Does anyone know why private schools have such long holidays?

[penguinsforever]

It seems excessive and is a major factor in my decision to send dc there. I work, so state schools would mean much less holiday childcare needed. I just wondered if there's any reason private schools have so much holiday time?

It's always been the case - presumably they think that the parents have buckets of money to keep going off on wonderful holidays - whereas the truth is we're all broke after paying their extortionate fees!

School day is longer so same amount of work is done in fewer days

apart from that, not sure why!

Big plus is you can go on holiday when all the state schools are still in term time

DD starts at 8.30 ,finishes at 3.50.
50 mins a day more than local state schools.

I had this conversation with someone over Christmas and was told it was because historically private and boarding schools in particular divide their year into 3 terms but do away with half terms. So longer holidays but less times a year - if that makes sense. For boarding schools this is better to allow children home for holidays.

I have absolutely no idea if this is true or only true for some but it made sense at the time

They have longer school days, which is offset by longer holidays. You might find that the cost of holiday childcare is offset by less need for wraparound care during termtime?

The extra week's holiday at the beginning/end of term is an opportunity to get cheap holidays as state schools still in session.

They usually run holiday clubs (ours are very good value) during those extra weeks which at our school is a fantastic form of childcare as they're with children and teachers that they know, and they get to do great sports and activities.

In our school, they run a holiday club on premises (quite nice & reasonably priced iirc) - which effectively means you have a choice of term lengths.

I like it, because it gives me more flexibility with my DC .

The longer school day thing isn't true in many cases. Ours go in at 8.45 and finish at 4.45 (junior school).

It's mainly because the teachers like long holidays from what i can work out.

DD starts at 8.00 (sometimes before) and finishes at 4pm (5pm three days a week).

Tbh she needs the long hols!

Sorry, 3.45 not 4.45

Longer days and Saturday school, evening activities, boarding.

Also there are no inset days so teachers do training, meetings etc in the children's holidays usually for a least one week before they return. Obviously state school teachers work in the holidays too but there are inset days and twilight courses which private schools don't have.

If you need holiday childcare lots of private schools run holiday camps.

Did you do a lot of research to work that out, littleredsquirrel?

It's not just private schools that have longer holidays. My DD1 is at a state academy and they have longer days (8.20-3.45) and longer holidays too (3weeks more in the summer than my DD2 has at her state primary school). Looking forward to her moving up so that we too can take advantage of cheap holidays

There is one big disadvantage to longer days in that if a child is off sick for the day they miss a higher proportion of teaching time than a child with a shorter day would.

When I was at school the day went from 8.40-6.30 & sat 10-12 plus mass on Sunday morning. We had long holidays and half terms though. It was predominantly boarding and I think we needed the long break - although they didn't feel long at the time.

My dc's go to state schools and it feels like every other week is a 3 or 4 day week sometimes!

so families can go on holiday without having to meet poor people

Longer days isn't always true, DD does 8.50-3.15, and no Saturday school, They went back a week later in September, had 2 weeks for October half term, 2 weeks extra for Christmas and will have 2 weeks extra for Easter and break up 2 weeks earlier for summer.

as far as I can work out littleredsquirrel is right, the teachers just like long holidays.

NewBlueShoes state school INSET is done during the children's holidays as well. It's just that those 5 holiday days can be spread throughout the year at the school's/LEA discretion. Some private schools spread the days out some state schools have them in one block.

Longer days and traditionally having no half term account for most of it I think. Even in day schools. I think most now have added half term but haven't dropped the longer holidays.

I think it's because they can.

Unlike state maintained schools which have to provide 190 days (give or take a Royal Wedding), they provide the length of term which they believe necessary to complete each year's educational and co-curricular aims. It varies from school to school. I think ISC has a suggested minimum consistent with good standards (can't remember what that is though), and in practice there is quite a bit of variation from school to school.

Boarding school terms always seem terribly short.

Snice, for me it's not having to meet as many people. I don't really care about their bank balance. I love that I can take them to Devon/Cornwall or anywhere else really as it be half as busy as it would be in August. Of course it's nice that its half the price too but half the crowds is the biggest benefit to me.

Worried, I was being facetious thats all

Oh I know! It was just not that far off the mark but just people poor and otherwise! there has to be some benefit to bankrupting ourselves!

a vast majority of private schools were boarding schools before the beginning of the 1990's when circumstances changed with the army and funding stopped for fees at boarding school.

When private schools were boarding schools it made sense to have short two day half terms for termly borders and longer days and longer holidays so that the borders could fly home home and have 10 weeks in the summer with family, or 4 weeks at easter and 4 weeks at xmas.

It takes time for changes and private schools have shorter holidays than they used to, have added in a weeks or even two weeks half term and still have longer school days.

We have a private school in our town where there are still boarders but not many, the holidays are used to make many from the state section when they run holiday clubs for working parents, they have great facilities and have to hire them out as it is art of the set up with a private school being a charity?

My child is at a pre prep. The holidays are extremely long! If I wasn't a SAHM I would find the childcare extremely difficult, putting aside those with nannies, I don't know how working parents manage.

I like it:

• it gives us a chance to go to plenty of places when most children are at school and therefore not too crowded. (museums, parks, indoor and outdoor activities)
• My reasoning is that the teachers have a longer proper break and have more energy when they come back to teach the children. The days are long.
• We don't have inset days, so once the term starts you don't have to wonder when you will need to keep the child at home.
• I have a son with special needs, it gives him extra one to one time with my NT child while my son is at his special needs school.
• I won't put cheaper holidays because we are paying huge amount on school fees, so we are not saving a penny on holidays! But I am sure that is a plus for some people.

It gives ME extra one to one (not him). sorry!