To think the summer holidays should only be four weeks long.

[MyBrexitUnicornDied]

I’ll probably get flamed for this but I really think 6 weeks is too long for kids to be off school.

The kids (and teachers) still need to keep the same number of weeks off as holiday but summer really drags. My kids end up bored and miss their friends. I think there’s an issue with some kids losing skills over such a long break too.

It makes more sense to me to have

2 weeks half term in October
2 weeks Christmas
1 week half term February
2 weeks for Easter
2 weeks half term May / June
4 weeks summer break.

Anyone else of a similar opinion? Or am I going to get flamed?

i think that the school holidays are fine but university holidays should be much shorter - four months off is ridiculous; if they were the same length of the school holidays then degrees could be done in two years and the levels of debt would be much more manageable.

my oldest child has 2 weeks for half terms, and 7 weeks summer as it is....
2 weeks every 6 weeks in semesters for all state schools sounds much better, and would make holidays much cheaper. If all schools were off at different times according to location it would drive the cost of flights/holidays down as there would be no 'peak' time.

Completely agree OP. Heard there’s research out there in how much kids forget over long summer holidays.

spaniel I think you're right.

So, we have longer summer holidays than in England. And holiday clubs etc are non existent where I live, and obviously we have jobs too. My entire leave allowance for the year added to my husband's full leave allowance for the year wouldn't even cover our kids summer holidays, never mind the other holidays through the year. But it's what we are used to, what other parents are used to and I've honestly never heard anyone complain or say they wish the holidays were shorter, because it's our normal. Whereas I think if our holidays were introduced in England, people would be horrified because they would view them as too long (and if English holidays were introduced here, we'd be shocked at how short they are).

It's always the sahms and teachers who trill on about how marvellous the long holidays are

I’m neither.

Our teachers will decide. And if it's good for them and their lifestyles/exam supervision/correction etc., it will work, otherwise everything else is just speculation. I doubt it will happen though, surely there is a Government Department that decides all this!

Best of luck to all teachers returning next week. They do a great job.

BTW I have no teaching relatives, I am not a teacher either, just to mention.

I'd prefer 4 weeks for ds. There is nothing suitable for him to do in school holidays and because of his disabilities he cannot entertain himself.

Get lost!! I’m a teacher, they should be 8 weeks IMO

Well which 2 weeks would you be willing to lose from the rest of the year. I’m not arguing for less holidays just moving then round a bit.

Is your post aimed at your childcare needs

No, but I’ve noticed quite a few people saying how much they enjoy 6 to 8 weeks of summer holidays off with their kids. A long summer holiday is less fun when you are working.

No. Adult life is hard enough. Let the kids enough their freedom while it lasts

I love the long holidays. I love spending time together with no routine and pressure.

Some schools/authorities already do this. Mine has recently had a consultation on changing the academic calendar and decided to reduce summer to 5 weeks and make October 2 weeks.

Personally, I love the 6 weeks hols, but I’m lucky in that i don’t have to worry about childcare. I love that we all get to completely relax, get completely off the normal routine.

During the consultation, schools couldn’t agree on what pattern would be better. Infants didn’t want the new starters to have a 2 week break at October, just after getting into the routines of school. Secondaries didn’t want a 2 week break in the middle of exams. Parents seemed to prefer the holidays in warmer months - I guess there are a lot more options for activities in warmer weather with lighter evenings.

I do know families (with teacher parents - I was a teacher for a long time) where everyone in the family had different holidays, and that can be a nightmare. You can’t go off on holiday when one child is still at school. And speaking from a teacher’s perspective, working term time and having school holidays with your children is a massive perk. I’d worry that the recruitment and retention crisis would get even worse if loca schools all had different holidays.

My authority has decided to change the holiday pattern, and I’ll live with it as long as all the schools follow the same pattern set by the authority. (Academies can set their own holiday dates).

Was just having this conversation with a friend yesterday and I agree. 6 weeks is just too much. As much as I’ll miss the dcs when the go back to school, I’m desperate for the routine again.

A long summer holiday is less fun when you are working

I was working. 20hour plus days whilst DD was away for a week then evenings etc. I kind of think you expect childcare when you have children. I made career changes to ensure I could manage childcare as a single parent.

Keep it the same! Teacher here-just got back from 6 solid weeks in our caravan. No screens. Freckles and sun tans. Lovely!

Childcare is expensive but school holidays aren’t a secret. Factor it in or become a teacher/work in a school.

We tried for a two week October half term this year but our associated primaries blocked it as they didn’t want it! Nutters!!!

Sorry to hear your kids were bored. Mine weren’t. Perhaps change your parenting rather than the holidays?

But no-ones saying that there should be fewer holidays, just spread them out throughout the year more.

4 weeks off in the summer is still a substantial break and more than what almost everyone outside education gets.

But no-ones saying that there should be fewer holidays, just spread them out throughout the year more

How does that help childcare?

Not the children’s fault your working. You all knew how long the holidays where before you had them and if working you would need to pay children care.

Children aren’t adults they already spend enough time shoved into matching uniforms being taught as a whole rather than too their needs without selfish adults demanding they fit into the working worlds times and holidays. Clearly adults forget they where ever kids and the fun they had when school was off.

Agree op that would be better. Because of inset days for us it is one day short of 7 weeks off. We went away for a short three day break this year so seemed especially long as we usually manage a week which breaks it up a bit.

I think your suggestion would be worse for employers. In my industry August's pretty much a write-off as so much of Europe's off on hols, so concentrating our leave there makes sense. And one-week half terms can be covered by juggling without much impact on the business. Having more fortnights off throughout the year would mean more and longer impact of A/L on business needs.

As a teacher I would happy have 4/5 weeks summer and longer either Christmas or October.

It's nothing to do with childcare. Most people working outside education get fewer holidays than schools do, so they are likely to have to pay for extra childcare, or make arrangements with family/friends anyway.

It's about whether the summer holiday is too long, for DCs to forget what they've learnt, for people to be bored, for people to be away from work for too long, or just to spread holidays more evenly throughout the year.

The holidays are not fun for all children.

Well If the children are not having fun that’s the parents issue not schools. It’s education not childcare. Get a tutor if your child forgets everything or take them out if they find it so horrible being home.