Holidays Year 10/11

Yr11 here - we went away Easter and summer of Y10, it wasn't really a problem as Y10 mocks were in the last 2 weeks of June.

Dd's Y11 mocks were in January so we also did a few days away in Oct half term. And we've decided to do a long weekend away at Easter but that will help with her language and history.

It's a real marathon - Dd just had her first this week and finishes mid June so a balance of breaks and revision seems wise.

My DD asked that we not go away at all in Y11, as mocks after Christmas break then the exams after Easter. Isn’t the May/June break in the middle of exams? Or is that A levels. I don’t remember it being an issue in Y10, but then we were unlikely to travel at any time other than Christmas.

People all do things differently in terms of if and when they take holidays. Schools will do mocks at different times and children will all prepare differently too.

Last year and the year before we had family holidays booked for easter instead of summer. The choice to do trips in easter instead of summer was based on location and temperature. This year we have a family holiday in August again.

DC is year 10. Mocks were before Feb half term.
However they have a few actual GCSE's for some subjects in May and June this year (with other papers in those subjects being potentially taken in the autumn and but the remainder at the end of year 11).
DC also has a GCSE music performance assessment in April to prepare for.

However, it doesn't mean that there can't be a family holiday during the easter holidays if that is what you feel is best for you as a family. Easter is earlier some years than others so that may be a factor for some in making a decision.

However, although there is a need for children to revise, there is also a need for them to have a break, to rest and refresh themselves. I think when you decide to take a holiday in years 10 and 11 will be one for you all to decide as a family factoring in things such as
-When easter is
-When your DC has mocks/exams/assessments
-How well they are performing
-How proactive they are at getting down to the work/getting done what they need to
-Whether they feel they would be better at home doing revision, or having time to relax on holiday ( or will they spend all the time away just worrying about revision.
-when parent's can get time off
-cost and what is affordable

We hope to take advantage of the fact DC will finish school a bit earlier in year 11 and book to go at the very end of June/start of July. Haven't decided where yet.

We’re in yr11 now with no Feb mocks. We went away in Feb half term but DC did a bit of revision when we were away. That’s it now till summer. We usually go away at Easter but not this year when DC is on the home straight. May half term is smack bang in the middle of GCSEs.

In yr10 we did go away at Easter but again, DC did a bit of revision when we were away.

It might be a bad idea to have a holiday in year 10/11. I did that and failed all my GCSES. I am a E grader. Year 10/11 matters the most at school the other years prepare us for the final two years.

We don't usually go away Easter, sometimes May half term, but definitely not in Y11. If your kid has mocks before Christmas, that might be as late as you'd want to do a holiday in GCSE year. The mocks are pretty much non stop otherwise.

The other thing which has come as a bit of a surprise to me is how busy a lot of 16yo are at weekends. Many of DD’s friends have a job and do a least a 6hr shift. Lots of them - like her - are sporty and, at their age, if you’re good, that can involve quite a bit of travel. DD left at 7am this morning and will hopefully be back in an hour or so; another of her friends travelled to an event yesterday evening and will be back late tonight; another has an all day comp
tomorrow. And then there is all the training. Others are doing dance or drama and have shows coming up which can often involve long rehearsals at weekend.
For us, it’s the combination of GCSEs and sport which means that we’re having to choose what we prioritise. But it is a choice. And it is important that they have time away from their revision and their friends

One thing to find out is when your DC’s school do their mocks and how many sets of mocks they do. Some schools do them before the Christmas break in Yr11, some do them immediately afterwards which obviously has an impact on what you do that holiday.
We holidayed as usual in Yr10. We’re now in Yr11 and went abroad in Oct HT. DD had mocks to weeks after we got back but we knew this when we booked so stayed somewhere where there was not only space for her to study in the mornings but it wasn’t disruptive to our plans for the day. We would usually ski at Easter but aren’t this year. Instead, we’re going away for a couple of nights in the UK, again making sure that there is a desk space for DD. We have just reduced this from 4 nights to 3 as DD’s school are running some revision sessions and one of the ones she wants (needs!) to go to clashed with that. We’re not away at all over MayHT but do have theatre tickets one night and will go to an event over the bank holiday weekend as I want DD to have a break. Then this summer, we have arranged our holidays and visits to relatives around the prom, 6th form transition days and GCSE results day.
Sport commitments mean we rarely go away for weekends but that has been further curtailed as there have been a few big 16th bday parties recently and, as DD is working so hard, I thought it was important she went to those. We’re also saying “no” to overnight visitors during May & June.

I definitely wouldn't arrange a holiday for April/May in Year 11. Probably not at all tbh until after the exams. I think a holiday after the exams have finished would be a lot more enjoyable anyway as they can get quite stressed leading up to them (but going somewhere doesn't help at all and could just make it worse).

