Teachers or experts help? When is least distruptive to have a holiday in October

[TattyBoomBoom]

Planning a 3 week holiday using the October one-week half term. So three weeks' holiday, but only 2 weeks missed of school.

Would it be more sensible/least disruptive to have the trip in the two weeks before half term and come home on the last weekend of half term, or take one week before half term and one week after?

Children will be Year 5 and Year 8 (England), so not exam years and both comfortably achieving greater depth educationally. Can't travel in summer as too hot in destination.

Missing two weeks of school is not great for kids. They will of course miss learning. Sometimes this is unavoidable. Going on a nice holiday for three weeks doesn't really come into the unavoidable category.

Go before the break and come back with everybody else. There will inevitably be a bit of wind-down before the break anyway, and also a bit of catch-up after, so that would IMO be the best bet.

There's no wind down before half term at Secondary.

I am a teacher, and I would prefer it if a student was absent prior to the break. November tends to be quite busy, as we set the pace in the lead up to Christmas.

(I'm in a private school, and there are no fines issued so it's quite common)

There will inevitably be a bit of wind-down before the break anyway,

Not in year 8 there isn't.