To want to reiterate that 'yes' it's August and 'yes' Scottish schools are back

[MammyV]

Honestly on every post on here which mentions a child being in school at the moment, someone, at least one poster states 'are you abroad or something' or 'why are your kids in school it's only august?'
Please please understand that most Scottish schools commence back after summer from around the 15th August, we are not abroad, we are in the Uk (at the moment anyway) and I am fully aware of the English/Welsh holidays as its blasted a cross the BBC enough, just irritates me with some of the comments
(Will get off my Scottish high horse now)
Thanks xxx

Oh, luna, that's interesting about the school day in the US - how long is it in the UK? Our school day used to run from 7:23am (yes, seriously - you were late at 7:24) until 2:43pm with a 20-minute lunch break (and ten class periods of 44 minutes each with a 4 minute break between; whoever set up that day really liked doing things to the minute). Then there were after school activities and the last late buses left at 5:30pm. I'm realising that I see the kids at the bus stop at 8:10am and the buses leaving town around 3pm - they day must be much shorter! I'm not going to have as much child-free time as I imagined when DD goes to school, am I?

School days here are 8.50am -2.50/3.15pm for primary children & 8.30am-3.50pm high school. But it varies school to school.

Ah well it might be annoying (I'm in England and I know the holidays are different) but put it this way, you can go away when the tour operators haven't put their prices up yet (or do they sneakily put them up from the Scottish airports even though the prices from the likes of Gatwick and Manchester haven't increased yet).

I don't know what I'd prefer, a long weekend in September sounds good but I'd not want to lose May half term.

Holidays in England vary, too. For example a work colleague of mine's son gets 2 weeks in May and started their holiday about a week later in July than my son's holidays did. And of course private schools keep their own schedule.

It doesn't help that the BBC only ever reports about "the NHS in England" or "education in England". Why would people in England know when Scottish holidays are if they are never told? I only know because I've spent holidays in Scotland (and from MN obvs).

School day where I am is 9am to 2pm for P1 to P3 (except for the first two months of P1 when it's 9am to mid day). Then 9am to 3pm for P4 to P7. Secondary schools are around 9am to 3.30pm.

When we have English people moving up to work here (ie in Scotland) they think we are pulling their leg when we tell them there's no August Bank Holiday.

And in Scotland teacher training days were always called 'in service' days, not 'inset' days. Has something changed??

There are so many variations anybody not understanding this must be a bit simple tbh. I have seen the comments too and think the problem is some are too stuck in their own routine and world, they think everyone else does the same.

Here's a different one, my dd school.

She starts at 8.00 but academics start at 9.00am, half hour break during morning. 90 mins/ 2 hours lunch to include peer to peer observations. A couple of lessons in afternoon and then a short break then another couple and finish at 4.30.
Then a break, prep, practice or ensemble, before tea at 6.00 then whichever is left then free time.

Euphemia I'm in N Ireland

Euphemia when the Dds were in primary school the p1-3s got out at 3 4-7s got out at 3.15 not sure why it was a pita for parents hanging about Dd1 walked home by time dd2 was in p2 so not to bad for me

I only realised about 4 years ago that English kids are in school through July. Even though it's Baltic here all through summer anyway and the kids are back in August, I still get seized with a kind of sweaty claustrophobia when I think of kids in polyester uniform in July. 'Tis just wrong.

My DB lives in England now with three school-aged DCs and is still having adjustment problems.

It's the same when we break up at the end of June. People are like "how are you on holiday so early?"

And it was great. We could get entire beaches in Devon and France all to ourselves apart from the odd Scottish family.

And while we're on this subject- could every one who posts threads like

DD is in year 6 and (a) can't tie her own shoe laces and (b) has 2 hours homework every night - is (a)normal and (b) reasonable ?

just say how old DD is ?

If DD is in P6 the answers are, (a)she's only little and (b) that's far too much

If DD is in 6th Year the answers are (a) yes, she should be able to and (b) that seems about right

Finder inset day is just short for in service day ( or baker day)

We have friends in the US and they do get very long summer holidays but their daughter has a much longer school day when she is there - she leaves on the school bus at around 7.45, isn't home until 4.45 and has loads more homework. So it all evens out.

I'm not sure that's typical - probably because you're including bus travel time in her school day length.

Mine start school at 8am and finish at 2.45pm. That's very typical in this area (having looked at what all the other local schools were doing).

They do 175 days of school per year. Mind you, they don't spend time on assemblies - they are straight into maths at 8am. Poor sods.

Actually the agrarian thing is apparently a myth about our schools here in the States! Its what I always was taught too but I guess not.

www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/debunking-myth-summer-vacation/

Most teens work through the summer months and save for college or a car. You can get a job at 14 but there are limits to what you can work. Most kids of 15+ have a summer job. I always did and I am a lazy sod :o

Our school day here is 8:00 to 2:45.

I think year 6 and P6 are the same. So S1 would be year 8. Or am I wrong?

So, in England, they have reception, which we don't have, then go into year 1 - whereas DC here go straight into P1 after two years nursery. The cut off dates are different, though - so that must affect the ages.

And yes, I told DS about going to the berries, to get money - he was straight up 'can we go tomorrow?'

I don't even know if it is possible now, it is certainly too late in the summer.

It isn't only Scotland - I think the international schools in London all break up in mid June and go back towards the end of August. I often wonder whether people find it weird that those kids are wandering around weeks before all the other schools break up.

I think year 6 and P6 are the same. So S1 would be year 8. Or am I wrong?

No idea. Either way just stating "DD is 10" (or whatever) uses less words and can be understood by everyone.

I know, I am just wondering!

This "Year 6", "P6" and "6th Form" thing is so confusing to me. I totally can't follow it, and only just figured out the "P" ones, as I think P1 is age 5, so you can just add 5 (right?). I'm pretty sure the 'form' ones are something different, though? Because they come in upper and lower (sometimes) and tend to be late teens.

"or do they sneakily put them up from the Scottish airports even though the prices from the likes of Gatwick and Manchester haven't increased yet)."

That's exactly what they do, Scottish airports hike up the week before the holidays, north of England goes up a bit but still cheaper than Scotland and then again when they break up - I've spent time checking it out, lol.

It makes perfect sense that the prices to fly out of Scotland go up during July since that's peak holiday time. Same where I live. July is peak holiday season and the most expensive time of the year.

The year 8/year9 etc thing confuses the life out of me too. What I'm used to is P1 to P7. Then 1st year to 5th year. Then lower sixth and upper sixth.

P6 and Y6 are the same - but it's confused by the different cut-off dates and the fact that most kids in England go into Reception.

We add to the confusion by saying that P1 (ie Primary 1) = Reception. It doesn't. It equals Y1. It's just that the kids will range in age from 5 years and up to 11 months (in practice, usually a maximum of 5 and 9 months) to 4 and 4.5 months when they start in P1. Whereas in England, all children will already have turned 5 when they start Y1.

Then, like England, there are up to 13 years of formal education: in Scotland 7 at primary (hence P1-P7), then 6 years at secondary (S1-S6 ), with Nat 5s (= GCSEs) in S4, Highers in S5 and/or S6 (which universities accept for entrance) and Advanced Highers in S6; while in England it's 6 years in primary (Y1-Y6), followed by 7 years at secondary (Y7-13, last 2 of which might be at a separate 6th form college), with GCSEs sat in Y11, AS Levels (optional?) in Y12 and A Levels in Y13.