MFL speaking exam is a good point. It’s my subject and the spec has changed for this year – the speaking exam is very different. Obvs that as such won't make any difference but the teachers may feel less confident of how it will play out as there will only have been one iteration. Speaking exams are within a set period from mid-April to mid-May (usually after Easter but not always), so earlier than most exams as a rule. So if they are doing MFL they may want to factor work for the speaking exam in as well.

Absolutely no way would I or have I gone away after October half term in year 11. If mocks are in Feb you could probably do a Xmas holiday but other than that no way. I wouldn’t dream of an Easter holiday and May half term they are already well into exam

We did go away at the Easter of year 11 but honestly it was more of a revision boot camp than a holiday. We went to the lakes.

definitely do not go away April/May of year 11.

Times have changed, there is a lot more content to cover. Mine did 24 exams including MFL verbal. Also no study leave until after the last compulsory subject (English, maths or science) which for mine was mid June, after the morning exam they had leaver's assembly, shirt signing and then off site before lunch time when all the other students kick out of lessons.

During exams they had a personal timetable for pre exam revision, exam, then what class to head to after the morning exam. Basically they were in school for a normal school day hours wise with an extra bit if there was a morning exam.

Not my message you are replying to but do you mean all the mocks (standard) the revision sessions at Easter (not unusual and hopefully helpful) or no holidays at all in year 11? I don’t think that is all that unusual tbh. We didn't go away in my DC's exam years apart from in the summer.

There are breaks in year 11 – holidays when the YP doesn't have to get up and go to school, so they can set their own schedule and yes, have time to do other things (sport, music, Guides, Scouts) but they may feel better if they can work rather than being away from their studies.

@SorrengailFables We just made it all very calm, chilling, sitting out in the garden, facials, meditation, going on walks so a break from home but not for days on end. Revision done well isn't all day everyday revision. It is a marathon, not a sprint, we call it eating the elephant; one small bite at a time to cover 2 years worth of work. GCSEs are a game, learn what gets you points and how to level up.

They started compiling flash cards as soon as the GCSE content was covered in class. End of topic tests revealed what they needed to revisit, whether that was content or exam technique. This is the part where most students go wrong, they don't go back, they accept their mark and move on.

The school basically held their hand all the way through, tailored classes to differing levels of ability, so these children did X, those children did Y ie in History where some children were a grade 3 and some were a 7+. In year 11 they move forms to have 30 minutes every morning with a teacher in the subject they are struggling with the most. Their school is an outstanding state secondary with a high Progress 8, incredible pastoral care and a low tolerance for fucking around.

Year 10 summer should see them look back over their exams and see what they need to work on. They are awake for what? 12 - 14 hours a day? That is a lot of time for both revision and a whole load of downtime.

Y10 we did as usual. Y11 we avoided going away at Christmas as mocks were right after (check with your school, some have them before). May half-term is off the cards, but we’re still going away for a short break the first week of Easter holidays. It’s been a long hard slog of work and revision and we think a break will be good for them (we checked what they thought as well). Nothing long haul to avoid any jet lag issues.

We didn’t go away in either Easter/April or May half term holidays when my children were in year 11 or 13. Did go away in year 10. Their schools also didn’t have residential trips for year 11 and 13 after Christmas. They also held revision sessions over the Easter and May holidays.

(Our school doesn’t do residentials for year 11 or year 13)

DS is Y10 and we’ve had holidays of some kind through most of the school holidays this year. But year 11 we only have one booked for August after results. This isn’t entirely deliberate tbh, circumstantially we can’t really get away in Easter or May holidays next year, if we could we would probably avoid May but would still go Easter.

Year 10 we did as normal. Year 11 - she was away on a school trip at Feb half term. Easter we plan to be here. May half term we usually visit family in the UK and will probably do that again. She can take revision with her and we will tell them that she is revising while we are there. I wouldn't book to go abroad and be busy doing stuff. However if you were planning booking a "sit by the pool" type holiday then I think that could work at Easter (not May half term as pp said, in case you can't get back) and revision could be done by the pool interspersed with eating nice food and swimming (aware others may disagree with me).

Year 10 we just did normal holidays. In year 11 October half term mine were revising for their November mocks. Their second set of mocks was immediately after the February half term which meant Christmas was actually a break.

Easter holidays school offered revision sessions in school for the first week, and second week was at home revising. May half term is in the middle of their exams.

Holidays after exams in June can be tricky due to compulsory sixth form attendance taster days as well as still having younger children in school.

Basically no holidays in year 11 until their exams were over including the exam contingency day, however we went on holiday within the UK over contingency day as we could easily get back for it.