Summer holidays should be longer

[noblegiraffe]

Our kids have the shortest summer holidays in Europe, Italy have 13 weeks, even Ireland has 9.

They're under pressure so much at school they need more time to just be kids. Classrooms are so hot in the last few weeks of term that it's impossible to learn effectively anyway.

I think we should add at least an extra two weeks to the summer holidays, so break up near the start of July. This would bring us more into line with private schools too.

And with longer holidays it might help recruit and retain teachers, and reduce competition for summer annual leave slots for working parents. It could even reduce the cost of holidays as 'peak season' would be longer.

Thats just one school … 16 years working at a private senior school it was different … my experience tells me 100% that private secondary schools play their sporting fixtures on a Saturday afternoon… lessons in the morning… and teaching staff are expected to drive mini-buses and umpire games… it’s a 6 day week for teachers and pupils.

If they're not learning anything because it's too hot then being 'at school with their friends' is basically childcare isn't it? Not sure what difference you think amending uniform makes when classrooms are heading towards/over 30 degrees.

If support staff are as highly qualified as teaching staff then 100% I agree.

So the art classes near me are £70 per dc for a full day 10am - 3pm. A 2 hour half day session is £30 per dc. I wouldn't be using that much over the summer.

If support staff are as highly qualified as teaching staff then 100% I agree.

Often TAs were teachers.

Sorry if this has been mentioned - I’ve not RTFT - but in my county they are knocking a week off the summer holidays and adding it to the October half term, making a two week October half term and a 5 week summer holidays. It’s taking effect from September 2026.

The LEA say the data indicates that a) some children are very disadvantaged by the long summer break and b) there’s a high level of staff and child absence in the second half of the winter term. They’re hoping that breaking up the long winter term more will reduce the absence.

Personally I’m largely indifferent as it’s the same amount of holiday and education overall, just distributed differently, but it’s interesting that some LEAs are shortening the summer holidays rather than lengthening them on the basis of the data available.

It’s made a huge difference them being able to wear PE kit last couple of weeks! Thankfully 😅.

Definitely still learning at our school (and doing homework). They’ve earned the break- all 6 weeks of it!

Italy and Spain both have two weeks for Christmas, 1 for Easter and 12 or 13 weeks ( ish) for summer. So 16/17 weeks. A year. Spain has a fair few extra days throughout the year, such as the areas saints day etc.But no half term breaks.
Think Scandinavian countries are much more like ours but have 2 weeks more on the summer.

irish schools do get a may mid term. it might not be a week but they get at least a few days off. it depends all on what the teachers of that school voted for the year before. the school down the road from me takes a week off 1st week of June and three days on Feb every year others take the full week in Feb ( we also have a bank hol in Feb) the school that does the full week in June does it because they noticed loads of people take their kids out for their summer holidays in June so this has helped with that. also to note that in UK you can finish school at 16 - where's in Ireland finishes at 18 after their leaving cert

Maybe it varies by area. Where we are there aren't seperate playschemes, it's just that some pay for it and some have costs covered by HAF. No one knows who is which unless they say - my daughters friends proudly told her 'I get mine for free and your poor mum has to pay, which is a bit rubbish', when they were discussing how many days they were going to go and her friend asked her why she only she a few days and her friend did all the days.

The drama project she is going to also has a set number of places for HAF, but they all get fed so there is no distinction and no one know who is HAF or not. Those not on HAF are funded by a local Arts charity.

If I wasn't volunteering for 2 days I would have to take 5 days annual leave. Or pay for 5 days playschemes. So logically it's better to take 2 days off than 5 days off!

As a private school parent I’ll readily say that private schools have TOO MUCH time off not only during summer (8 weeks) but also Easter (3 weeks) October half term (2 weeks) Christmas (3 weeks) then May half term too
those of us who work really struggle with finding childcare arrangements as they often don’t start before state schools break up. I only get 20 days leave a year!

That's an awful idea. It's cold, wet and dark early in October and extra time off would feel like a waste being stuck indoors most of the time and everything on winter hours. I'd like to see the summer holiday being brought earlier in England, perhaps more like Scotland as the weather is usually best when they are still at school and on the decline by mid August.

Yes actually we have the same amount of holiday as they do in Italy but ours are split up over the term. Italian parents complain about the 3 months summer holiday especially if they are working.

The autumn term is so long. Taking away the October half term would be stupid. Also a lot of these holidays are based on Christian feasts/ farm days.

Agree I’d like the Scottish summer holidays too

Thanks for sharing this.

Plus they can make the most of cheaper holidays yet the poorer parents can't.

Really? Often the best weather is right at the end of August into September.

Having lived for a time in the U.S, where children get around 12 weeks off and parents get even less annual leave than the UK, they often do day camps if both parents are working, summer camps, grandparent help/sending the children to grandparents if they live far away, teachers nanny over the holidays if they want to etc. It’s normal there.

Does that make the winter term even longer then? How is it broken up?

Slogging away? You know private school children do much longer school hours so they do get longer holidays right? Our SEN private school is 08:30-1645 for example

Sporting fixtures isn't school...you don't get to break up early from school because you did extra cricket.

I've just googled a bunch of private schools and none run lessons on Saturdays, just extracurricular activities.

Given the level of inequality we have and the chaotic nature of some families, I don't think it would be a good idea.

I'd be in favour of shorter ones and two week half terms, were it not such that it will increase holiday prices in the summer.

I agree OP 8 weeks would be perfect.

I’m a poor parent- my child’s in a fully funded school place- there’s 150 kids in his school. Only 4 places are paid for by the parent.
not all parents who send their child to private school are rich. So no, in answer to your question I don’t benefit for ‘cheaper holidays either’ nor do lots of other people