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Parenting

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Original poster

Sixth form and holidays

19 replies

Ringsell2908 · 01/02/2020 11:34

Can anyone advise, my daughter is doing GCSEs this year and so far we have rarely taken her out of school for holidays. I'm looking to book next year which will probably be the last time she comes with us as she will be 17.
She thinks she is going to go to sixth form (although not definite yet)
What's the rules on her missing school if she is in sixth form?
Also in the first year of A levels (June time) do they have mocks or anything as I don't want her to miss a thing important
Thanks

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othervoicesotherrooms · 01/02/2020 11:37

I'm looking to book next year which will probably be the last time she comes with us as she will be 17.

That's sad. I've been on holiday as a family many times since I was 17.

You can look at the college's holiday calendar. It will give you the dates for holidays next year.

Aragog · 01/02/2020 11:38

Unfortunately there is no good time to miss during A level studies. The content of most A level courses now are pretty full on, so missing a week or two they will miss content. Also lots of courses still have coursework elements, etc which may be linked to specific times.

DD had Y12 exams in June iirr, but also had other exams and tests at other times throughout Y12 and also now into Y13.

I have no issue with primary school, and to some extent KS3, pupils missing the odd week or two for a family holiday. However I really wouldn't recommend it for GCSE pupils and definitely not for A level ones.

noblegiraffe · 01/02/2020 11:43

Agree that there’s no good time to go during A-levels, she’ll have a lot of work to catch up on when she gets back. It’s not even like GCSE where it will be revisited in revision lessons as we don’t have time for those, we teach right up to the wire.

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Littlefish · 01/02/2020 11:46

Is there a reason why you can't go in the school holidays?

battlestargalactica · 01/02/2020 11:48

DD1 is in lower sixth (old money) and her college does AS exams in the first year then As in the second. i don't know how usual that is but it translates into mocks in january and final exams may/june both years.

term finishes end of june though, so she has a few weeks in july over DD2 who's on a high school timetable.

noblegiraffe · 01/02/2020 11:50

We start teaching Y13 content in July once the Y12 exams are over so don’t count on her being free then.

ViveLEntenteCordiale · 01/02/2020 13:32

Why not plan a family holiday for next year when she's finished her A levels? That will be earlier in the year than normal school holidays.

Original poster

Ringsell2908 · 01/02/2020 17:13

We can't afford to go in school holidays

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Original poster

Ringsell2908 · 01/02/2020 17:16

If we plan to go after A levels that's 2.5 years away. I've avoided school term e.g. we haven't been away for years and am at the point where I need a nice holiday
My only other option is we go without her
Not sure how she will feel about that. She can stay with family (same neighborhood) so she won't be left alone

OP posts:

GreenTulips · 01/02/2020 17:19

They have AS exams May and early June

After that would be OK

Mocks January

Rhubardandcustard · 01/02/2020 17:24

Can you go this year. You can go after exam contingency day 24th June. That’s what we are doing.

lindtfree · 01/02/2020 17:24

What is "a nice holiday"?

Your choice, but if I were you I would use whatever the budget is on a holiday in school holidays which will not damage my child's education. Camping/self catering if need be.

Mumof1andacat · 01/02/2020 17:29

Different courses do exams at different times. Colleague took her daughter away for new year and she was going to miss the first few days of term. The teacher announced once the holiday was booked that on the 2nd day of term there was to be an exam to test how they done in the first term. She missed it and now her place on the course in jeopardy

LIZS · 01/02/2020 17:30

Can you not go after gcses this summer? If she is going to a standalone sixth form or fe college term dates may be shorter especially in summer term.

FamilyOfAliens · 01/02/2020 17:31

So the choices you’re giving her are to miss some of her A-level work or stay at home while the rest of you go away?

Seriously?

Sirzy · 01/02/2020 17:32

Save up and do a term time holiday in your budget. Missing time from a levels for a holiday really isn’t wise

CalleighDoodle · 01/02/2020 17:36

Id definitely go after her last gcse, rather than during Alevels.

There are regular mocks during Alevels. Regular key assessment pieces. And you will miss work that wont be covered again.

I still go on holiday with my parents every year and im in my 40’s.

OddBoots · 01/02/2020 17:45

Look at the term dates, my DD's sixth form college breaks up a couple of weeks before the school holidays.

If they don't break up early it is a big risk to miss time during A levels, worse than in the GCSE years in my opinion as there is so much to learn and if they want to go to university the predicted grades are nearly as important as the actual grades and different schools/collages have different ways to decide this including frequent tests.

lovelyupnorth · 01/02/2020 17:45

We took DD1out in y12 and y13 still got great results and we couldn’t have had a family holiday with out due to our jobs. This year DD2 hasn’t come so she’s stayed home alone as didn’t want to miss time.

As long as it’s not around mocks or exams can’t see it matters.

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