To think we don’t need more school holidays?

[Halftermforever]

The schools locally all seem to be either consulting too, or already implementing a 2 week October half term. This has really riled me because:

1. The extra childcare will cost £500
2. Schools already have 13 weeks holiday, whilst parents have 5 weeks. Is it really necessary?
3. I get fined for taking my child out on holiday, but now suddenly the extra week won’t have an impact because they’ve reduced lunch by 10 minutes!

The talk about reducing staff and student absence is baffling. Yes it’s peak time for illness and stress, but the rest of the country seems to get on with it without having to run on 6 weeks off, 6 weeks in, 2 weeks off, 5 weeks in, 2 weeks off!

From July - December the schools are off almost as much as they are in!

It’s insane and not possible for working families to keep up with.

AIBU?

It’s such a long term that it’s nice for many of the children to have that longer break half way through.

Yes, it’s expensive to add an extra week of childcare in but plenty of people have had children in different countries or schools with holidays and inset days that don’t aline or else independent schools where the holidays are much longer anyway.

Not a parent but I see quite a few posts saying that lunch times are rushed and pupils sometimes struggle to get to the loo before they have to go back to class. Can you really shave 10 minutes off without any harm?

We live near a county border, my dd had a two week half term but her sibling nor dp didn't as at school on other side of border. Very irritating

Good for the rich who can fly somewhere warm in October. Prices will rise though as more schools adopt this.

I am with the OP about what seems to be one more week, not a week at a different time.

When you applied to the school you did so being able to look up or know the level of holidays and school terms each year. This has been changed and I expect the consultation is merely a paper exercise that has no more impact than just giving you a few months' notice.

I cannot see how ten minutes more a day can make up for one less school week a year, even if the maths adds up. And I doubt teachers given the level of preparation, making and other tasks they have, they will see much benefit.

I suggest assuming you have an MP that actually cares about the place he or she represents that you contact them.

And for those whose children are pre-school or are adults, one less week of lower cost holidays.

DS's school had a week and a half in October - meant we could get away cheaper. They reduced the summer hols - and then added on the inset days to top them back up!

No it's actually a set number of hours they have to offer not days. This is why independent schools have longer holidays as they have longer days and some do Saturday school as well.

This is the thing that's annoyed me about it at my sons school, they have added 10 minutes onto the school day to make up for a week extra at half term. I would much prefer they take days from the summer holidays instead. I did point that out to them when they did their consultation, but they don't seem to listen to parents.

I don't completely object to a 2 week half term but it's just the way they have done it.

In general I get your point - it's hard balancing annual leave with children having time off school - and it does sometimes feel very unfair. But it has been this way a long long time and I don't think it'll ever change.

You can always take time off work, if it's cheaper than paying for childcare. Or offload the kid to the grandparents

Our son is a teacher and the academy he works for has a 2 week October holiday as do lots of other schools near us , however he did have a short summer holiday as the teachers were back for inset days at the end of August . Besides which schools are not just run as childcare providers .

I would like it if my children’s primary school did this as I could go on a cheap holiday. The Autumn term has been 15 weeks long this year which is more than 1/3 of the academic year.

The local schools that do this either have a week less holiday in the summer holidays or they don’t have the random 5 inset days dotted throughout the year and use them for the extra week off in October.

I'd like them to add 30 minutes then each day and give me 3 more weeks off. Still wouldn't have as much as Ireland though.

Im quite sure part of the reason is to save money - a week less to pay heating and cleaning for.

School is about educating students, not about providing free childcare so parents can work. If the research shows that students perform better and learning improves with a 2-week October break, then it should be done.

I can absolutely see why a two week October break is frustrating for you but research is saying it has a positive impact on teaching and learning, which is the purpose of schools. It’s short sighted to say it benefits teachers not pupils as the pupils will benefit from teachers taking less sick leave.

I'd prefer 2 week half terms and a shorter summer holiday. The learning loss over the summer break is well documented. Cutting 10 minutes off an already tight lunchtime is a rubbish idea

I thought school days were a statutory amount?

I've worked (for the odd day) in a school that does this. The hours lost are just incorporated into the other weeks. I agree it would be a massive hassle for parents who need to be at work. This school was a secondary though, so probably has less of an impact.

State schools have to offer 190 days of schooling OR the equivalent in hours. In your case the school seems to be doing the latter. Lots of schools do this to be able to give that two week October break. Some schools will extend the school day slightly each day to make up for it or they will reduce recess time. Other schools will take the one week from the summer holidays instead. Either way, the learning hours are the same and no school is ‘cheating’ students out of learning hours. They have to legally offer that many days OR the equivalent in hours (unless exceptional circumstances like a fire or a building collapse or extreme weather or something)

The first two terms are the hardest terms and the two longest terms. They are exhausting for students. There is a big decline as you get to the end of October and the students really need that rest period.

October is getting milder and Autumn is a lovely season with lots of kid-fun seasonal activities going on such as Halloween and Bonfire. It’s a lovely time weather-wise for a getaway to Europe as the weather is crisp but not rubbish. Sometimes it can be quite warm.

If most parents have 5 weeks leave each then they can take 5 weeks off separately to cover 10/13 week holidays (unless overlapping for family holidays). The rest can be covered by childcare. This is a reasonable life expectation and expense you consider when you have children, especially when they are little. It’s a completely normal outgoing that people have to consider and budget for. It’s not “outrageous”. It’s the normal cost of having and raising a child. As your children get older, they can be left alone at home more.

What does the research say about reducing lunch breaks? If kids are so overwhelmed at school that they need 2 weeks off after 6/7 weeks on, I’m not sure how reducing their lunch break all year round can have a positive effect.

Is this what’s best for children? Or is this a lie that’s covering up for a lack of money in schools (can’t afford supply etc) and a recruitment crisis meaning they’re cutting kids time in schools to appeal to teachers.

If it was a week extra taken off summer I’d be all for it. Summer hols far too long, kids often fall behind after having 6 weeks off (mostly those from lower economic backgrounds). But that is not what’s happening in quite a few cases.

As for taking time off. Let’s say you have two parents with 5 weeks each annual leave, that still leaves 4 weeks childcare. Add in the fact that having no annual leave with your partner, so couldn’t even go on holiday together etc, it’s a stupid suggestion.
I accounted for childcare fees, part of having kids, but to add extra is unnecessary.

I’d LOVE two weeks in October. We would probably do more long haul holidays, as most of my bucket-list destinations are no good in the summer.

However I DO think they should shorten summer by one week rather than lengthening the school day (by for example reducing the lunch break).

Kids are supposed to get 60 minutes of physical activity per day, and a proper lunch break is important for this

It's a consultation so input your thoughts.
I think the focus should be on what is best for the children though not what is convenient for the parents

People can say ‘school isn’t childcare’ as much as they like, but it’s completely redundant when almost all families have to have two working parents and schools suddenly change their teaching schedule.

So you say they’re consulting. I would be giving feedback and rattling the cage a bit, if they’re just reducing lunch breaks! I would expect the extra week to come from summer/Christmas not just 10 minutes at lunch. It does put a lot of pressure on parents to find childcare and it’s in addition to what you’ve budgeted for. I’m a teacher and I would be mad if my children’s school had done this at primary.

No. Many are adding extra time to end of day or off lunchtimes.