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Original poster

School holiday dates

111 replies

ackarackaru · 14/04/2025 08:57

My DC school has just announced they’re doing away with our second week in June to align with the rest of the trust schools.

looking at the school holidays, we now have:

2 weeks in october
3.5 weeks at Christmas
1 week in February

so 6.5 weeks during the most miserable, cold, wet time of year

then the rest align with everyone else I expect, Easter, may then summer holidays.

why can’t the government change it so we have longer when the weather is better? One week in October is fine for me, 1 - 1.5 at Christmas, not bothered by February but if the kids need a break then 1 week is fine.

but why can’t we have the other 4 in the summer?! June onwards off would be lovely!

is it just me? Can we start a petition?

im grumpy because i just looked at a week in Mallorca for the May half term next year and its 4.5k (self catering) but the week after (that we used to have) - all inclusive! is 2k. So no holiday for us and lots of weeks stuck inside whilst it lashes down and blows a gale all through winter… yay.

OP posts:
mrsdanrose · 14/04/2025 14:52

I completely agree. More time off when the weather is likely to be warmer! Who needs 2 weeks off in October?!

Whinge · 14/04/2025 14:53

mrsdanrose · 14/04/2025 14:52

I completely agree. More time off when the weather is likely to be warmer! Who needs 2 weeks off in October?!

The children do. The Autumn term is exhausting.

LlynTegid · 14/04/2025 14:55

Too long a Christmas break. The observation about the autumn term is valid so two weeks in October seems a better option.

Of course it would be easier if we stopped putting clocks back in winter.

peachgreen · 14/04/2025 14:57

I'm in NI. The kids get all of July and August off (as well as 2 weeks at Christmas, a week in Febraury, two weeks at Easter, and a week in October) and let me tell you, it is a pain in the fucking arse. They're all SHATTERED by the end of June because they haven't had a break since April, and finding something to do with them for 9+ weeks over the summer is a nightmare. By the end of six weeks off they're bored and listless and really need to get back into a routine. Fine if you have a non-working parent and/or an endless supply of money to entertain them with but otherwise it's hideous.

Rightbackinit · 14/04/2025 14:59

Your holiday dates are different to those of maintained LA schools. The academy trust can set its own dates without consultation. Another Conservative government move to weaken LA involvement and local democratic control.

With an LA maintained school, school leaders and governors are consulted on proposed school term dates, (well ahead - think 3-4 years) the LA evaluate responses from schools and put a proposal before elected council members. This gives a wider view and a local democratic decision for all LA maintained schools. (rather than trusts doing their own thing).

peachgreen · 14/04/2025 15:03

...In fact this has just prompted me to make this year's spreadsheet to keep track of it all...

Richiewoo · 14/04/2025 15:06

Academy set their own holidays. Nothing to do with the government.

CaptainMyCaptain · 14/04/2025 15:08

AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti · 14/04/2025 13:57

That’s a week too many though. Unless one of those weeks is actually 5 INSET days.

Show quote history

Schools can choose to do their INSET days as twilight sessions and gain more days off. It works out the number of days for the children but can be put together to have an extra week off at May half term for example. My grandson's primary tried it to avoid people taking holidays in term time but it didn't work

ASimpleLampoon · 14/04/2025 15:08

Move to Wales, it's still quite sensible here.

The Christmas one sounds terrible. Feel sorry especially for any SEND families having to do that

AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti · 14/04/2025 15:10

ASimpleLampoon · 14/04/2025 15:08

Move to Wales, it's still quite sensible here.

The Christmas one sounds terrible. Feel sorry especially for any SEND families having to do that

They did consult on changing them recently. They’re staying as they are.

GrammarTeacher · 14/04/2025 15:15

YourZanyNewt · 14/04/2025 13:16

This sounds like private school holidays? They get extra weeks , as work Saturday mornings? I would go away in the 2nd of the Oct holidays x

The extra holidays for private schools are not related to whether or not they have Saturday School.
Two private secondaries in my town. No Saturday school at either, but longer holidays than the state schools.

ASimpleLampoon · 14/04/2025 15:15

AmIHumanOrAmIAYeti · 14/04/2025 15:10

They did consult on changing them recently. They’re staying as they are.

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I remember the consultation in our county

I asked many other send parents their views before completing it. DD also did it as there was a consultation for children too, which I think is great.

