Why do kids get so much time off from school?!

[LadyCafe]

Hello,
We send our children to an independent school in London. The children have a 2 week half term in October! They are off for 3 weeks during Christmas. There is February half term for one week. Then Spring term ends on March 24 and Summer term begins April 16th! Half term at the end of May for 1 week. Summer term ends on July 5th.

What is astonishing, there are a few mums complaining that the Christmas break is too short!.. and that the children should have 4 full weeks off!!

We're paying for our children's education and they get so much time off. And now a few mums want to go to the head teacher to ask for more time off so they can travel to their home country! Well, poor you! Some of us have to work and can't take 3-4 weeks off at a time!

What do you think? Is this the norm?

[HoldMeCloserTonyDanza]

I'm afraid I'm one of those dreadful foreign mothers who lives the longer holidays because it makes it easier to spend time in my native country. Part of the reason (in fact one of the very biggest reasons) we went private. I'd love two weeks in October, we'd get Halloween off then and be able to celebrate it properly.

Closely linked is the fact that in my home country the school day is much shorter and holidays are much longer. I couldn't believe how much time children here spend in school.

I work full time by the way so I'm not one of those dreadful SAHMs. I don't know what you're complaining about with the holiday childcare. You live in London, you are absolutely spoiled for choice for options there. We and others manage by: holiday back home/some kind of sports camp/sending children to visit family/grandparents visiting/nanny with smallies (who also does school run in term time freeing up more work time and enabling work travel etc).

Yes it's expensive but if you can afford private you can afford that. I never understand choosing this (or anything really) and then bleating for years about the cost. You knew that when you signed up. Have one little moan at the beginning and then get over it. I could never be like this, it's poisoning a very pleasant and fortunate life with negativity.

[Orangesox]

Well apologies for the ruffled feathers... I didn't actually say anything about children from state schools though did I? I was trying to explain that the longer days and the other shite that you're expected to participate in absolutely destroyed me by the end of term, and I needed though breaks to get back to the point of being able to face it again. For what it's worth I don't have a chip on my shoulder about private vs state as I've been educated in both, and will likely any DC's I have to wherever seems to suit them best...

The reality is that my youngest sibling is state educated (his mother is a very hard working HLTA who specialises in STEM and that school met all his requirements), he does longer terms but shorter days than I did, resulting in pretty much identical contact time... he's bloody exhausted as well. There isn't the emphasis on extra curricular activities at his school due to funding, so we organise those in holidays etc between us, still bloody costly! I think it would really benefit him to have longer holidays, but we're in the fortunate position that clearly his mum is off all holidays with him, and he also has adult siblings to send time and holiday with as he chooses.

[freelancedolly]

Mine have just started at a prep having been at state primary before that. From what I can see they are worked a LOT harder. For a start the hours are 8.15 - 4.30 (1h45m extra per day than the state school) and they are doing tons of different sports and activities. They have to attend clubs as well so for 2-3 days a week they don't finish till 5.30pm.

At the primary they did PE once a week if they were lucky, now they do sport every day and play matches etc. It's early days for us and I've no idea how this is going to pan out but one thing is for sure - it's bloody full on for them.

Re. the holidays - the holiday durations you mention seem bog standard from the research I've done into independent schools. I imagine it is tradition more than the especial need for the kids to decompress - exhausting as it all might be a couple of weeks at Christmas will be more than enough. I'm a single parent and will be having to do a lot of WFH for those extra weeks they'll be off school - that and use extra childcare which the school put on because they know that parents need it. I'm sure that's pretty commonplace.

[EduCated]

Does this school get good results? Surely if they do you could equally argue that kids don't need any longer at school.

[Londoncheapo]

Freelancedolly, why do they have to attend clubs? What sort of clubs?

[freelancedolly]

I don't know why, it's just what everyone is 'strongly encouraged' to do, from what I can see (we're only 2 weeks in!). They vary from chess, fencing, singing, Lego, etc through to Maths club. Mine are absolutely shattered. They also have a timetable and have to move around the school for their various lessons (rather than being based in the same classroom for most of the day) and this is all new for them which is probably adding to their tiredness.

[tinypop4]

Independent schools have long holidays and longer teaching days- this is not news.
You could consider sending your child to a state school - they have less holiday and won't negotiate with parents on getting any more.

