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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Aibu holiday GCSEs help!

122 replies

Sjgmumma · 02/02/2022 03:32

Okay. So next year ds will be doing his GCSEs. My mil has booked us all a holiday as a treat due to me being very unwell recently and will be for the foreseeable. The holiday is first week of may to turkey 2nd-9th
Ds will start exams around the 16th.
Am I crazy to even contemplate it?
Ds isn’t very academic at all.

OP posts:

PostThenGhost · 02/02/2022 07:55

Ds isn’t very academic at all

Oh well that’s okay then, have a great holiday

Porcupineintherough · 02/02/2022 07:58

Terrible, terrible idea and the fact that he's not academically inclined just makes it worse. He'll have been working for these exams for at least 2 years, why sabotage that?

Rebook for beginning July and celebrate.

Seemssounfair · 02/02/2022 07:58

Ds isn’t very academic at all.

If that is your reasoning and thought process for going I can see why he hasnt achieved to his potential academically

Your immediate thought process should be he isnt academic so needs the time to revise even more to get the best grades he is capable of.

RG2468 · 02/02/2022 08:00

This actually makes me sad to read. He may not be academic but his education is still incredibly valuable. More valuable than a cheap in term trip to Turkey.

Maybe he might have been academic if he felt his education was more valued or he thought he was capable. He needs all the days/hours to prepare. He’ll probably be doing a lot towards exam technique. It’s an important time to be switched on not switched off.

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been unwell maybe move it to the beginning of July?

ittakes2 · 02/02/2022 08:00

He might not be academic but he will need a certain level of grade to stay for A levels at his school. Crazy considering his whole high school has been leading up to this point!

MintyGreenDream · 02/02/2022 08:01

You can change the holiday for an"admin" fee usually

Backtomyoldname · 02/02/2022 08:01

Not a good idea - even if you plan to have set revision times.

School staff are most unlikely to produce revision material just for him.

I really crammed in revision material in the closing weeks, some was best done in groups not just the chalk and talk/just read this style of revision.

Still not as bad as the letter that came into my school asking if the exams could be postponed/moved for their child as they would be away.

Change the date - not just because of the revision problems it’ll also add to your son’s stress levels whether he’s academic or not.

Eightiesfan · 02/02/2022 08:34

Thank her, but tell her no, it would be complete madness to even contemplate this.

altiara · 02/02/2022 08:49

Yes, you would be crazy to contemplate this.

My DD is doing her GCSEs this year, I want her to do the best she can do it so it opens up more options for the next stage of her education. So I’m not booking any holidays in until July.

sofakingcool · 02/02/2022 09:10

@PostThenGhost

Ds isn’t very academic at all

Oh well that’s okay then, have a great holiday

I took that as her worrying, not as a reason to do it

Tal45 · 02/02/2022 09:14

Get her to change it to the last week of June, ds will have something to look forward to while doing his exams and a big treat when they finish. It should still be cheap as it's in term time.

itwasntaparty · 02/02/2022 09:18

No that would be mad. Years ago we went to visit my dad who was living abroad at the time in the Easter before my GCSEs. I was working and revising every day, albeit by the pool.

It won't be a holiday for him, he will need to work. Most schools have revision sessions in the May half term now too. Go after the GCSEs.

AuntieMarys · 02/02/2022 09:21

Ah yes...getting confused. So long since I booked one!!!!!

Greatauntdymphna · 02/02/2022 09:21

Sorry but it's a terrible idea. We went on holiday in February half term for our children's GCSE years but wouldn't have considered it even for Easter. They have a really long holiday after GCSEs so maybe you can go at the end of June? It's still term time so still reasonably priced but the exams will be over.

Clymene · 02/02/2022 09:25

@Tal45

Get her to change it to the last week of June, ds will have something to look forward to while doing his exams and a big treat when they finish. It should still be cheap as it's in term time.

They don't finish until 28th June this year so that might be equally catastrophic!

actiongirl1978 · 02/02/2022 09:25

I'm an exams officer and I'm always stunned that people take their children away in May half term which is halfway through the exams. The week before they start would be even worse.

Comefromaway · 02/02/2022 09:26

It is a dreadful idea.

My ds isn't very academic (and his GCSE's were cancelled) but he needed certain minimum grades to get into college on a practical Btec course. If your ds is looking at apprentiships they also need minimum grades.

And if he is doing any kind of practical subject such as art, drama, music, Design Technology, PE etc then there will be practical assessments not in the formal GCSE timetable.

actiongirl1978 · 02/02/2022 09:26

Also the contingency day this year (in case the Queen dies during the GCSEs) is 29th June so don't book anything until after that date

tiredanddangerous · 02/02/2022 09:27

No way in hell would I do this. Did she not check the dates with you before she booked it??

MermaidEyes · 02/02/2022 09:29

This thread went well 🤣 I'm more amazed that someone would book a holiday for you without even discussing dates. How bizarre, and frankly, quite controlling.

caringcarer · 02/02/2022 09:37

Year 11 finish school the last week of June. Surely she can change the date to the first week of July. It would be very unfair to take your son out of school the week before his exam and often when actual oral exams are set.

SockFluffInTheBath · 02/02/2022 09:37

Sorry OP but I’m with everyone else. If your DS isn’t academically strong then he needs the time to prep- it could be difference between pass and fail. PP also state not all assessments falls in the main exam period.

Does your DM normally do silly things like this? I can’t believe how flippant some people are about school and exams

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/02/2022 09:37

No, absolutely don’t go then.

It’s a disadvantage in something that’ll affect the rest of his life, not year 8 end of term exams.

GCSE year is brilliant in that you can have a holiday a bit earlier than usual and avoid the price hike in the holidays. Go for early July to be well clear of exams z

I don’t see how you could go anyway as it’s in the school term?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/02/2022 09:38

And yes he needs that time much more because he’s not that academic - what if these are his only school based exams, or he needs them for an apprenticeship or to get into another course? Or just to know what he can do?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 02/02/2022 09:40

My kids are at both ends of the spectrum - one very high flyer academically and one who struggles (but still in primary). Both of them equally need to be there all the time, and certainly not to miss exam prep

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