May half term - holiday for child doing GCSEs

I also always used to go away in may half term. Around exam times I didn't though as too disruptive. I think try get away in April instead maybe

The thing is he hasn't sat any year 11 mocks yet which can be the absolute kick up the arse they need if they are not putting in any effort now. Hopefully he has November mocks to give him time to turn this around.

Does he know what he wants to do next? A levels? If his grades are 4s and 5s then A levels will be too difficult for him. What is on offer locally? What is his plan B if he doesn't get the grades he needs for his next step? Resits are not available if you get lots of 4s. Schools may let you resit to increase a grade for maths or English language if you have passed with a lower grade than expected but that needs to be agreed with the college. For some uni courses you need 6s in maths or English language.

May half term should be used for revision for the remaining exams. There was no support in May for mine, only the first week of Easter holidays. GCSEs are full on, Ds had 10 exams before half term, which were over a 2 week period then 14 exams after half term over 3 weeks.

I would have a weekend away perhaps at the start of May half term as it is important to have a break in revision. However I wouldn't go away for the full week and I'd be insisting on a proper revision schedule the rest of the time.

That's true. It used to be fairly easy to do GCSE retakes. My local college offered a wide range of GCSE retake subjects.

Now the only option is do enrol onto a Level 2 vocational course at college (btec or similar) alongside retaking maths & English only.

No, I wouldn't go away. Last year, when my son was doing his GCSEs, I took a few days and helped him revise as much as I could. We both would have preferred to be on holiday, but he passed his exams.

A lot of posters there will have young kids still - or believe it is easy to re-take if they mess up GCSE because it used to be.

Where we are there really only English Lan and maths GCSE retakes - though there are lots of other courses. I don't think GCSE are everything but having the min - 5 good grades including English and maths does mean there are more options than if they don't have them.

I have ADHD and struggle revising independently but I can cram overnight like nothing else and it really works for me as I struggle with focus then hyper focus under stress to point of burnout. But for around my gcses and a levels I still went in to school every day. I needed the structure and keeping my usual routine stopped me spiraling. A few friends would come in with me and sit in school library and it was good that teachers were on hand if we had questions about the work or just to be supportive.
Just thought I'd let you know what helped me as it might work for your son too

My DS went from doing the bare minimum amount of study in Y9 to caring hugely about his results by the end of Y10. They can suddenly change and mature at that age. I would avoid the holiday so as not to deny him the opportunity to study should he want to by then

I would never take my kids away in the middle of such an important point in their lives to date.
Staying home shows him you’re serious and these exams are serious and that you expect him to make them a priority. A break at Easter would be ok I think. I’d even agree to 2 or 3 nights away in May but not for 7/8 days!

My DS also has dyslexia (and may have ADHD). Like your child, he struggles with independent study. The strategy we have taken is to study with him. PM if I can share any of the things that have worked for us. If he can't study the way his peers are doing, the trick is to find a way that he can do it.

I also think if you had posted in chat rather than secondary, loads more people would be telling you to go.

People are being unnecessarily harsh, it's not easy having a 15 year old who won't study (been there). However, there's months to go, the school will be pushing the revision, and you need to reinforce the message that studying is a good idea by not having a holiday mid exams.

Another saying no - we have given up on May holidays and restricted Easter ones, several consecutive years of y10 exams, GCSEs, Y12 exams (predicted grades for uni) and A levels. We just have a family holiday in the summer now with one at college and one at uni and maybe a couple of days away at Easter.

No we won't be going away summer half term because of GCSEs.

I think you'll find that even the most relaxed students get a bit swept up into exam season.

We might book a long weekend in July.

Have you a timetable already for all the dates of his exams? Either way I wouldn't go, if he completely tanks them you'll blame yourself and he'll take no responsibility for his lack of revision

Tbh no you shouldn't take him away and the fact that you don't know this is a bit off. You say he won't study as he is lazy. Isn't it down to you to change that or to at least have an expectation that he will work? How will he get qualifications or jobs that he wants if he doesn't change that approach? Why has he got to year 11 and still can't do his homework at home?

Why would you even think this? GCSE’s are just horribly stressful.

Because it's her eldest and she hasn't been though it all yet.

Now would be about the right time to look at next steps - college open days and course requirements - as that does tend to focus their minds.

Attitude to studying - he doesn't want to fail but never studies independently.

Future goals - he doesn't have these atm, he's too immature to realise that he needs them.

OP, read what you have written: you have written him off six months before GCSE season even begins. This is so sad and so self-fulfilling.

Even if he doesn't end up studying, you still have a responsibility as his parent to provide optimum conditions for doing well in those exams and being able to move on to whatever he wants to do afterwards. Imagine when he only scrapes a couple of GCSEs and ends up saying that he could have done better if he'd had more encouragement from home to pull his finger out, or more study time and less distractions.

When he sees others working and school really start putting the pressure on, he may decide to work. If you've then got a holiday booked it will cause all kinds of stress.

Or maybe he won't do any work as you say, but he'll still be able to blame you for bad results because you took him on holiday the middle.

I think it's a really bad idea. Could you compromise on a few days away at Easter (find out about revision sessions first) or even a just a couple of nights in this country if you must go away in half term itself.

Whilst your dc never studies maybe he'll go to a GCSE boot camp over the half term with other kids.

If he's your only school age child you can go on holidays once the exams are over in June and the price will be a lot cheaper.

Another reason not to go on holiday is so that if he does badly, it will be crystal clear whose faults it is 😀. I hope that doesn't happen though and wish him all the best.

Why would you even think this? GCSE’s are just horribly stressful.

If covid hadn't impacted exams we'd have had 7 years of formal exams - as Wales has Y10 GCSE exams and Y12 As level as well.

There were revision session at college for As and A level exams - depended on the teacher.

I was thinking next year end of GCSE for youngest and end of A-levels for middle might be a good time for an early holiday - but DS had summer schools and college open days in that time - so don't know might have to wait another two years.

I'd look at Easter break but even there may be revision sessions on or stick to six weeks which are more expensive.

My daughter didn't even want to go to a family wedding in this country for 2 days at the weekend during half term! (Mind you ds would not have cared).

I absolutely would not go abroad. Flights are unreliable. A couple of days away in this country for a break, perhaps yes.

Obviously yabu, massively so. If you book a holiday you are basically saying ‘we know you won’t revise, but it doesn’t matter, you can have a lovely holiday instead’. Appalling messaging. What you need to do is tell him that he needs to work hard, like everyone else, it isn’t meant to be fun. You offer bribes and sanctions-stick and carrot. You act like a parent. Short term pain long term gain. If he says that his friends aren’t working explain people often say that because they think it’s not ‘cool’ to work but it doesn’t mean it’s true.