[ProfessorCat]

That's a lot, freelance. I've been to three different independent schools and never attended a club after school.

[hopefulclam]

Ha

U.K. Children have a miserable amount of summer holidays. Secondary schools are off 12/13 weeks here.

[PathOfLeastResitance]

Schools do it to annoy parents. Fact.

[LadyCafe]

Freelance, encouraged is different from "have to". Your kids shouldn't be shattered from attending school.

Our school gets decent results. It is not a pushy school which is why we chose it. We are happy with the 3 week holiday over Christmas. But the mums who are pushing for more because they're "jet lagged" is pure bull.

And when I mentioned martyrdom I was answering the mum who said "you don't like spending time with your kids?" Of course I do, but this whole notion that mums(not dads of course)need to spend 24/7 with their children is bullocks.

[user789653241]

Just because some mums pushing for more holidays, why do you think they get it? You have equal right as a fee paying parent to push for less, if you wanted to?

[user789653241]

Or say you are happy at the current arrangements.

[NataliaOsipova]

I'm a SAHM who loves the school holidays. It's when we get to do loads of brilliant stuff with the kids that there isn't time during the term. Is it educationally efficient? Not sure that it is. But you pays your money and you takes your choice. If you don't like the structure of holidays at your school, then look into moving somewhere more to your taste. The one thing going private does give you is choice. If others feel differently, they are entitled to!

[LesPins]

If your children attend a school where the head is apt to cave into a few parents' requests for extra time off and applies it to the entire school at short notice, you have far bigger problems than what to do with them over the holidays.

Alternatively, you are overreacting to a few women letting off steam at the school gates because you don't approve of their lifestyle, foreign travel and the fact they don't work.

As others say, perhaps you should consider other schools where you are happier with the holidays.

[freelancedolly]

Yes I have to say the premise of this thread is a bit ridiculous - just because someone is pushing for more holidays, who's to say anyone's going to give a toss?

My kids are shattered LadyCafe because they've just started in Y3, have never done these hours before, and have just upped sticks and moved to a totally new area. I think it's completely normal to be tired at this point in the term. We're just having relaxing weekends and I think it'll ease off a bit.

[bangingmyheadoffabrickwall]

I teach state and would love:
2 weeks in October
2 weeks Christmas
1 week Easter
2 weeks May
4 weeks summer

Much better IMO

[bangingmyheadoffabrickwall]

Sorry!
2 weeks October
2 weeks Christmas
1 week Feb
2 weeks Easter
2 weeks May
4 weeks Summer

[NotAgainYoda]

Just because they are asking, doesn't mean they get it

You'll get some of your holiday in times when it's cheaper to travel

Finally, maybe if it costs too much to have them cared for outside of term time, then send to a state school and save that way

[NotAgainYoda]

Is the "home country" thing your issue OP?

[SparklyUnicornPoo]

DD's school do the same hours as my state school and get 5 weeks more holiday a year than I do! I can't work out why either but one of the state schools near me has started having 2 week half terms too, they've made the day longer to make up the hours, apparently they think it will mean absence rates go down and children will be more productive.

[Anotheroneishere]

Still not entirely sure if the problem is that the school has too many holidays so you have to pay extra for childcare, that too many parents can spend their holidays holiday-ing while you're working, or that too many SAHMs like holiday-ing.

One of the biggest risks to private education is that you're paying into the school but don't fit. If the school is a stretch for you financially and a drop in the bucket to the average family who attends, you will feel constantly poor relative to this peer group. Your kids will feel it too when everyone in Year 5 has the newest iPhone or goes on the special school trip to whatever expensive destination.

I'll agree than summer doesn't need to be longer than six or seven weeks, but man, I love the three week Christmas holiday.

[Madcats]

DD is usually exhausted by the end of term (TBF, she's probably at school from 8-5pm most days for squads/music/clubs). If the kids have been on a sports tour or summer residential they all come back with hacking coughs and colds which can take an age to shift (and ruin a family holiday).

Saying that, I would much rather have a shorter Xmas holiday and an extra week at Whitsun or Easter. I do like my winter sun (but not at Xmas school holiday prices). I'd also prefer it if the kids stayed at school until the end of July (which always seem to be rubbish weather) and went back in mid-end September.

OP, it might be worth looking at PGL holidays (or similar). They always seem to have some sort of discount available. It does get easier as they get older.