To think this will do nothing to help absence rates

[Imonthebloodyphone]

So a report published today says that school summer holidays in England should be cut to four weeks. (I know Wales has been consulting on this for a while but don't know if anything has been decided)

The report recommends longer half-term breaks in the autumn and spring terms in a proposed overhaul of the academic calendar. Article here:
www.theguardian.com/education/2024/feb/26/school-summer-holidays-half-term-england-calendar-nuffield-foundation-report

AIBU to think this is only going to exacerbate school absence? Because what struggling families really need is even more pressure on the already expensive 6 week summer holiday period when they can take their kids away!

Who on earth wants extra weeks in November and February, especially families who can't afford to go abroad. The last two weeks have been so bloody wet and miserable here in the UK; I can't imagine if a February holiday was my best hope of a break.

i do think that the autumn term is long and could do with a longer holiday, but February, really?

Doing this means people can take a fortnight abroad

I can’t afford a fortnight abroad.

This just removes a week off in the summer when it’s sunny and gives me an extra week in February when it is cold and raining when I have to spend money on finding things indoors to entertain the kids. The weather the last two weeks here has been abysmal.

If they do this-I will leave teaching altogether.

I personally think if they are going to tinker holidays, let's properly go for it.

Late June, early July is best for weather. It has got very hot in July the last few years. So let's have summer holidays in July. An extra week in October (2 weeks) is fine as the weather is usually somewhat decent. Same for extra week in May.

Decreasing to 4 weeks summer holidays is going to make peoples AL competition a nightmare.

Let's also look at some proper, somewhat funded decent holiday clubs for primary children.

I think a week extra in may/June would be better as the weather would be better than in Feb.

Summer hols are too long. Both of my DC have SN, one is severely disabled. There is no childcare. I am lucky I can work from home but by the end of the 6 weeks, I am drained, DC are really stressed as we are not well off enough to go on holiday in the Summer (too £££). So they spend 6 weeks largely isolated without socialising. I image it's similar many other parents of children with SN. The summer is sheer hell for us. I would very much prefer to have have or split up but understand why it isn't something families without the stress of coping with disabled DC would want to do.

changing holidays is fine, but not to February!

From what I've heard of the responses is that no-one* *wants this, but I agree. It's a done deal. Yet another of the sham Welsh "consultations".

I suspect that most of the replies on here are from parents of primary school aged DC.

GSCE and A level courses and exams would have to have a major overhaul to fit in with extended half terms and earlier starting summer holidays.

As a teacher, 2 weeks in October/November would be amazing - the term is so long and I would happily sacrifice summer holiday time for it.

I'd be happy with a 5 week summer and a 2 week October.

2 weeks in February can get in the bin though.

I think the scheduling would be the bigger issue. Syllabuses can be adjusted and the amount reduced if we particularly wanted to, but changing the timing of the exams sounds like an utter nightmare.

Exactly. Taking a week’s holiday when it’s sunny away and getting a wet cold week in February in return would be awful!

Instead of going to the park or playing in the garden, we’d have to spend a fortune in hot smelly soft-play type places. Rishi Sunak’s wife would probably buy shares in them…!

An extra week in May would be a different matter entirely but that will never happen due to the external exams.

I find the 6 week holiday a bit too long. By week 5/6 we're desperately trying to work at home while DS sits in front of a screen all day because we've exhausted all other options.

However, like many others here, I wouldn't appreciate the February half term being longer with the weather being miserable and nothing really happening. I would happily take an extra week on the October half term and even an extra week at Christmas.

The February half term suggestion is the most unequivocally bad part of this proposal. Lengthening that holiday has nothing whatsoever to recommend it.

What about family holidays?

Cool.

You'll lose more teachers because the 6 weeks are just about the only perk left (my school do 5 weeks and an extra one in October and it's not great, mainly because the weather is shite).

You'll get worse attendance because even fewer people can afford holidays inside the scheduled time off. Higher prices because of higher demand, more competition from parents to have time off etc.

Behaviour will be worse. You normally get the worst behaviour just before the 3 major holidays; half-terms are by far not as bad as they're only a week.

Oh, it will make autumn term longer. Mine was 9 weeks for the first half-term; it killed.

And who will mark exams, and when? How do they expect appeals to work?

When will schools be refurbished when all will be competing for the same 4 weeks?

The only benefit I can see are lower heating bills of buildings stay empty during that time, but conversely that means higher heating bills for parents if you need to stay at home with the kids.

I think February is a brilliant time to have school holidays,
firstly the school can save a bit on heating bills.
secondly the kids drop like flies in the winter with colds and coughs I’d rather they got time to stay home
lastly I love a trip to the canaries In February 😂

There seems to be a strong parental consensus against an extra week in February.
Two weeks in October would be ok, and there is definitely a case for breaking up that crazy-long term, but the May half term couldn't be made two weeks, or not in secondary schools, unless big changes are made to public exams.
Would 3 weeks at Easter be an alternative?

As a working parent, I think this is a great idea (except add the week to May not Feb
Half term)

4 weeks Ian lovely long break and manageable juggling holiday, family, kids clubs. The period between summer and Christmas is hellishly long and the kids are broken by the end of it. 2 weeks off in October or May could mean the 2 week family holiday in Europe is still viable therefore not forcing everyone to go in the summer.
May/June is generally better weather than summer.
6 weeks off school for disadvantaged children can mean significant hardship over a prolonged period
Returning to school after the long break can be very tough for some kids - shorter break might help?

So many reasons but wholeheartedly in favour.

Two weeks in October won't make the term less long.

You'll end up with an August holiday only (usually shite weather), or a reeeeaaaaally long first half-term, as currently happens in my school.

I think the Canaries part is probably the most important bit of that post! For those who aren't going to be jetting off, it's a rather shitter idea.

My two dc already have two weeks in October, they currently have 6 weeks in the summer too, but no Inset days.

It works well, the rationale was to help decrease absence as it’s the longest term and children were having sick days, as were the staff. I’m hearing of it happening more often. Some parents are grumbling and don’t like the change but the overwhelming feeling is that it works.

Did you read the study? It showed the complete opposite to what you are suggesting.

As a working parent, I think this is a great idea

I'm a working parent and I don't really see the benefit? There is still the same amount of holiday to cover, but in shorter chunks, and it may not be worth setting up short camps for private providers to cover the autumn and spring breaks, which I would need to work through.

As a working parent, I think this is a great idea (except add the week to May not Feb
Half term)

People on these threads often seem in favour of an extra week at half term, but NOT the February ONE that’s being proposed. To do this at May half term would require a complete change of exam timetables which I don’t think any government would undertake. It’ll be February and it’ll be cold and wet! The spring term is often pretty short anyway so doesn’t particularly need ‘breaking up’ any more.

I absolutely do not want an extra week in February in exchange for one in July or August!

I absolutely do not want an extra week in February in exchange for one in July or August!

Yeah, that's the absolute worst idea here.

There might be some argument for a longer break in October, with the winter term being longest. Like a pp, I also know a school who do this by using inset days for most of it. My nephew goes, it could be the same school! It would also ideally be nice if we could have two weeks in May/June. We can't, or at least secondaries would struggle, because of the exam timetable, but it's an attractive idea on paper if nothing else.

But the February half term just doesn't work at all. It's one of the hardest to fill without resources. I say that as someone who had a lovely week off with mine earlier this month, but that's because we had the annual leave and money. There's much less free stuff to be had.