Has anyone's child left y6 early?

[UnityO]

Eldest DC finish their GSCEs and A levels May/ June next year, younger DC will be in year 6.

I have an opportunity to take 6 weeks leave from work in June and July (can't get the time off in school summer hols sadly!) so am looking into taking them travelling to Asia for 6 weeks.

This would mean DC finishing yr 6 in June - has anyone done this and what are the options? I guess permission for so long off won't be granted by the school (even though the trip will be educational!) so would I need to deregister him and homeschool (abroad!)?

What a great idea. Yes, I would just de register. It doesn’t impact on the secondary school place, that is a totally separate process. I personally wouldn’t bother actively home schooling for such a short period of time though.

There is an emergency exam day for gcses set each year that you might not want to leave before.

Just to clarify- By homeschooling I actually mean learning through travel and experiencing new stuff like different cultures, food, environments rather than sitting doing maths worksheets which is what DC seems to do at school!

This is so helpful- I had no idea about this , is it for kids who can't take their exams on the correct day for some reason?

It won’t impact on school places as presumably they’re not returning to that school.
My yr 6 child would be pretty gutted to miss out on all her end of year, leavers activities and the last few weeks with her friends.
But it does sound like a great opportunity so do what’s best for your family.
Will your children mind missing end of school stuff??

Don’t forget though they will then miss all transition visits to their new school.

it sounds an amazing opportunity but be careful it doesn’t make September harder

Will the eldest not be missing out on proms and stuff?

I've broached the idea with the kids and all say they'd rather go travelling than do the end of term stuff. Especially the Y6 whose keen to exit primary asap for various reasons!

We have done long haul trips before so they know what they would be signing up to.

But we will discuss again before I book anything.

Year 6 has two introductory days at the secondary schools early July. Also the head of year is due to visit their school. There is also end of year celebrations etc

Also I remember with my daughter finishing her GCSE there was prom and leaver assembly/presentation/goodbye to teacher thing- I think also a sixth form day she went to. They also spent a lot of time doing things together- trips to theme park down to the beach and hanging out together? Also my daughter got a job as she wanted to start saving for driving lessons etc

Though the trip does sound amazing, it’s whether your children would be bothered by missing out?

Y6 do a transition few days/ week up to our high school in the summer hols (while it's empty and quiet!) so he won't miss that.

I've got a Y6 now.
Since SATs they have:
Done mountains more history/Geography /science etc
Have a 1 week residential booked.
Have got a 2 week swimming block of lessons (they did this in Y4 too - go daily for 2 weeks)
School transitions
Sports day, leavers assembly, leavers diso.

It's organised chaos!

Your Year 6 wouldnt concern me if they are happy (although you would need to pay a fine)

When would you be leaving in June - exams finish the 28th June (most by Friday 24th) with the 29th contigency

Leaving in June seems risky. All of July seems fine

Your school sounds absolutely fab!!!

Sadly DC's primary do v little after SATs - waterfight on the field, a disco and the school play are the only. 'Biggies'. All of which DC wouldn't mind missing.

The exciting thing they all can't wait for is the residential which they do in the autumn so he'll get to do that.

Our year 6 DD seems to have done nothing since SATS. The only thing that would concern me was the “settling” day at the new secondary school. Otherwise go for it! Are you on good terms with the school? It might be worth talking to them about it.

Then I would have no qualms about going

Go for it then!
Just confirm the contingency day for GCSEs (and results day, but sounds like your back by then).

Calling going on holiday "homeschooling " is taking the piss. Going on holiday can be fitted in to the 14 weeks of school holiday that already exists each year.

@UnityO , your older dc won't be able to leave the U.K. before the end of June, the exam boards now have a day called contingency day, this year it's 29th June. During the exam period any exam can be moved to this date as short notice, ie night before/that morning. The contingency date was established after grenfall/ arianna grande attack so that students don't have to sit exams in those emergency situations.

GCSEs are only just finishing now, the timetables for 2023 aren't out yet as they are looking at whether the bigger spacing this year has worked well or not.

If you can't take leave in summer holidays at all, then I don't think you'll fit 6 weeks in between end GCSEs and start of summer holidays.

We did this for ds1 - he finished up in December (after the exams for senior school) - and was due to "homeschool" subjects that he was really interested in and do several trips abroad to family in various places .... unfortunately for us that was in 2019/20 so everything got cancelled and he got joined in homeschool by his siblings! I think travel is going to teach them way more than they'll learn in the last few months of primary school. And school did let him join in for graduation which was nice. Actually doing it was surprisingly easy - just a letter saying we were deregistering him.

I don't know, I am not a fan of home schooling generally, but I can see that a child would learn loads from an extended trip like this. It doesn't sound like the OP is going to be spending the time on a sun lounger by the pool!

Sounds great, OP! If your kids are up for it, why not?!

As others have said, the main constraining factor on dates will be the end of GCSEs and the contingency date. The 28th of June is the last day of " regular" GCSEs this year, with 29th as the contingency day. It's slightly later this year than normal because the exams have been spread out more deliberately, but that may well happen next year too, and there will definitely be a contingency day. So realistically you can't plan, yet, on being able to go anywhere until the end of June.

Last year we toyed with the idea of a month in New Zealand for this July. I was really concerned about my youngest missing out on all the leavers things, and decided I couldn't deprive her of those so we didn't go ahead.
Fast forward to now and I could kick myself! I hadn't realised that she wouldn't gel with her teacher or that she'd be doing nothing fun. The dates for their leavers assembly haven't been revealed yet, so I don't even know if DH and I can get the time off to go.
If I had my time again we'd have 100% have gone. I'd have organised a hot tub party or disco for her to say goodbye to everyone at the end of June to make some memories then given her a fabulous summer. I've many regrets about her primary education these last few years, but I'll never forgive myself for not grabbing the opportunity to take her out early.

I know, I was being sarcastic about 'homeschooling'!

But unfortunately a 6 week long haul trip cannot be fitted into school hols for us - neither of our employers allow more than 2 weeks leave during school hols as this is the time most colleagues want leave- to be with their kids. Giving me 6 weeks off in summer hols would mean 2 of my colleagues couldn't have their 2 weeks off with their kids - and that's not fair.

So long as your Yr 6 child isn't desperate to do all the rites of passage End of School Year stuff, then go.