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!

I work in schools, have taught in both secondary and primary for many years. I still find our Autumn term very long as it is. It's often two 7-8 week half terms, with a week in between. And it's a term with increasingly darker and colder days. It already feels long enough to me. I really wouldn't want a half term lasting longer than 8 weeks personally.

I'm overseas. We've been off since the start of July and the kids go back next week. 8 weeks off...

@Abraxan

I work in schools, have taught in both secondary and primary for many years. I still find our Autumn term very long as it is. It's often two 7-8 week half terms, with a week in between. And it's a term with increasingly darker and colder days. It already feels long enough to me. I really wouldn't want a half term lasting longer than 8 weeks personally.

It's 9 weeks for us til October break but everyone's favourite term - it does get darker later here and autumn is generally pretty pleasant. The Xmas term is indeed relentless though without a single inset ( we have one Monday in September)

Longer half terms shorter summer would be my preference then you can have a holiday not just in summer. DD had a 2 week October break in primary and we had our main hols then - cheaper, quieter and I wasn’t competing for summer leave at work.
When I was first married schools in town I worked in still had wakes holiday first week of July off. Another nearby town had a week in September. Ideal for cheaper hols. They changed it to make it standard across county.

How is it 8 weeks half term ? They go back on the 6th September then off from the 17th October to the 1st of November (6.5 weeks). Finish for Christmas on the 17th (another 6weeks), what are yours doing ?

And YANBU op I am considering putting the heating on in Kent in August.

@RosieLemonade

Weather has been awful this August.

Weather is usually rubbish in August. I've always thought we should have two weeks in May half term and bring forward October half term and make that two weeks too. The weather is usually better in May and early October!

The holidays are more sensibly timed in Scotland.

Lots are back 1st September. Half term isn’t until 25/10 then only 1 week.

We often go away at the end of August to the med (southern Italy, Spain or Greece) for this reason, it's miserable.

I think that any move of the school holiday time would meet with great opposition, especially if children went back earlier in August. Staggering of school holidays by area and not having the same time each year could be one way of reducing peak demand for hotels etc and perhaps prices, but people are so invested in the calendar as it is, I cannot see that happening.

As for August weather, this year seems unusual. It will probably be sunny once children return in September (!)

I can see the appeal in changing the calendar that way, even if ended up with a longer term, though each of them have their pros and cons. My first thought was how would it work with the current exam to results timetable.

I went to an elementary in the US on a "year round" schedule that was 9 weeks on, 3 off, with 5 off in the summer, and that seemed to work well though in part because so few schools had that.

traditionally the school calendar revolved around the farming calendar

A common myth, but no. In early schooling - before there was a standardized calendar - most farming areas usually had summer and winter terms.

Summer breaks originated due to the heat in cities and when those families that afforded to do so left to get away from that and they ended up making the standard for everyone else.

@RosieLemonade

Weather has been awful this August.

Weather has been lovely this August, perfect in fact!

As someone who works in hospitality I disagree, I love the fact the weather has been cooler during the summer holidays, having to run around after the ridiculous amount of extra people in the heat we had the last week of term would be an absolute killer tbh especially for the poor chefs who can be working in 40+ degree heat.

In Northern Ireland and Scotland they do break up well before end of july

A common myth, but no. In early schooling - before there was a standardized calendar - most farming areas usually had summer and winter terms.

@BiBabbles
Not a myth at all for Scottish October breaks - literally known as the tattie holidays. Some areas even had/have 2 weeks due it it

How is it 8 weeks half term ? They go back on the 6th September

Our first day of term is 1st September.

UK weather is rubbish and unpredictable, no point changing the holidays.

@traumatisednoodle

How is it 8 weeks half term ? They go back on the 6th September then off from the 17th October to the 1st of November (6.5 weeks). Finish for Christmas on the 17th (another 6weeks), what are yours doing ?

We return on 1st September, so 7 weeks and 4 days for staff. Children return on 2nd - so 7 weeks and 3 days for the children.

@traumatisednoodle

How is it 8 weeks half term ? They go back on the 6th September then off from the 17th October to the 1st of November (6.5 weeks). Finish for Christmas on the 17th (another 6weeks), what are yours doing ?

Oh and we don't break up until Friday 22nd October. Our autumn 2 half term is 7 weeks.

@Goofers how is torrential rain that floods your tent and forces you to leave your holiday early perfect weather? And being stuck in half the holidays due to rain and cold or the resulting mud? I don't want to spend my time shivering in a raincoat. Even on our second non abandoned camp it rained 3 days out of 5. It's been a washout.

It was 29 degrees where I live in Scotland today. Usually freezing in August