To ask teachers if you just accept the inflated holiday prices?

[justoneofthoseyearsagain]

Is there any other way to bring costs down? Looking at a UK break at Christmas and it’s £1600 - the following week it is £600. Obviously not much you can do but does sting a bit!

Yes it's just the way it is. So we just haven't really had what some people expect to be able to do. Camping, YHA, Travelodge, canvas holidays in Northern Europe.

I don't know why people expect a hotel holiday abroad every year once they have children. It seems to be something that people are assuming they should be able to do & they get quite pissed off with schools because it's so expensive. Luckily most people can go term time once their children grow up 🤷🏻‍♀️

I accept it as it literally is capitalism. It's better than communism would be.

It's only since WW2 that going for a two week holiday has been 'normal'. Previous to that, families had days out to the seaside. Perhaps that period was a blip and we are returning to the past.

Haven't had a family holiday (UK or abroad) since our school Easter break was just the fri-Mon and then actual break was a couple of weeks later (so 8 years ago!) I refuse to be ripped off by holiday companies!
I'm changing careers and that means paid to study so as some of my holidays are different to my sons I will be seeing what value for money holidays we can get (not overly fussy where) that isn't too near Y6 SATs week

Retired teacher here. We had many great Canvas holidays in France, usually in the May half term, though a couple of times in the summer. Otherwise it was short camping trips, and the occasional city break at off peak times when our kids were teenagers. We did Barcelona between Xmas and New Year - booked flights and accommodation independently - which was fabulous.

Maybe, but the paying for childcare at £77 a day, five days a week...I think it probably evens out. I certainly haven't been able to take advantage of out of term holidays because of paying childcare (which you still pay when you're on your 'cheap' holiday).

I think the fact that I don't pay holiday childcare except when the odd training day clashes with my work day, and if you consider the increased fines parents will get from September, I don't think I actually have it so bad.

I live on the boarder of two councils. DC goes to a school in one council and I work over the boarder so I get different holidays. I could technically take them out for my half term holidays when it's cheaper than theirs (which align with the rest of UK). Tbf our school are also very good at giving us 2 days a year for flexible leave to allow for things we have to miss out on but I use mine for school plays and prize giving.

I am a teacher in Dublin but take Parental / Unpaid leave to get cheaper holidays .

This is exactly what I do! Skyscanner is your friend - we have had some fantastic holidays in none obvious places. This, and also, checking travel agents religiously everyday to see if there are any cancellations. Got a few good deals this way too.

We had very few holidays when the children were school age and afterwards, they were self catering and still are, even though I’m retired now.

Not just teachers- it's everyone with children in the same situation.

No point us ranting and raving- it's the way it is. Sometimes it means I don't go.

But eventually your kids grow up and you can go on holiday when you like if you're not a teacher (I'm not). And teachers wouldn't be saving on childcare once the kids are grown up.

Unfortunately it’s the price you pay for having a job with so many weeks holiday a year. It’s a trade off.

It's definitely an unavoidable part of being a teacher, but, as you move up the pay scale, and assuming you have a dp as well, you should certainly still be able to afford holidays - you just won't be able to take advantage of the cheapest deals the big companies offer, but neither can parents who stick to the rules and some of them won't be as well paid as you, especially as you progress. I'm a single-parent who's a teacher and whose ex pays nothing and I've never struggled to take my dc away. It's also important to remember that it is massively off-set by having no childcare costs through the holidays.

What is annoying though, is when people justify taking dc out of school to 'make memories' - as if those can only be made by going abroad in term time and, therefore the implication is that teachers' kids don't need to make any!

Yes, you just have to accept it. Obviously you can't take term time holidays.

The only thing we did a couple of times (and we're fairly Northern) was realise that if you book flights from a Scottish airport for the last week or so in August then quite often it's cheaper - the Scottish schools are back in August, although this year was quite late - they used to be back about the second week. We're not holidaying this year, though.

In the past, for eg, we've flown from Ayr to Portugal and from Edinburgh to Rhodes.

As I, the youngest of 3, finished school, my Dad got a job as a reaching assistant (having retrained following redundancy). Not the best planning.

However, Mum is almost 80, him 78 and they still go in the school holidays.

I'd imagine it's hugely outweighed by no need for holiday childcare. Just annoying for those with no kids or grown up kids.

Question for teachers with grown up kids - I’m curious to know if going away as a single person or couple is cheaper than going as a family in the school holidays?

I like to go away at Easter and in Summer anyway - can’t imagine not going on holiday in August. It’s ingrained in me that August is summer holiday month 😂 maybe since my own school days?!

Yes, I can't afford to go abroad. We're going to Wales for 7 nights instead. I'm really looking forward to it.....I couldn't bare to spend 3k plus on a basic beach holiday!

Teachers, perhaps. Support staff on TTO contracts, though? They just don't get one at all unless somebody else is paying for it.

Support staff on TT+ x weeks? Probably don't get one at all because they're not able to take full leave over Christmas, half terms or Easter and are restricted to the first two weeks of August (unless they want to lose their entitlement altogether, as they aren't able to take time off during termtime either).

But it doesn't just affect teachers and those on teachers' wages. I was a technician in a school, so restricted to school holidays despite being on a fraction of the wages of a teacher.

Yep , nothing I can do about it really.

I’m UPS3 @stripycats . I am PT though.

I’m not a teacher but we always had to take ‘factory fortnight’ the most expensive two weeks.
we went camping in Europe, had great holidays at an affordable price.
invest in equipment, look after it and you will have great holidays for years. Also as a teacher you can have a much longer trip!