Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

School holidays

30 replies

chilephilly · 02/01/2015 11:56

We live on the edge of 2 counties. DC go to school in the same county we live in, but I teach in the adjoining (different) one.

Just writing the school holidays on the calendar - Feb half term completely different, week and a half difference in summer.

Quietly seething. Why don't education authorities talk to one another?

I'm being unreasonable, aren't I?

OP posts:

306235388 · 02/01/2015 11:58

Yep you're being unreasonable sorry. Where would it stop? There'll probably be someone in your position in every county .

AmberLav · 02/01/2015 12:03

No, you are not being unreasonable to grumble.

I still love the government decision on how to solve the problem of expensive holidays at school breaks - let the school set own holidays, now families wont be able to go on holiday at all, as no one will have holidays at the same time! Solves the problem in one genius stroke! Idiots!

EdithWeston · 02/01/2015 12:06

There was year not so long ago when Easter was really late and both the Feb half terms and the Easter hols themselves were all over the place.

I'm not sure what can be done about it, unless there were national fixed term dates (and therefore ramped holiday prices). And of course, if you lived near the E/W or E/S border it might not work anyhow.

dixiechick1975 · 02/01/2015 12:07

You'll only need hol care for 2.5 weeks - childcare clubs will be open if the schools in your area are off or your DH can use annual leave.

I'd much prefer staggered hols across different areas or even schools. Seems madness that the whole country has the same holidays.

Until 10 years ago the town I work in still had a wakes holiday in early July then back to school Late August then another week or two off in September.

Workplaces can't sustain all parents wanting to take leave in the same 5 week summer period.

We have our main hol in October as DD gets 2 weeks off unlike other local schools. DH and I work in the same office - come secondary school time there is 0 chance of us getting 2 weeks off in the main summer hols.

bruffin · 02/01/2015 12:09

My friend had the same problem. Even Easter holidays were different. It's still better having those holidays than only 4 weeks a year that you have to stretch the entire year. Where we live we border on two counties and London.

However we holiday in Holland a lot and they have different holidays for each region and senior schools get a week longer than primary schools in the summer

MiaowTheCat · 02/01/2015 12:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CalleighDoodle · 02/01/2015 12:40

Im the same. I work in the same county as dc go to school, but different LEAs, our easters dont match at all so we cant go away except for the bank holiday wkend. Oct is only a week so gives us the most expensive time of year for holiday only. So no holiday for us as just cant afford summer prices.

CalleighDoodle · 02/01/2015 12:45

But get your flame proof suit ready for 'how dare you complain when teachers get 6 months holiday!' gasps when the non-teachers have finished work...

formerbabe · 02/01/2015 12:51

Yabu...Most working parents need to find cover for the entire lot of school holidays. Schools are there to educate not to provide childcare.

LIZS · 02/01/2015 12:54

Unfortunately that is just the way it goes sometimes. Plus points are that there should be local holiday clubs for your dc and you get some child free time off.

HarrietSchulenberg · 02/01/2015 12:58

Same boat here but only Easter holiday is out of sync this year. We've had 2 half terms and Easter completely different before now.

One of those things, I just deal with it. I used to work FT with just 4 weeks holiday. Now THAT was hard to cover, hence moving to a shittily paid job with the benefit of school holidays.

ProudAS · 02/01/2015 12:58

Where I live the regional group of LAs tend to co-operate re holidays but there will still be families on the border of the region. We do occasionally get different holidays within the region though to coincide with Eid etc.

Academies are free to set their own dates but IME generally tie in with the local maintained schools

ProudAS · 02/01/2015 13:01

The OP is not BU to be annoyed - she's being human.

WiggleGinger · 02/01/2015 13:14

YANBU
Its a nightmare
We moved house so my dd would go to school in the same county I teach in. Otherwise we would be paying a lot for childcare fees which seems ridiculous considering the amount of non contact time I have (holiday!)

BarbarianMum · 02/01/2015 13:15

I think YABU. It's quite usual to have to arrange a little childcare for school holidays. If you'd rather not, teach in the county where your dc go to school.

Quitethewoodsman · 02/01/2015 13:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BarbarianMum · 02/01/2015 13:21

In which case Quiet why get annoyed by something that will almost invariably happen?

Ilikesweetpeas · 02/01/2015 13:35

I agree, I am in same authority as DD but Easter holidays are still different. No idea what I will do, and before I'm told use a holiday club that runs from 9-4, not helpful for me as I leave at 7.30 and am usually home at 5. You have my sympathy OP!

VikingVolva · 02/01/2015 13:39

Only in my dreams do I have only 2.5 weeks difference between my leave allowance and the length of school holidays.

OP: if you decide to book a half term club, do it now. They can fill up quickly, and parents who depend on them get into the habit of sorting the next break as soon as one hol is over.

dixiechick1975 · 02/01/2015 13:40

There will be other holiday care 8/6. Ask other parents it can be difficult to find info especially if you don't use childcare usually in hols. How old is dc? Something like a week at pgl may also work. They take from 7.

TheReluctantCountess · 02/01/2015 13:43

I like it when this happens - it means I can spend half term working in school and catching up with stuff.

justmyview · 02/01/2015 13:56

We have same problem in this house, so I get where you're coming from, but for the majority of parents, it makes sense to have staggered school holidays, so I think YABU

MrsPiggie · 02/01/2015 14:01

Yanbu to be annoyed, but most f/t working parents have to get some sort of childcare for holidays. At least you have one week of free time to yourself to relax - we never have that.

cricketpitch · 02/01/2015 14:05

Sorry YABU. Stupid to have all kids off at exactly the same time along with everyone who wants to go on holiday with kids, (eg GPs), and everyone who works in a school but might not have kids. You can't into the museums unless you queue for hours, holidays are expensive and unless you book v early often fully booked, even the park is packed! It makes sense to stagger it.

My kids get different holidays so I have to deal with it too and I do not get holidays in school holiday periods. Very few people get more than a couple of weeks so have to deal with it anyway..

Bunbaker · 02/01/2015 14:09

This is a really useful website for school holidays. It looks like all the schools in my county have the same February half term and Easter holidays this year.

Flip

1 2