If I need to take my dd (year 9)out of school next May June time, when would be best ?

A week off in Y9 is totally doable for a diligent child, but the time of year you're proposing is difficult because of assessments. Easter might be a better bet. I wouldnt worry about COVID too much as everyone in Florida is likely to have caught it by then, judging by the rate its spreading now.

In my school we don’t do any GCSE topics in year 9, so may be worth checking what her school does.

So when you say you “need” to take her out of school that’s nit actually true is it?
I have taken both dc out of school for an odd day or even more for holidays so I’m not totally opposed to it in principle but you need to pick the right time and Y9 really isn’t it, especially since we don’t really know how things will be from September
Plus I would probably be avoiding America for the time being

I would say miss the week before when kids tend to be tired and less focused any way!

I suppose I’m just aware she will change and grownupnallnof a sudden now

And? Mine are adults and would jump at the chance to go to Florida!

To be honest, if you've waited until 13/14 to do Florida, you could just as well wait until after GCSEs. it's not like she'll still 'believe' What age will your other kids be then?

(ps. Maths GCSE content starts in about Reception. It is seamless. There are questions on the Foundation paper on topics taught in Primary.)

Tbh in a lot of schools the end of year 9 is very relaxed. She'll be able to catch up. It's one week & any gcse content will be covered again in year 10. I wouldn't worry at all. If her school do year 9 exams check about those dates but honestly as a teacher losing a week last term of year 9 is not going to affect her grades. Have a lovely holiday

My DD missed a week due to appendicitis and honestly she is a hard worker and she found keeping on top of the new work and catching up hard. Science and Maths had started autumn term of year 9 and English and MFL term three of year 9. Art, Textiles and Photography all started term 3 with particular reference of the course work.

Drama started working in their small groups on their divised pieces, dance start their choreography.
Classics and history were about the only subjects that didn't start in some way.

Next year is Disney's 50th celebrations (Covid-19 allowing) so expect it might be extra busy/booked up. Not to mention all the people with cancelled holidays from this year.

The last 2 weeks of the summer holiday are a good time to go (lots of American schools are back, so it's a bit quieter).

Everything has changed. We do not know when exams will be next year - to be honest we do not know when school terms will be next year.

Would bear in mind that covid is on the up in the US. Florida is counting over 10,000 new cases every day at the moment. Travel is unlikely this year. Next year will be very busy.

We went to Florida every other year - but did not take the kids out of school in secondary school. Easter was our time of choice. Would leave it a year though.

I have been to Florida in the summer holidays and the rain/thunder was awesome! Didn’t ruin the holiday at all. It was always short sharp rainfall and you just planned around it. It was over 25 years ago and I still remember it! I wouldn’t let it put you off.

No way I'd plan time off this year (assuming it's for a holiday or similar). Who knows how much time kids are already going to miss through local lockdown, possible repeated self-isolation due to cough/cold symptoms etc? I wouldn't be adding to that, regardless of the child's year group.

One thing to be aware of, is that for 2021 the government is considering moving GCSEs to after half term.
So what you might say, my DD is y9.
But if for example they normally do some formal end y9 exams in the end of June/early July, then next year they might still be doing GCSEs. Therefore they might move the y9 exams to before half term.

I think that if you do need to go, I'd book the week after half term, as GCSEs will be happening then so y9 exams unlikely. personally I'd try not to miss school from the second half of y9, but if she is a good student she'll catch up.

If there is a legitimate reason for her to miss a week then discuss it with the school. They may be able to give her work to do. But to be honest if she is a diligent student she may be fine. My daughter missed a month in Y8 (due to illness) with no issues.

Honestly, I would avoid missing any schooling next year unless absolutely necessary.

As far as I can work out the schools will be playing 'catch up', there will be a focus on making up any gaps from the last six months and it's going to be a tough year for both teachers and children.

No one can predict what might happen over the winter but the possibility of localised lockdowns and a second wave of Covid-19 could result in even more school being missed.

Sciences were all started in yr9, maths I think they started at the end of yr8. Fortunately it means they are not too far behind in yr10 with covid.

There is so much content in GCSEs now, that is why some work is done in Y9. This is why there is also so much concern about the current Y10s missing so much work, as there is very little spare time to catch up before the actual exams next year.

That would be missing a week of GCSE study at my DCs school, which starts them after Easter Y9, as soon as all the options have been finalised.