To think the school holidays should just be August ?

[yellowbeard]

It's too long. I think a break in routine does kids good, but it's too much all at once. I think in Italy August is considered Holiday month ( not sure about the school holiday length ) but I know a lot of businesses close down for August there. Aibu ?

I’m a teacher and I’m loving these holidays. If you don’t want to spend time with your children don’t have them.

3 weeks at Christmas would drive me to drink. It's cold, dark, wet and miserable. Even a fortnight is too long. Would rather back to school 2nd/3rd Jan and longer at Easter or something more sensible.

I am on the fence on this one. I worked in a school that split its holidays evenly through the year. Something along the lines of two weeks off every 5 weeks (can't remember precisely). They had as much time off as other schools but spread totally differently. I did enjoy that and it also meant cheap flights when we were off outside standard holidays but it was a nightmare for parents with kids attending two schools. I did miss the long summer breaks too!

Children need the long break. I don't think they have enough breaks as it is. I'd increase it to 8 weeks in the summer, 2 weeks for October half term and 3-4 weeks at Christmas and Easter.

My dc's school recently rearranged things to give 3 weeks at Christmas and they've found attainment and attendance has improved, especially at the start of the Spring term.

The longer holidays would mean that the holiday times were less premium too as there would be more to choose from.

We have three months - I think 6 weeks is too short.

Scotland has the same number of days
most schools have just over 6 weeks in Summer they finish end of June and go back around 15th august
in Argyll we have 2 weeks Christmas generally break up about 22nd -5th jan 1 in February 2 at easter (always first 2 weeks of April here) 6 in the summer and 2 in mid october (5th-20th) there is a long weekend for may day and easter if it is earlier or later than spring break there is no week in middle of may as summer term short anyway about 20th april to 26th June
personally I would like 7 weeks in summer about 10 days in october
the UK has the shortest Summer Holidays in Northern Hemisphere a few others also have 6 weeks Germany
it is much easier and cheaper to entertain children in warmer weather with lighter evenings than the middle of cold winters when it is dark by 3pm
the winters are cold and dark here only 5-6 hours of daylight in December I don't think anyone would want 3 weeks at Christmas

I'd like 5 weeks for summer, 3 weeks for christmas and 2 weeks at easter.

That extra week at christmas (preferably after) would be amazing.

I'd also like the summer hols to start earlier, the beginning of July please...😁

Duh! Meant a week before xmas extra. Not after!

Spare a thought for those of us with kids with special needs. There is no long lazy summer break here. The medical routines go on the same but with no break at all in school hours and our autistic one needs routine and won't go out with our massive meltdowns. We are under house arrest much of the time .
I am counting the days until school starts again !

A fortnight never feels like enough to me at Christmas! Mind you, half of my family live locally and we do a lot of get togethers, and we also go and stay with the ones who don't. So there's most of your two weeks gone. It's not a lot after the long Christmas term, though.

I’m in Ireland and primary here get 2 months in summer (July & August) 1 week in October, 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week in February, St Patrick’s day off, 2 weeks at Easter and the bank holidays scattered throughout the year. Secondary get nearly the same but they get 3 months at summer- they finish at the end of may.

Too long, my 12 year old yesterday said she's bored of the holidays and can't wait to go back to school. Cost a bloody fortune

Here in Ireland our secondary schools are 12 weeks, which actually fly in. The primary is 8 weeks and SN schools 6 weeks, which isn't enough as my dd does be exhausted when she finishes up. I hate school, hate them going back, hate all that routine, hate lunches, hate uniforms, hate homework, hate having to start all over with a new teacher, it's tiring, draining and a pita ! I love no plans, doing as we please, more time for fun stuff, taking off somewhere and no worries about school.

I'm in Scotland and this year we had 7 weeks. I'm positive it's usually only 6 weeks but could be wrong. I would prefer 3 weeks at Christmas and only 1 week for Easter.

No, no longer in October or December. It’s just dark and wet and miserable all the time. If six weeks in ok weather is too much 3 weeks in December would be worse as everything is just inside time or dark and cold. You want time off in nice weather may-sept

6 weeks is about right, especially if term time holidays are banned. If it was shorter, then everyone with school age kids would want to go away at some point in those 4 weeks. That would make it even harder to find a holiday cottage, the motorways and beaches would be even busier, and workplaces would have intense completion over who could have those weeks off.
If I was to change anything, I would bring them forward a bit, as the weather often breaks in August. Maybe have July off, and go back in mid August?

how do everyone thing home educated kids and parents manage?these kids have 365 days off

@SoyDora Why are you letting your kids laze around the house?!

Um because I’m working.

By week 4 my kids are starting to get bored, but it just means that those final 2 weeks are when i plan activites. They are quite content to lounge about but they do get cabin fever (even if they wont admit it).

So, i dont think the holidays should be shortened. However, i wish we had longer after New Year. I hate celebrating the new year & then going straight into school. I'd like the first week of january off.

Mine finished end of June and goes back 1st Sept, I don't want it to come round.

Is yours at Hogwarts?

My child has been off since 1st week July, goes back 1st week August. Super long!

I’m a teacher in S Orleans and want to move to Ireland, I love the holidays love the no routine spending long Summer days and nights with my children, June is a rubbish month at school anyway, everyone’s tired and fed up, there’s loads going on the weathers too nice, I think we should have the whole of June, July and half of August off 10 weeks would be lovely, your only a child once enjoy childhood.

Good job that they are only 5 and a half weeks then.

Why does the long summer holiday have to be mid/late July to early September? Why not have some variety, say two or three years one pattern, then two or three years another. Then there would be less excuse for holiday companies to jack up prices.

If we had better weather I'd love to keep it the same. It works in hotter countries to have the longer break at summer so the kids don't have to be in school in the hottest months. I would LOVE more time off over Christmas, we love snuggling up with the real fire and watching rubbish Christmas films, there's never too much time for that, so I'd love to have the two weeks off of the summer holidays and have them at Christmas instead. Also think it makes sense with our miserable weather