Year 11 holiday options

[pintofsnakebite]

Help

DS1 is entering year 11 and we are trying to think about holidays.

We've been away this summer so October half term is probably too soon.

Obviously, I want to avoid revision time.

Also, I'm annoyed as we have family weddings in early July so can't take advantage of cheap July holidays.

Options are

• February half term. This is also my 50th birthday and would love to go to New York but don't know whether the weather will be too grim.
• A week in Easter Holidays somewhere relaxing.
• Give up on the idea and go away in August with everyone else.

DS is a good student, predicted good grades and a consistent worker so I don't envisage any last minute panic, but don't want to take him away if that will make things more stressful.

His mocks are in November and January.

GCSEs are usually over by mid June so could you squeeze something in end of June?

I would definitely avoid Easter. That’s when the revision really starts to ramp up. Feb would probably be ok, but NYC will be absolutely freezing, I went over Christmas once and I’ve never know cold like it, but we did manage ok. Just be prepared for snow and wrap up. End of June would be your best bet, but they could miss prom. Otherwise August.

Apparently we have to wait until 30th June, just in case there are resits etc (is this actually a thing?). The wedding is 6th July and we have another the following Saturday so it bollockses up royally!

Why can't you fly out after the July wedding? Easter is a really bad idea.

x post about wedding

As a teacher, Feb half term is a great rejuvenating break. It should be after mocks, so a bit more relaxing. I'd go for a city break somewhere warmer- Athens, Lisbon, Palma etc.

I've been to New York a few times and my preference is October half term 😊 (with school restrictions!!)

That's good to know. Maybe October 2025 would be a better bet!

New York will be cold in February!

Agree a winter sun break in Feb sounds like a good idea.

We did go away at the Easter but in the U.K. and took a lot of revision.

Yes feb half term works well. Definitely not Easter at all in our experience. If the wedding is early July then I can't see why you can't go? Last possible date was 28 June this year if I remember correctly, but DDs last paper was physics paper 2 which was mid June and that was one of the last to be sat.

Scrub that. Our last possible date was 19 June this year. So DD had her last paper at least a week before that and she was one of the last to finish.

We left the day after exams finish but didn't book until a couple of weeks out, exams are rarely rescheduled after the season has started

This is also good to know. Maybe we'll keep a last minute booking as an option. Thank you.

We did Lisbon in Feb this year. It was lovely, some slightly drizzly days but we took brollies, mild temps and some sunshine. Lots of lovely sightseeing, shops and restaurants and very easy to get around.

Did New York in a Feb half term
Yes it was freezing, snowing etc
it was also spectacular, one of most memorable trips
NYC looked amazing in the snow
I wouldn’t let that stop me!

agree that feb half term is the only real time to escape in year 11

In Yr 11, Yr 12 and Yr13 we went to the Lake District in the Easter hols and DC was able to follow his revision schedule and fit in some walks and have a couple of evenings out. After the GCSE exams we had a fortnight away surfing just before the schools hols started as we only have one DC so could go a bit earlier.

Regarding NYC - we lived there when DC was a preschooler. We’ve visited since coming back to the UK. Only one time did we visit in Feb 1/2 term. It was really cold, although we did have fun. Best time in NYC is Oct-Christmas. Easter is alright, Summer too hot.

If you know what exam boards your school uses, the exam and contingency dates will be on their websites. Don’t book anything until after the contingency dates - it’s unlikely that they’ll be needed but you have to be available just in case.

You might be able to squeeze something in after that and before the wedding, if not after then wedding and before most of the UK break up for summer.

Re exams - in both secondary and sixth form the schools said that pupils are meant to stay around until a certain date in June.

Yes, I've been told it's the 28th June, which means we can't fit in a week before the wedding on 6th July. And as most holidays are Saturday to Saturday, we can't go until 19th July, which is when school breaks up.

Fucking weddings!

The provisional date for exams and contingency dates are out now. Are you sure mocks are nov and Jan? Seems very close together.

We just got A level results - it felt like a really long wait after coming back from a fortnight away 3 weeks ago.

I was astonished to discover that some students were away when the results came. Hope that none of them needed clearing 😧

That's what DS has told me.

Our A Level schedule was this, but I can’t remember re GCSEs

29 June - 5 July is a week, but I appreciate if you might not want to travel back and go straight to a wedding.

Otherwise, holidays are allowed to start on days other than Saturday. Why can’t you set off on 14 July?

Also have ds going into year 11. The only holiday we've booked is first two weeks of July - such a shame you can't go then! Ds is going skiing with the school in the Christmas holidays. His mocks are November and Feb. We won't go anywhere for February half term or Easter.

Is he wanting to go to prom? That's normally after the exams