To think schools breaking up at the end of July is insane?

[Ploughmanscheese]

If term time holidays are so strongly discouraged, surely at least giving us a fighting chance of accessing decent weather would be fair?

I’m pushed to think of five nice days in august this year!

Not sure why you think that school holidays should change just because of a slight difference of a degree or two in temperature in some years between July and August. Sounds bonkers to me tbh. UK weather is unpredictable. Even if July often does sometimes have marginally better weather than August, that doesn't mean it will on the week you decide to go away on holiday. Fuss about nothing imo.

You are quite right. August is a wet month and heading into Autumn.

Mind you, I don't like the heat, so perhaps I shouldn't agitate for change!

The tail end of August is usually awful. It's more autumn than summer
I can think of two end of August bank holiday camping trips we took that were a colossal wash out.

Given that the holidays were originally planned around the farming calendar it does seem a bit daft

In my area of Scotland kids broke up last week of June and just went back this week, 7 and half weeks if far too long in my opinion they’re bored by the last couple of weeks and childcare is extortionate even taking AL to cover some weeks! We get 2 weeks at Easter and October and 2 weeks at Christmas.

I'm not sure about summer holidays, but I do think the Easter holidays should be fixed every year, in mid April. I hate it when Easter falls in March and the weather is still freezing.

@OwlinaTree

Yes it is a shame we can't have July off. Would be a long stretch to Xmas though if we went back in August!

July is the holiday month in Scotland.

This year last day of term was 23rd June, back on 12th August.

We have a "September weekend" holiday of 24th and 27th September, then are off on Friday 8th Oct for an in-service day, and the week of 11th-15th October. Finish for Christmas on Wednesday 22nd.

November is the only month in Scotland where the kids are in for all of the month, every other month has at least a couple of days holiday.

And yes, weather at the end of June and into July always seems better than August.

Don't the English get a bank holiday at the end of August? I wondered if it was to do with not changing that.
In eg glasgow, the schools go off end June/ start July, and there was the traditional local 'Glasgow Fair Fortnight/ Weekend' when a lot of people took their holidays (to Arran or somewhere). Then kids back to school mid August, a day off or so for the September weekend, then a week in October. The August Bank Holiday is the wrong time to fit with that.

But as a Scot with inlaw family in England, I agree the Scottish dates are better. But it's great getting the kids off school and going south when it's still quietish every year.

I saw this petition the other day and am starting to feel in favour of a move to a June / July summer holiday. The 'summer' weather has been rubbish ☔️😩

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/594757

@Waspsarearseholes

Well, traditionally the school calendar revolved around the farming calendar so yes, they are (or were) designed to allow children to help in the farm. Some summers are nice, some are dreadful, you can't really have ad hoc and changeable holidays based on the weather forecast.

children do still help on the farms

@RosieLemonade

Weather has been awful this August.

When I was still at the chalkface we used to be able to guarantee that as soon as we went back in Spetember there would be an Indian summer, if one's allowed to call it that this week. It was the same daily, the number of times the heavens would open at 3.25, just before the 3.30 finish, we called it the 3.35 weather. I often had a dozen or so pupils staying behind to wait for it stopping.

@Woodmarsh

Given that the holidays were originally planned around the farming calendar it does seem a bit daft

but the farming year has not changed, and this year, post Brexit, youngsters are needed on the farms more than ever.

@BillyWhozz

Where I live the summer holidays have been cut to 5 weeks (start of August) and the extra week added to October. Wouldn't have been my choice - makes a summer holiday more difficult due to work patterns and why not have 2 weeks at the May half term when it's nicer? First world problems granted...

One authority I worked for had a 2 week Whit break for primary school pupils, because of external exams the secondary schools had one week.

In Scotland the October break in some regions was there to help with the potato harvest. They called it Tattie Week.
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/farming/1589990/looking-into-the-history-of-the-tattie-holidays/amp/

@TheGenealogist not sure what area of Scotland you are in but mine aren’t off in September at all, infant mine aren’t off again until the October holidays now and then not off again until Christmas, they used to get a day or 2 in November but not anymore

We broke up on 24th June and went to Cornwall at start of July where it pissed with rain for a lot of the time so I’m not sure it makes much difference

Infact*

I love the school holidays here in Scotland :)

Move to Leicestershire! Last day of term was July 9th, and the kids go back next week.

No such thing as wrong weather, just wrong clothes!

(Obviously not suggesting going out in a hurricane or gale, but you surely get my point)

[quote AlaskaThunderfuckHiiiiiiiii]@TheGenealogist not sure what area of Scotland you are in but mine aren’t off in September at all, infant mine aren’t off again until the October holidays now and then not off again until Christmas, they used to get a day or 2 in November but not anymore[/quote]
I'm in North Lanarkshire and we always get the 'September weekend' and 'October week' with an in-service day in November

You really can't base anything on the weather in the UK, just expect whatever..

When I got married. although years ago, it was on a late April day, it was sunny and warm all the week before, but wedding day, and two days after,it snowed heavily.

Longer May holiday wouldn't work due to exams.. You'd have to shift those about too.

Weather aside I wonder how anyone manages with young kids during the Summer holidays given normal jobs have 25(?) days annual leave.

ROI here. Secondary off June July, and August. Primary off July and August.
Mid term May and October 1 week each, and the usual Christmas and Easter breaks.

Education is good here and proof is there are far fewer private schools than in the EU or UK in general. There is little demand for it in proportion to the school going population.

August is usually a dismal month, and has been for a few years now, but as a PP said, come September you could nearly guarantee good weather. That's when we travel as have no school going sprogs now!