Jigsawasaurus · 14/04/2025 15:17

It is a bit shit when a single Academy goes rogue with school holidays as lots of families have kids in neighbouring primary schools or (like me) work in a school but not the one my kids are at. It probably means the academy attendance will be great but families will take their other kids out of other schools in order to benefit from cheaper holiday prices.

GrammarTeacher · 14/04/2025 15:20

AliasGrape · 14/04/2025 14:32

Northwest and we get

1 week in Feb
2 weeks Easter (and sensibly we have the week either side of actual Easter this time)
2 weeks summer half term - (I love this as we can usually bag a cheaper week away in the second week, we usually opt for Dorset but trying another part of the UK this year)
5 weeks summer
1 week October

How does the two week summer half term work for years 11 and 13, they have exams

Horserider5678 · 14/04/2025 15:30

TeenToTwenties · 14/04/2025 09:14

2 weeks in June would require shifting of GCSEs, which may or may not be a good idea.

Exactly! All the exams would need to be moved! Not sure why they get 3.5 weeks at Christmas!

AliasGrape · 14/04/2025 15:43

GrammarTeacher · 14/04/2025 15:20

How does the two week summer half term work for years 11 and 13, they have exams

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The high/ grammar schools have one week I believe (well certainly in our area), it’s the primaries have two. The older ones then break up a week earlier and get 6 weeks in summer.

Which is admittedly awkward if you have children in both schools. Also for secondary teachers with children in primary I suppose.

I’m no longer teaching and only have one child currently in primary so it very much works for us at the moment, but probably not a perfect system overall.

FWIW it’s the last week of May and first week of June, rather than 2 weeks in June. Once when I was teaching they trialled one week at Whit and extra in the summer and everyone hated it so much it didn’t happen again!

Notforbeef · 14/04/2025 16:22

This must be a private school, surely. 3 x half terms here (South West England) are 1 week each, Xmas and Easter 2 weeks. Summer 6.

CarpetKnees · 14/04/2025 16:55

2 weeks off in October and 3.5 weeks at Christmas does sound like it makes for a much more sensible length Autumn Term than the 15 or 16 week nightmare that most schools get.
@ackarackaru will you answer the question about where you are that has such a long Christmas break ?

Littlebigcat · 14/04/2025 21:47

Our local authority has 1 week October, 2 weeks Christmas, 1 week Feb, 2 weeks Easter, 2 weeks May/June and 5 weeks in the summer. But only in primary school. Secondary has to revert back to the more usual model because of exams.

We had a good run of cheaper hols, mostly in the UK but now I've got one in secondary which makes 2 weeks in October sound quite appealing. Not so much 3.5 weeks for Christmas.

I think any complaint would go to the head of the academy trust on this one

Chungai · 14/04/2025 21:51

What type of school is it? Where's the extra week going? Are there lots of children of migrants who may want to travel back home over winter?

3.5 weeks off over Christmas sounds like private school.

Shinyandnew1 · 14/04/2025 23:02

@ackarackaru where are you that gets a 3.5 week Christmas holiday? I have never known this outside of private schools.

CountryQueen · 14/04/2025 23:51

Well it’s not a state school with those holidays so just save your money, cancel the petition and move them out of private education! Simple

CountryQueen · 14/04/2025 23:52

GrammarTeacher · 14/04/2025 15:20

How does the two week summer half term work for years 11 and 13, they have exams

Show quote history

Itll be primary school. By the time they get to secondary no more tacking inset days on to may half term!

rosemarble · 15/04/2025 00:33

My son's school moved to 2 weeks in Oct and said it was due to that term being the longest and the one with most absences due to illness (kids and teachers). The 2 week 1/2 term breaks it up and bit.

They did also say that it meant people could go on holiday when it was cheaper, but 1) my employer didn't give me an extra week of leave and 2) I don't think that's really an argument that schools should consider. Their job is to educate, not try and mange family holidays.

GingersOwner26 · 15/04/2025 00:58

TeenToTwenties · 14/04/2025 09:14

2 weeks in June would require shifting of GCSEs, which may or may not be a good idea.

At one point my authority were considering changing the term dates up a bit, and shifting of GCSEs and A levels is the reason that died a death. I don't actually think it would have been possible to change the exam dates in one authority - people with friends, or cousins, in other authorities could so easily find out what was going to be in the exam ahead of time if this nonsense had gone ahead. Once the secondary schools pointed out that the proposal would have meant that the summer half term would have been bang in the middle of exams, it was dropped and never brought up again.