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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Why do school s insist on having the 6 week break in August...

338 replies

EezerGoode · 02/08/2017 17:23

Why not have a week of every month? Or just allow each area to set its own holidays..we could all then go on holiday in June or may ,when there actually was nice weather..and it would be cheaper..we all seem to accept it often rains in August..meaning we pay top whack for holidays when it pisses down....so what is stopping headteachers spreading the holidays throughout the year so we can take advantage of decent weather and cheaper prices??!!

OP posts:

Stabbytheunicorn · 02/08/2017 23:40

Lets not forget there are many other people employed within education that aren't teachers. Support staff, office staff, kitchen staff, cleaning staff, caretakers etc. These are not paid for 52 weeks of the year. I work TT only in a support capacity and I'm only paid for 45 weeks of the year, which is divided by 12 monthly payments. I work 39 so get 6 weeks "paid" holiday and 7 are unpaid.

I take a big hit to get the other 7 weeks off to care for my kids. My wages are basic (just over living wage) so its not like I'm highly paid for the privilege of time off AND I cannot take any term time off - just like a teacher.

MiddleEnglandLives · 02/08/2017 23:53

Has anyone pointed out yet that the main reason a lot of people have for going into education is so that they can work around their own kids' holidays? And that with the teaching workload being what it is during term-time it is the only chance for quality time with their own children that they get? With teacher recruitment and retention being what it is it might not be wise to start mucking about with that.

Children also need a decent break from school pressures.

MiddleEnglandLives · 02/08/2017 23:54

Aha, seemed to miss pg 5!

diamond49 · 03/08/2017 00:03

I think traditionally the harvest was much much earlier than nowadays w more in September. Harvest festival is October.
I am not sure how public exams and 6 the form and uni entrance would work with some of the suggestions on here?

diamond49 · 03/08/2017 00:05

Good for maintenance and new building work too

Grilledaubergines · 03/08/2017 00:07

wouldnt work for any working parents, not just teaching staff. Because teaching staff at least have more A/L to cover some of the time. If you only have yourcstabdar 4 or 5 weeks, it stretches nowhere.

Grilledaubergines · 03/08/2017 00:08

*your standard

AngeloftheSouth84 · 03/08/2017 06:25

It would be a nightmare for teaching parents if schools had different holidays.
In which case they would have to do what every other working parent has to do

meditrina · 03/08/2017 06:43

VA schools have always been able to set their own term dates.

Academies have, since their inception, and the last Govt announced that all schools will be able to soon (has that happened yet).

So some of what OP is asking for has happened. Schools can alter their dates if they wish.

Generally, they don't wish. There is a long established academic year, which bodies from reception right through to university are used to working with and which fit results/admissions rounds. Yes, it could be changed, but not without checking the impact on other parts of the system.

Personally, I'd like to see a slightly shorter summer holiday and a two week half term in October (because the autumn term is so much longer than the others and has no Bank Hols). But I think taking Moreno than a week out if the summer would screw things up for secondary schools because if the public exam timetable.

MrEBear · 03/08/2017 07:16

I don't think it would work to change the holidays too much. Schools are working with 3 terms and targets within those terms. A week off every month would never give the kids a proper break how many teachers would be tempted to issue home work for that week?

Can you imagine the issues in the work place as everybody with kids or grandkids are all trying to book the same weeks off? At least with 7 weeks in summer parents have a chance of getting some annual leave with their kids.
Many people struggle to get two weeks off out of 7.

Other issues if you have family (cousins) in different areas staggered school holidays would make meeting up more difficult.

Schools have 13 weeks off a year most parents only have 5 or 6 weeks holidays. So they still need to find childcare for the same number of weeks.

Many Scots take their holidays when the schools break up at the end of June it's cheaper to go before the English schools break up - especially if you travel to an English airport - drive to Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, shuttle to London.

How many English people do the same in reverse drive / fly to Glasgow or Edinburgh at the end of August when the Scottish kids are back in school and the English kids are still off?

