UK summer holidays start far too late

[Stuckforthefourthtime]

We're already into summer, the weather is lovely and it's weeks until the school holidays start.

July is consistently the warmest month in the UK, yet the kids (and teachers) spend it on school and parents commuting and at work. www.statista.com/statistics/322658/monthly-average-daily-temperatures-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/. The rest of Europe is on holiday already.

Aibu to think they should start earlier?

Crunchymum - different parts of the Scotland do it differently: in Glasgow, we have the September weekend - a 4 day weekend at the end of the month, and then 2 weeks later, we have the October Week. There will be an Inset Day added on to one of those breaks.

Some other parts get an October fortnight, as Glaikit has pointed out.

We also don't get "Half Term" in the same way: in February, some areas only get the February Break (Monday and Tuesday off, with maybe an Inset Day on the Wednesday or the previous Friday) - although some other areas have consolidated their breaks to allow a full week. Makes it a bugger to go away skiing (very middle class problem ) - although we also don't have the fines for "unauthorised absence" that England has, so many people go anyway.

We also don't have a week off in the summer term (bit pointless when it is quite short and there are exams from the end of April) - but we do get an extra long weekend at the end of May for the 2nd May Bank Holiday(again, some areas might have it at a different time).

The holidays in the ROI are way too long.
Unless you are loaded how are you supposed to keep your children entertained for so long?
Most go to Summer Camp organised by the school so may as well be at school.
I agree it needs an overhauk.
I think splitting the year into 5 terms would work.

it suits us fine as our trips to Alton towers and Blackpool in early july are fabulously quite!
Really? I've always found them chock full of school trips this time of year

Yes, I went to Legoland in early July and it was crammed full of school groups.

@Stuckforthefourthtime

YANBU, but some parents struggle with childcare as it is, with it just being 6 weeks. (Last week in July to first week in September...)

I think some other countries have much longer summer hols. America has 3 months I think. (Mid June to Mid September.)

I quite like the idea of the fortnight in October and dispensing with September weekend. I know the do this in Fife and many people choose to take their main family holidays at this time.

Totally didn't realise that the rest of the UK doesn't holiday at the same time

They actually vary in England to an extent - I had a colleague who lived near Chester who had a two week May half term and started the summer holidays even later at the very end of July, and then had a two week October half term too. I'm sure there are some variations elsewhere too.

CrunchyMum my kids (NI) finish at the end of June and go back at the start of September.
Sept - Dec term (1 week off over Halloween).
Jan -Easter (1 week off in Feb, Easter holidays are 8 school days, they also get 1 or 2 days off at St Patricks)
Easter - June ( 1 day off at May Day, 2 days off around end of bank holiday in May)

There's also a few random Fridays off throughout the year.

Agreed. The last 3 weeks of term (start of July) are usually boiling!

I’m in Scotland we have
Mid August- October then two weeks off for October holidays
End of October-December then two weeks off for Christmas
January to April then two weeks off for Easter
April-end of June then 6/7 weeks summer holiday.

In our area we get three inservice days leading into a weekend for a sort of half term and another long weekend in November.

My sister is in a different part of Scotland and her kids only get one week in October.

Agree, I would prefer to switch to the Scottish holiday dates, I would love to be able to go away in early July and they get two weeks in October earlier than our half term.

I'm in SE England and mine break up on Friday lunchtime. They're off til 4th September. I agree that the best weather is in July rather than August.

We tend to holiday in the UK in early July, or in Europe in the last week of August. Seems to be the best timing for prices and lack of crowds.

As an Irish person and a parent living in London, I am shocked at how short the school summer holidays are here.

Shocked and delighted.

YANBU!

This is exactly what we were discussing at work, summer holidays start too late and are far too short. (and I don't work in a school but I wouldn't stupidly resent the teachers who would also benefit anyway).

Kids should have time to have a life out of school, they only have one childhood. They should have at the very least the whole of July and August off.

My kids are now finished school for good but went to school in the state of Bavaria .The schools here do not break up until 1st of August.Drove me bonkers over the years plus the fact that they get two weeks holidays every year six weeks after Easter called Pfingstferien .So they have holidays and that summer feeling and then have to back to school and do a pile of tests before breaking up finally in August.July also is so hot usually and this last week kids have been in school in temps of 38 degrees.when mine were in primary school they used to have "Hitzefrei' when temps went over 30 degrees so the kids were just sent home at 11 am. August for school holidays is too late but i suppose the whole of Europe cannot be on hols at the same time.

Agreed. I have this thought every July. So jealous of kids in private schools who are finishing this week, while mine are in until July 25th.

As a working parent though I think our English holidays are just about do able. Longer would be very difficult. When I was a SAHM I thought they were too long too for different reasons.

It's not the UK. It's England & Wales. Scotland and NI and Ireland are already off.

If You holiday started at the beginning of July you might not get a May half term.

My son breaks up on Friday (private school) and goes back at end of August. I think it's much more sensible as they don't have proper lessons after their exams anyway, and they're much more focussed in early September than late July. He also has two weeks half term in October, so the winter term isn't too long.

Interesting to see that some people think the school holidays are too short. What do you think the ideal school year looks like?

No, they're fine as they are, the last thing we want when they are off school is blistering heat and them wanting to stay indoors all the time. Far better to be off once the height of summer has passed and you can get out and do things without being a hot sticky mess all the time.

July is consistently the warmest month in the UK

I think the stats show that August is.

Agree that holidays could start a little earlier but not sure they should be any longer than the current 6 weeks. 6 weeks of juggling childcare for parents who work is stressful and expensive, 6 weeks of trying to entertain bored kids also stressful and expensive. Three months summer holidays for secondary school in the ROI are far too long and I know lots of parents dread the holidays. Teens get bored and often end up hanging around and getting in trouble. They are too old for childcare, too young for part time work and there are only so many summer camps to go to. Six weeks is just right IMO.

the last thing we want when they are off school is blistering heat and them wanting to stay indoors all the time.

Blistering heat? In England?

the poor kids would be better off napping or staying indoors during the "warmest" hours of the day and enjoy early mornings and later evenings in the summer, instead of being stuck in a school class.