagine doing thst myself now (and I'm definitely not going to quit working) but it was a better, more relaxed childhood.

We also only started school at 6 / 7 and I think that is really something that the uk gets wrong. Kids are forced into formal learning way too early.

I'm with you, my kids were so jealous of their Italian cousin.

If I'd have been a stay at home mum I'd have loved it - I lived for school holidays and had 3 weeks unpaid in the summer.

Unfortunately though, with two parents at work schools are BABYSITTERS, never mind if the system benefits the kids!

I’ve never found it much cheaper to go away early July when my DC breaks up from private school as it’s prime holiday season in the rest of Europe. It’s also when the hotels are at the busiest due to the rest of Europe being on holiday already. The last week of August is generally the best value and it’s quieter.

That graph you posted is incorrect, I live in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) and it’s only 6 weeks there.

I loved the summer holidays as a child and would have had mine off longer too in the summer.

I don't know if we should lengthen them but I don't think we should shorten them.

I'm Irish and the school system is just completely different here (I'm not implying either is better or worse). My brother lives in the UK and I find it shocking that small children are in school for such a long day, let alone a much shorter summer break. Here primary school hours are 9-1.30 until 7yrs and then 9-2.30 until 12yrs old. Summer hols are 9 weeks for primary and 12 weeks for secondary. It's a struggle for parents but between annual leave, parental leave and summer camps etc everyone manages. It's also socially acceptable here to go on holidays throughout the year which again is very different 🙈

This is my child's school holidays in Northern Ireland. 8 weeks for summer. A week in may we can go abroad for cheaper. Plenty of breaks scattered throughout the year. You need to have good childcare in place or some employers let you work term time so you are off over summer.

I have no idea - as I said in my post I only know the set up my nephew has, and that it works well for their family.

What I do know is I visit families/kids with nothing, and I mean nothing - no TV, no garden, little food, very few toys and absolutely no money. 6 weeks holiday is lovely when you have money, a car, a park near by, food, a TV, room for friends to come and play (and money to fed them!) If you don’t it can be an absolute nightmare.

Summer holidays are already too long. It’s a logistical nightmare every year for working parents of young children. Plus studies show children’s learning abilities drop during the summer holidays, before they pick up again when back at school.

I mean obviously it's one of the most prestigious public schools in the UK. I think 15-20% are overseas pupils ie China/Hong Kong etc