time for England to re-jig their school year?

[KnittingNeedles]

As someone who grew up in Scotland and who has kids at school in Scotland, July is holiday month and always has been. Kids at school until around 20th July always seems insanely late to me.

Statistically, July is the hottest month in the UK and with climate change upon us, temperatures are going to get more extreme. Most Scottish schools finish the last week in June, returning around 15th August. England/Wales keeps their kids in school 3-4 weeks later and then they stay off into September.

Time for a total shake-up of the school year to account for climate change? The school year was originally based around the farming year as far as I know, and as that's not really an issue any more, should they be adopting a more Scottish/N Irish approach to shifting the holidays?

(Actually, I hope they don't because we take advantage of that beginning of July period to travel to England and enjoy the weather/visitor attractions when the kids are all still in school, and enjoy the cheaper prices too).

When would teachers have their holidays though?

We are not actually paid for all of our holidays either so if we were to just get the holiday we do actually get paid for, then gov would have to find about 20 % more pay for us all.

Given that they are squabbling about giving us a 3% pay rise, I can't see that happening!

It's not the weather that's the problem, it's the badly designed school buildings with little to no ventilation (much like during Covid - although that's obviously still here!)

I like the holidays as they are. It's the only thing that makes the job manageable IMO.

Well we do that here too. Children starting school here next month will have been 4 since 28th February as a bare minimum. Many parents choose to defer children born in Jan/Feb, so most will have been 4 since December last year.

The whole system is different. I'm not arguing that Scottish education is perfect as it's certainly not. But the rejigging of the school year to accommodate higher summer temperatures is certainly a possible thing to do, if there's the will to do it. Or even take a regional approach - places north of Leeds/Manchester/Liverpool where it's not usually as hot could stick to their end July - September model, other regions could choose to move their terms.

@howshouldibehave holiday days would be compulsory. It would be a more individually tailored approach depending on the child and their learning needs. Some children would benefit from a week or two off; others from individual days when needed.

I don’t have a strong opinion on this either way. But summer weather is weird and changeable here in London , so not sure if it’s a good enough reason to make such a big change to the holidays. Early September is often hot. August muggy and grey. June and July very mixed.

@bendmeoverbackwards I dont get how teachers would build on what was done the lesson before if children just dip in and out.

I don’t think that’s a model that will ever be adopted, no.

Two weeks off at October half term would be nice though.

@bendmeoverbackwards

Completely unworkable. You're essentially suggesting an individual timetable for each child.

@bendmeoverbackwards that's crazy and couldn't possibly work. How could you cover a syllabus for all kids if they're all off at different times? Presumably teachers would have the same right to book holiday whenever so schools would have to find subject specialists to go and teach the classes. Impossible option.

I work in a private school. We have longer days, equivalent to one extra full day of teaching pw hence the longer holidays. It works well.

I actually think the summer holidays are too short in the UK. We seem to spend a huge amount of time winding down for sumner. Why not just stop.

Longer or more staggered holidays would be better for the holiday industry too. Rather than the huge hike in prices when the English schools stop

Im in Wales and the Senedd are consulting on a 4 week summer holiday and redistributing the 2 weeks elsewhere, I'm all for it.
I love it when the nations all have slightly different holidays, this Easter was a prime example, England and Wlaes only crossed over 1 week so there was an abundance of cheap UK holidays.

I would hate for state schools in England to move to a 4 week summer whilst private schools continue to have 8 weeks.

Absolutely

And not just in England.

The whole of the UK needs to move away from the 39 week school year.

There's no need for that much time off

4 weeks is far too short. Most employers have rules about max numbers off at a time. Would be impossible for many families to get two weeks of together.

And it's not as easy to get cheap days out in spring and autumn as it is in summer.

I agree OP. England and Wales are almost the only European nations with kids still in school by mid July.
And nowadays July seems to be hotter than end of august.

Would make much more sense for all schools to be finished by around 10th July and go back last week of august.

Those mentioning GCSEs, the private schools all do GCSEs and manage to finish early July

I'm thinking the same 😂 We always go the first couple of weeks in July as it's cheaper and not quite as hot.

I think my preference would be an earlier summer holiday (wouldn't mind longer but no shorter). Only 1 week at Easter but an additional half term in the autumn. So one week end of sept/beg Oct and the other week off in November.
So effectively 2 terms, each with 2 breaks. Rather than the three terms with only 1 break.

Not all schools in Europe have longer summer holidays or have already finished. I'm in the Netherlands and we have one more week.

But the summer holidays are staggered as the country is split into different sections. So my kids finished yesterday, one region finished a week ago. It rotates so some school years are longer or shorter than others and you always get the same amount of holidays. Next year my school will finish and go back earlier.

Is it cheaper in Scotland back end of August for holiday accommodation?

And when do teachers take their holidays?

I'd happily move and shorten the summer break, everything is easier to juggle in summer. I get horrific SAD and would rather have the dc's off for longer over Xmas and in February.

Is it cheaper in Scotland back end of August for holiday accommodation?

Not really @Bumtum126 as there's still loads of tourists. But cheaper overseas holidays from Scotland late august than in July

I think the whole system needs a revamp to cater for the fact that many parents work full time, as well as us not all being in farming anymore.

Kids end up worn out after the long autumn term and parents worn out after the far too long summer holidays. I always plan a couple of days annual leave on the first few days of school in September to recover!

Perhaps something like 8 weeks on, 2 weeks off throughout the year. That would add up to 50 weeks, so an extra week off at Christmas and in the summer. With relaxed holiday club style childcare provision in all schools during all holidays. That would be my ideal!

I'm sorry but I really don't get the parents being exhausted by their kids.

As I said upthread, teachers are not paid for all of our holidays.

Where would the extra money come from?

Who would run the holiday child care?

@Heroicallyl0st I'm with you, I'd love a rolling 8 weeks on 2 weeks off, and it would be so much safer for children who aren't well cared for at home. Parents with social issues / poor mental health/ really limited finances / other caring responsibilities must really struggle in the 6 weeks holidays.

With relaxed holiday club style childcare provision in all schools during all holidays.

This wouldn’t be possible-the schools need to do all of their maintenance work on the buildings during the holidays when there are no students there. I’m all for increasing options for childcare but that isn’t the school’s responsibility.

We could have used all the Sure Start buildings had the Conservatives not closed them all!