GCSEs and half term

He isn't being left to himself though, he would be staying with his father. Presumably he has 2 parents who both care about his future. It's not exclusively the mum's job to cajole.

I absolutely wouldn't go.

When DS did his that half term was really important. Work needed to be kept ticking over, but as others have said it was an important time for preparing for the second half of the exams - decent food, plenty of sleep and some relaxation. It is not a time to be leaving the kids to themselves.

Please don't neglect your career as it sounds like a great opportunity for you. There is a real risk that they may not bother asking you again and you are probably at the stage on your life when you have another 15-20 years to enjoy your career.

Which half term is this, February or May? Contact your DS's school and ask them if they will be structured revision classes and sign your DS up for them. If it's February your DS may still be completing homework for each subject. If it's May, panic will have set in and you may find his self motivation kicks in.

if he isn't ready by then I'm not sure he ever will be.

Unless in the British system results are supposed to be dependent on the final 3 hours of cramming but friends assure me that's not true, oh no...

Feb or May?

Why do you think his dad won’t be cajoling or at least setting the right conditions for revision?

To be honest by then he should have pretty much done with revising.
I’d sincerely hope not!

It’s not only revising though, but also eating healthily, getting plenty of sleep plus exercise and some down time. If your DS needs support to get this, I’d either get a plan in place or not go.

And there's no way imo he should be 'done with revising'.

With the new GCSEs there is more content and more exams than the old style. I'd have thought that the 9 days break in exams will be pretty invaluable for learning / refreshing for the second wave of exams.

I wouldn't go

My instinct would be to not go, but it sounds like a great opportunity.

I'd consider going but not let DC go to Dad for whole week, only the 4 days you are gone. Then those 4 days can be a break and the other 5 can be revision (and any revision done at Dad's will be a bonus).

Does depend a bit on which subjects are after half term though.

To be honest by then he should have pretty much done with revising. But if you have his exam schedule you'll see what's after the half term - my son had most of his tough ones before half term.
Your son is the one taking the exam if he can't figure it out for four days (and if your husband can't step up) that's pretty pathetic.

There is no way I'd go, there will be other conferences but your DS will only do his GCSEs once. You should be there to support him as the parent that he lives with and he should be in his own home.

Can you come up with a plan (or get him to come up with a plan) of what he is going to do over half term and check in a couple of times during the day (I'm assuming you think his dad won't nag him!). And make sure you do things like print out practice questions in advance so he has no excuses. If worst comes to worst, 4 days is still only half the half term, so he will just have to work doubly hard when you get back if he does nothing while you away!

Ultimately (as I keep telling myself) these are his exams, and it's up to him to motivate himself to study.

Could you work out a plan to get him to do extra revision now to try and compensate? Disclaimer - I'm not a teacher