SoupDragon · 03/08/2017 07:26

It would be a nightmare for teaching parents if schools had different holidays.

In which case they would have to do what every other working parent has to do

Why do people keep saying this?? It's been explained.

chipscheeseandcurrysauce · 03/08/2017 07:28

A school where I live has three weeks... unless you're going into Year 7 or 12 then you have the full six weeks.

It's one of the best schools too. I think their schooling hours are 8:15 - 3:55!

SoupDragon · 03/08/2017 07:30

Because teaching staff at least have more A/L to cover some of the time

Which they can not take other than in the holidays set by their own school.

If you only have yourcstabdar 4 or 5 weeks, it stretches nowhere.

So, nothing changes. You have X weeks of annual leave which you can take to cover Y weeks of school holidays.

Snap8TheCat · 03/08/2017 07:45

soupdragon

That's not exclusive to teaching parents. My DH is a police officer, the amount of times he gets annual leave cancelled or told no is unbelievable and I couldn't rely on him for child care. Many of those in the leisure and tourism trade can't take peak time hols either.

Why do teachers think they're always the worst off?

SoupDragon · 03/08/2017 07:50

Why do teachers think they're always the worst off?

They don't. They were pointing out that they can't take annual leave when posters were bleating on about it being exactly the same for ALL working parents, which is quite clearly isn't.

SoupDragon · 03/08/2017 07:51

I couldn't rely on him for child care

Their point wasn't about childcare.

Headofthehive55 · 03/08/2017 07:55

It's often uni students that help with holiday clubs.
Split the year more and holiday clubs just won't run.
We only have holiday clubs here in the long holiday. No one will run then in the shorter hols

Snap8TheCat · 03/08/2017 08:15

What is your/their point then? That you don't all get time off together? Surely that's the same thing? Not everyone does get to choose their annual leave, many in childcare facilities have to be available when demand is higher for example.

Teachers aren't special for that!

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 03/08/2017 08:38

Snap8TheCat - the point being made is that teachers have zero flexibility. We cannot even request "annual leave" during our term times. We HAVE to take our holidays when the school is closed.

But clearly you are arguing that we are not special, so which are the other professions where you cannot even request annual leave? Yes, I am aware that sometimes it gets turned down, or there is a lot of competition for it at certain times of the year, but in which professions does it HAVE to be taken between certain dates by everyone, no negotiation and no flexibility?

Hobbitfeet32 · 03/08/2017 08:47

A & e doctors often get told their annual leave.

WaxOnFeckOff · 03/08/2017 08:52

School holidays in Scotland are not always taken at the same time though they tend to be broadly similar. Summer hoidays can vary by up to a week either end and my collegue and I often have our schools off different weeks in October. The holidays are the same for schools in the same council area but some of the areas are very close and it would be reasonably common for teachers to be teaching in a different area to the one where their kids attend school. "In Service" days also vary as do local holidays.

Teachers just have to find childcare for those times the same as any other people.

I can appreciate that not being able to take random days of annual leave must be frustrating, but I think that is compensated by the volume of holidays that they have.

A lot of employers insist that say, only 2 people can be off at any one time. If there are only 6 or 7 weeks and 12 people with kids wanting a fortnight off during the school summer holidays, it just doesn't work.

woodhill · 03/08/2017 08:58

You need the whole year to teach the courses in secondary with exams in May/June

woodhill · 03/08/2017 09:00

The weather would probably become better in August if we changed it. Sometimes June can be rubbish e.g.1997

theduchessstill · 03/08/2017 09:00

There is also the point that many teachers have chosen the profession, or to stay in it after having children, precisely because of the holidays i doubt anyone becomes a police officer or doctor because they think it'll be handy for childcare.

But let's al drown in envy and make sure as many people's lives are as shit as can be. It's ridiculous to think if they jiggled around with the holidays we'd all get cheap holidays. They'd make the money elsewhere and it would probably impact more people.

wtffgs · 03/08/2017 09:00

Presumably anal leave is what you take to go to Center Parcs

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