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Original poster

Taking DC abroad in an exam year?

34 replies

EdnaBraithwaite · 26/05/2025 19:57

If they have GCSEs or important exams in the summer do you still take them away in Christmas or Easter? Or do you do the family holiday in the summer?

OP posts:
Notlookingforwardtosummer · 26/05/2025 19:57

Most schools offer revision classes at Easter.

wlv12 · 26/05/2025 19:59

My son is doing GCSE’s now, I’d have gone away at Xmas but not Easter - he was deep in revision then and his school put on ‘Easter school’ for free extra revision sessions.

Birdist · 26/05/2025 20:00

Christmas yes, easter no.

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Octavia64 · 26/05/2025 20:00

Mocks are often in January, you can’t get much textbooks and similar in a plane suitcase.

Easter - often schools run extra support sessions.

we went away at Feb half term, and U.K. holiday at Easter but it was more of a revision boot camp with the odd trip out.

babystarsandmoon · 26/05/2025 20:00

I think it will be fine during the holidays.

My child is in Year 11 and there hasn’t been any revision sessions during half terms.

We wouldn’t have taken any time away from school during the term due to course work, mocks and not missing any topics.

rulerofthepencils · 26/05/2025 20:05

October half term is revision for November mocks, Christmas is a break but some will revise because they are off school for 2 weeks, both of mine did revise but they wanted and got very high grades. February half term was just before February mocks. Easter they had revision sessions in school the first week. May half term is in the middle of their exams.

They have a 10 week summer after exams and before college if that is where they intend to move onto next. We just did a holiday then. Some children feel anxious holidaying and not studying, some will be okay. I definitely would not take them abroad at Easter. Too close to their exams. They have been working at this for the last 2 years if not slightly longer as some topics are covered in year 9.

TheFairyCaravan · 26/05/2025 20:09

Mine would have refused to go. They worked all through the holidays with revision for either mocks or the real exams during Yr11. Their school put on revision lessons during Easter, too.

Crunchymum · 26/05/2025 20:12

I know someone who has taken their child sitting GCSE's away this week. I did raise an eyebrow at that (actually asked her if she thought it was a good idea. Apparently their DC will be taking their revision with them!!)

finfitrulesok · 26/05/2025 20:53

Nope

RebeccaRedhat · 26/05/2025 21:09

My daughter will be yr 11 in September and we are going away in October. Then me and my daughter are doing a Monday -Friday holiday in term time after the exams. No.hols at Feb/Easter/May for us. Maybe a few days or a weekend but I know she'll only have these exams on her mind.

Original poster
EdnaBraithwaite · 27/05/2025 07:45

Notlookingforwardtosummer · 26/05/2025 19:57

Most schools offer revision classes at Easter.

My DC go to a grammar and I haven't heard of this. I just assumed everyone revised at home in Easter.

OP posts:
Soontobe60 · 27/05/2025 07:48

Most of my friends only have one holiday a year! With DCs, each of them went on holiday with their friends after their GCSEs.

Bananafofana · 27/05/2025 07:51

No to Easter unless it’s a couple of days somewhere localish to have a change of scene.

chirstmas - depends on when mocks are. Dc1 mocks were in Oct and Feb so we went away at Christmas. Dc2 has mocks immediately after Christmas holidays so we will go away Feb half term.

minnienono · 27/05/2025 07:52

We did late June after exams finished one year as dd1 did a levels and dd2 GCSEs same year otherwise Christmas is ok unless mocks are January or they are doing coursework/portfolio heavy courses like Art.

Bananafofana · 27/05/2025 07:52

@Soontobe60 many of my rich friends have 5 holidays a year (Dubai, Croatia, Caribbean etc) : they have found the gcse and A level years a very hard going 😆

bettyjane · 27/05/2025 07:54

Yr 11 son, we went away at Christmas because his school normally do mocks after Oct half term and after Feb half term- this year they moved them to January and it did make that hard for him.
No holidays since then, Easter was full on revision as is this week.
I’d go away either Oct halfterm or Christmas, depending when mocks are and possibly Feb half term (again, depending on mocks) but not after that.

Mightyhike · 27/05/2025 07:55

Definitely not at Easter. Christmas it depends when their mocks are - ok if they're before the holidays, not ok if they are in January as soon as they get back.

Radiatorvalves · 27/05/2025 07:55

A level year here. Went away after Xmas for a week and a long weekend at Feb half term. Stayed home at Easter.

minnienono · 27/05/2025 07:56

though revisions and grades aren’t intrinsically linked, dd2 worked really hard, revision in school too and got good but not excellent overall results (3 a star, 2 a, 4 b, 1c) whereas dd1 did none and got 10 a star and a b in the exam she had a panic attack in and didn’t finish 🤷‍♀️

ScarletBeret · 27/05/2025 07:56

Feb half term: yes. (They do take some revision with them)
Easter: no
Results Week: no

ItsReallyOnlyMe · 27/05/2025 07:57

Much depends on when your DC’s mocks are. My DC’s were in January which meant October half term and Feb half term were fine for holidays. I actively encouraged complete rest in the Feb half term.

Easter holidays and summer half term were definitely out of the question for taking them away.

If you have only one DC or it’s the younger one and the older has left education, then they finish school early in June and you take take advantage of cheaper holidays then (watch out for Prom, prize giving and other school dates they need to attend afterwards though. They also have a reserve day for emergency exam sittings at the end of June I vaguely recall too).

Muchtoomuchtodo · 27/05/2025 07:58

We only have a maximum of one abroad holiday a year.

Each school does revision and exams differently - in Wales it’s quite different to England so to answer op’s question you would need to know the set up and timings in their dc’s school.

For us Christmas, February and October half terms have been an option during exam years (10,11,12 and 13 in our school)

TheaBrandt1 · 27/05/2025 08:05

Dd had an amazing travel opportunity in Oct half term she went but their mocks were in the November and she had to wing it. Freaked her out so we haven’t gone away since. They have 10 weeks off after the exams to go on holidays.

RaisedVegBeds · 27/05/2025 08:05

It depends entirely on the school’s exam timetables and your own child. Mine had GCSE mocks after Christmas and A level mocks after February half term. No revision classes.

We went away at Christmas and they took revision with them. Stayed home at Easter and 1/2 terms.

All did very well. But mine didn’t really need to revise much for GCSE and were quite happy to cram a bit in last minute. And would have done that even if we stayed home.

abnerbrownsdressinggown · 27/05/2025 08:06

DC are only one school year apart (old and young for respective years) we’re basically screwed for holidays for next 5 years that aren’t in the summer. They are at different schools so mocks are different times as well.

Feb half term is probably ok, but I don’t think we’ve ever been away then as we don’t ski and the weather is pretty crap anywhere close enough to get to for a week.

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