To think we don’t need more school holidays?

Taking time off the lunch time is terrible. They need time to eat and play/socialise. My school child has a 2 week half term in October, but no inset days at other times. I am not clamouring for the random days at often inconvenient times when no childcare is available. Bunching them all together to break up the extra long term is preferable.

We have a two week october half term. I love it!

But it's terrible for those who can't afford holidays at all. At least in summer it is easy to have free / cheap days out (picnics in the park etc). Cold, wet October is miserable for people who can't afford inside entertainment.

I thought I'd just outlined the reasons children and teachers are tired. Significantly higher expectations, including the need to be able to evidence progress for every single lesson. You can't just take an afternoon to hand out some construction paper and glitter and let them make Christmas cards- you need a lesson plan with key questions showing how it meets curriculum objectives for DT.

What children are expected to be able to do at set ages is way higher than in the past and the consequences for the child and the teacher of not meeting those standards is harsher and swifter. Starting with the Y1 phonics test- if they fail that then not only will the teacher have to justify why, but the child is probably going to miss art/ IT/ assembly/ (insert other usually enjoyable activity) in order to attend interventions until they pass.

We need better, cheaper, high quality childcare. School is not free childcare.

I agree with you.

I’ve been advised by older, wiser mothers during each of my pregnancies to always make purposeful budgets, manage finances carefully, and save for anything involving children. That way, whenever holidays came around, they didn’t ruin our finances thanks to planning ahead. I’m in my 40s now, but I had my children when I was young, and I know about holidays simply because I was once a student myself and learned about their existence.

Yeah this is the issue we have. We tag team most the year to cover the holidays as we have limited clubs for the hours we work. So we have limited time off together.

it is what it is and we manage with the current system.

I sometimes wonder if we’re in the minority - how does everyone else manage? Grandparents? Live where there’s holiday clubs 8-6?

Sometimes get the mum guilt for going to work and earning a living because working mums are also criticised. Can’t win.

Both. I want them in school as much as they should be and I need to go to work. My leave is planned around the current school holidays - like I’ve said.

the questions I still have

1. what is different now to years ago - why are kids and teachers suddenly so exhausted?
2. if more school holidays are added - who will look after the kids? My work won’t give me more leave and neither will my husbands. I can’t drop hours - I can’t afford to.

I know that some teachers think we’re a load of whinging parents - but none of this is parents fault.

For what it’s worth I’ve not taken mine out of school for holidays.

they have had good attendance

and it may make you laugh even more that I used to be a teacher 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Do you really want them in school learning, or do you just want them somewhere where you know they are safe so you can go to work? Because if you want them in school learning, you'd support shorter terms. Right now, children are exhausted, teachers are exhausted, and everyone is trying to come up with excuses for why putting on a movie is educational. This next week is going to add next to no learning to most children's brains.

Teachers are exhausted because the expectations on them are ridiculous and necessitates a 70 hour work week. School holidays should be called what they are- teacher planning and preparation weeks. Actual holidays for most teachers are one week at Christmas, one week at Easter and four weeks in summer, just like every other worker. Then they work partly from home through every half term, one week each at Christmas and Easter, and the first and last week of summer, without pay because it's counted as unpaid leave. Even when they are expected to welcome the children back into a freshly decorated classroom with displays for the coming topic, with tailored lesson plans and resources for every subject ready to go, SEN paperwork completed and books all marked.

Funny how parents who complain the most are the ones who take their kids away during school time, and then moan that official breaks are too long. Too bad, the kids who haven't missed school need a break too 😂

Longer school days and more school holidays
work for private schools.

It would actually be a lot more fair and a lot more inclusive: state school kids with engaged parents have long days anyway, after school sports and clubs and tutors, music lessons, foreign language lessons and what have you. Being at school wouldn't make that much difference.

It's the ones with lazy parents - or parents unable to bring them to the free community clubs that exist, they are the ones who suffer. Kids going home to watch tv or "chill"because parents can't be bothered to look after them - or kids hanging outside because parents work non stop and can't afford to take them anywhere.

All kids need a lot more holiday!

We are!!! We want kids in school learning!

and you’re right - schools and holidays have been around for ages so what’s changed?

why are teachers struggling so much more now? It’s this that the government need to look at with the teacher retention crisis.

Nobody has been able to offer a solution to the extra childcare parents would need?

I love my kids but need to be able to work to pay for them and look after them. We’re fine for now. But if our schools added a week we’d be really stuck. That’s what I’m getting at.

I'd prefer an extra week at Christmas. It seems to be all of a rush to fit in festive things and it would be nice to just have a bit of down time.

Why not prioritising the children for a change?

It's getting boring to have parents whining that they have to look after their own children. School holidays are not a recent invention, surely you plan childcare when you plan children?

And the race to the bottom: some children are left hungry. The solution is not to punish every child and stick them to school like little robots, the solution is for help to be given to the children who need it!

Why do you think private schools have better results?

That’s awful!!

we have to plan our AL months in advance. Not sure how people can manage this.

I wonder if there’s a way to improve the supply/cover teacher system so each school has a couple of known supply teachers that can cover all the sickness. It seems to be teacher sickness that is the biggest theme here.

earlier on I also mentioned the flu jabs. I wonder how many teachers have them?

These aren’t the best solutions I know - but it’s better than the kids losing schooling and parents struggling with childcare.

like OP said - it’s also a sfg concern for some families. The best place for some kids is in school. It’s how they’re kept safe and fed.

Ooooo it can!

It can take time once the teacher's returned to re-establish routines, get behaviour back on track and catch up on what should have been taught while they're away.

Ours already did this the Oct half term just gone. They will NOT have 1 less week holiday in the summer as per information from the school. It is a secondary school and thankfully my dc are sensible and able to be left at home alone whilst I work. There was no consultation with the parents, nobody knew until they checked term dates on the school website. It is a regular comprehensive academy school. I think it’s awful. I would prefer them to start later in September or have 2 weeks off at May half term if they have to do it. I am curious as to how teachers (because in our county teachers could vote to do this on a school by school basis) think it’s ok to remove a whole week of education.

Our council (Borders) held a consultation a few years ago, majority of parents voted to change the two weeks October holiday to a week and change the February short break to a week too.

Miss having an October holiday!

Reducing teacher absence directly benefits pupils. Having their usual teachers in the classroom, facilitating learning is the best thing for the children.

No, but 2 weeks is beneficial for the children.