To not know when GCSEs happen?

[AliceMay55]

DS is in Y10. We are looking to book next year’s holidays, but have no clue what the GCSE schedule will be like with mocks etc. (DH and I grew up abroad)
I asked the school 3 weeks ago and they are yet to respond! Can someone help me please?

1. when are GCSEs usually held?
2. Do they write exams every day or will there be a gap between two exams?
3. do they get study holidays?
4. When do mocks happen ?

1.

Im looking at booking a holiday for 8th July (our anniversary).

That will be fine. I took DD away in the July, before all the schools broke up.

The school won't know the exam dates yet as they haven't been published. Mocks vary by school - last year my DS had them split over the Xmas holiday (some in Dec, some in Jan).

There will be some gaps between exams, other days she may have two on one day.

For the purposes of booking a holiday, I wouldn't go until very late June / early July to be sure they'll be over.

YABU because it's so easy to Google these things.

Don't book a holiday any later than the Easter holidays as although the exams start mid May (language orals may be a bit earlier), there will be revision lessons, etc leading up to the exams. Personally, I wouldn't even book an Easter holiday because I would expect my children to be revising in that period which would put a downer on their holiday.

Ds this year begins mid may and finishes 15th June but they have to be available until the 28th june in case timetable changes. This easter he is in school for revision every day so we could not take a holiday now either. We have booked for beginning of July.

Our school does a first lit of mocks in the run up to Xmas. Then a other lot in Feb / March. There are all sorts of things to need to be in school for in the Spring term like language exams, food /dance practical exams. Many schools don't do study leave any more.

Why not book the holiday for after the exams. It's not really a great time to go away, even in the school holidays.

I would not advise booking anything until end of school year unless your DC is not staying on to 6th form in that school. Our school runs bridging courses in some subjects, particularly maths which DS1 did - several mornings a week for 3 weeks in July. Not sure if attendance could be enforced but he would have been disadvantaged if he hadn’t done it.

Don't forget Prom if that is applicable. Dd is in year 10 like yours and we are thinking big holiday once they are over but need to know Prom date first!

My son is in yr11 now & has just had his confirmed GCSE schedule. They span a 5 week period from 15th May to 16th June which includes a 1 week half term holiday. No study holidays or time off. 1 exam most days but sometimes 2. Expected to be in school every day for revision sessions. There's also some days later in June to be kept clear as contingency days in case anything happens & your child misses an exam for illness etc.

I REALLY wouldn't take your child out of school for a holiday from pretty much now onwards.

Secondary teacher here 👋

1. Written GCSE papers take place from mid-May to mid-June, but practical exams (e.g. art, catering, MFL speaking) will be completed before this period. Final exam timetables are normally published around November, with a draft version available September-ish. Legally schools are not allowed to take y11 off registers until 30th June in case of unforeseen circumstances meaning exams have to be rearranged. I wouldn’t book a holiday before this date.
2. The GCSE exam timetable is pretty full on. There will be exams taking place every day (except May half term, w/c 27th May in 2024) but obviously your daughter won’t be doing all of them - this depends on her options, exam boards etc. If you do decide to go away for the half term week for a change of scenery bear in mind that you don’t want any unexpected travel problems to impact on getting back for exams. I’d also say some revision will still need to be done during the holiday.
3. Depends on the school - some do, some don’t. Often it’s about whether they believe their students will use this time for constructive study or would do better with focused teacher-led revision and exam prep. It is study leave and not a holiday!
4. Again, this varies school to school. Often they are around Christmas but some schools will do more than one set of mocks, particularly for core subjects and those where tier entry has to be decided (maths and MFL).

Ask your daughter what the arrangements for the current year 11 are for mocks/study leave and it will probably be a good indicator. I’d be surprised if she is completely unaware, as in most schools it will have a wider impact than just year 11 - certain corridors out of bounds, noise levels etc.

Sorry that was long-winded but I hope it is helpful!

Mocks will be different in each school.

Ours are October and March.

First exam this year I think is around the 15th of May.

Students are expected to manage a revision schedule in ‘holidays’ - of course you can be away whilst doing this, but be aware that they will want to work. Your school may run sessions in school over the Easter holidays.

The nature of GCSEs changed from 2015 and there is now a huge amount of content that needs to be learned and retained for the exams. Be aware this is not the teachers’ choice - but just the way the exams have been prescribed to us.

We do not have ‘study leave’ but once exams start in earnest after 1/2 term students will likely have 2 exams a day and once they have completed the exams in the subject they will just be revising for others in those lesson periods.

Ooh I forgot about practical exams - these are very long and, yes are taking place currently I think?

i definitely would not be taking a year 11 out during term time and would only plan holidays where they have a decent chance of getting work done (self catering with wifi and not too many activities)

On the plus side they should have a very long summer holiday for you to work with as should get all of July and August off!

What everyone else said
I'd just highlight
Don't forget about contingency days
Dont forget about prom
Don't forget about results day

In addition to what everyone else has said, I’d look at what’s happened this year (exam dates, mocks dates, prom dates etc - it will all be on the school newsletters I expect), and you can be fairly sure that next year will be similar.

A heads up OP trying to find a window to book a holiday whether they still want to go with you or if you want to go on your own but be around for them in year 12 and year 13 can be equally problematic if not worse with dates for Uni Open days, Applicant Visit days, driving tests, prom, lots of 18th birthday parties, then Uni drop off dates etc etc.

The exams themselves are in May and June, but if your DC is doing subjects with NEAs (non-exam assessments) then they might have earlier dates that count too.

The exam season is safely over from the day after the national contingency day (the fall back date which is the last day an exam can be rescheduled to) which this year is 28 June. Next year's hasn't been announced yet, but it's always close to the end of the month.

Mocks can be any time, varies between schools. Look at old school calendars to see when yours tends to do them.

Also look to see what happens after the end of exams - book return day, leavers day (prom/party), Sixth form inductions etc.

As others have said, exams over by the end of June, but in early July there might be leaver's events, prom and also sixth form taster days that your child might miss out on. DD and friends booked a holiday for the end of June last year (without consulting parents) then had to reschedule as hadn't taken into account contingency day and prom.

If your DC is taking a portfolio subject, such as art, a practical subject such as DT, or a performance subject such as PE or drama, then there may be assessments much earlier in the year.