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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

gcse examinations and holidays.

58 replies

stacielise · 01/02/2011 18:24

wondering if anyone can help me.
myself and my partner booked a holiday back in october for ourselves my 6 year old daughter and his 16 year old son. the problem we are facing is GCSE's

we go on the 20th May school breaks up on 27th but im unsure if there is any exams on those dates. still waiting for the school to get back to us.

is it possible for children to sit there exam at a later date. or will he now not be able to go on the holiday?

hope someone can help me with this. i know logically we shouldnt of booked the holiday without checking. jus didnt realise at the time. x

OP posts:

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TheCowardlyLion · 01/02/2011 22:07

I'm sort of resigned to the fact that parents take primary school aged children out of school for holidays and can see the argument of 'how much will they really miss at that age anyway?'

But I am really struggling with the idea that anyone would book a holiday not only in term-time but during the exam period for a child in Yr 11

I honestly wonder what planet some people live on.

ajandjjmum · 01/02/2011 22:10

But you have booked the holiday, which implies that you don't think the exam period is important. And it is not just in half term (which is valuable revision time anyway), it would actually take a week out of school.

I think you have put your holiday before your OH's son, and I don't think that's right.

Sorry - I know it's not what you want to hear.

MaureenMLove · 01/02/2011 22:15

If his school is anything like mine, they will be setting up revision lessons during haf term as well, so personally I wouldn't take him during half term either.

I think your OH hasn't thought this one through at all tbh. It's all very well saying he can re-sit it, but will he really be in a great frame of mind for taking his exams when he gets back from a holiday? I doubt it. Which will mean potentially sitting more than one again in November. Not very helpful. He needs to spend that week, getting his head in a book, not on a sun bed!

(I understand it's not you btw!)

stacielise · 01/02/2011 22:16

right so im trying to sort it coz i think wasting my time asking questions searching websites ringing people is all part of my 'FUN' activities.

the holiday was not booked not thinking of the OH's son and frankly u have no right to judge me in that way.

ive asked advice. im clearly no longer getting any advice i was looking for. could of ended at no, you cant take him out of school, cant take exams later never mind judging me.

i asked the advice so that i could think of a way around the situation, because it cannot be changed, not get told i should cancel etc

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MumInBeds · 01/02/2011 22:18

How do you feel about going away without your OH and his son? That seems to be the only way for your OH's son to focus on his exams and for your DD not to miss out on a holiday which obviously means a lot to you and your family.

stacielise · 01/02/2011 22:19

thankyou maureen.

i have tried speaking to my OH and trying to sort stuff, but clearly some people on the forum have got the complete wrong end of the stick. i didnt intentionally book anything to ruin GCSE exams, the lad wants to go in the army and i know he needs his gcse grades to do this. hence why im the one searching and trying to sort something.

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stacielise · 01/02/2011 22:20

How do you feel about going away without your OH and his son? That seems to be the only way for your OH's son to focus on his exams and for your DD not to miss out on a holiday which obviously means a lot to you and your family.

this is something we are currently discussing, its not ideal, but it seems the only option, jus hard to tell the young lad he cant go now, especially cause his dad didnt organise things properly. :(

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webwiz · 01/02/2011 22:22

There is no way round the situation that's the advice. Your OH's DS just can't go on the holiday as its at the wrong time for him as GCSEs are in May and June every single year.

hocuspontas · 01/02/2011 22:22

How about them joining you in half term week? (Armed with revision)

ajandjjmum · 01/02/2011 22:23

I am sure you didn't book the holiday to ruin his GCSE's.

But the facts are that he will be taking them when you have holiday booked.

Good luck in finding a solution that works for all of you.

BecauseImWorthIt · 01/02/2011 22:27

I don't understand why you booked the holiday when you did.

You say that you're young, so it's not that long since you did your own GCSEs. So you would have known that they take place in May/June.

There might not be exams on the dates that you have chosen - they may even be on holiday then (as it is the Whitsun weekend), but surely you would have realised that he would be in the middle of his revision?

It really does sound as if you will have to go with your daughter and the rest of your family but leave OH and his son behind.

Unless, as hocuspontas says, you take him away with loads of revision. But that puts an awful lot of pressure on the boy to make sure he's working, and not just lazing around as you would normally expect to do when you're on holiday.

stacielise · 01/02/2011 22:28

How about them joining you in half term week? (Armed with revision)

that is the exact option i currently have. because we come back on 3rd of june. so far we think he may have 1 more exam after that. he should of completed the major ones maths english science before the holiday.

school are phoning tomorrow with his exact exam timetable so we are in a better position to decide what to do. Im hoping for all of us we can sort it. for my Oh's son so he doesnt lose out completely and my DD so she still has the hol with her family.

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elliott · 01/02/2011 22:30

People have told you what your options are but you seem to be refusing to accept them.
He cannot go on holiday when his exams are. Therefore, either you change the date so that you can all go at another time, or if that is impossible as you claim, he will just have to stay home. (does he have a mother?)

MaureenMLove · 01/02/2011 22:31

It's not actually down to OP to know when the GCSE's are though, is it? She doesn't live with OH or the son, so it's really not up to her to have to think about that, is it? Why would she have thought about a lad that she doesn't live with, when she is still wrapped up in the world of primary school?

She is doing her best to sort it out.

OP your OH is a plonker for not thinking things through, but that's men for you!

stacielise · 01/02/2011 22:35

ohhhh trust me he knows hes a right plank at the minute, he's had a good talking to the last few days, he works all over the country so its left to me to sort.

elliot i am listening to the advice, but i dont believe its the be all and end all. im trying because i dont believe its fair to allow him to believe he is going on a holiday then suddenly say. oh sorry u cant. im not the evil stepmother!!!

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ajandjjmum · 01/02/2011 22:37

How does his mother feel about him going away at this time?

stacielise · 01/02/2011 22:45

id prefer not to get started on her thats a whole other story!!! seriously.

she hasnt said anything about him going away at this time, and to be honest she doesnt really seem bothered. Hence why i am!

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ajandjjmum · 01/02/2011 22:48

Because you're trying to do the right thing, even if you've left it late!

ilovesooty · 01/02/2011 22:49

There isn't any way round it that I can see other than the lad not going on this holiday.The time frame covers exams and vital revision time and it's not a time for distractions. Also as other posters have said the school has the right to send a bill for any exams he doesn't attend. I can't understand why one of his parents wasn't caring enough to check this out/put a stop to these unsuitable dates before the holiday was booked.

stacielise · 01/02/2011 22:51

Because you're trying to do the right thing, even if you've left it late!

i know. silly really. but least i didnt leave it way too late! lol. im trying, and seem to be failing,........miserably.

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ajandjjmum · 01/02/2011 22:56

I know that you want this holiday with everyone. Why could it not be delayed until say late June/early July, so you'd still miss the main holiday rush, but not collide with GCSE period?

stacielise · 01/02/2011 23:02

because of it being with my DD's grandparents. they can only get when its already booked for. thats the problem.

up to now my only option is hope that he only has one exam left after the hol. and he will be able to revise for it in holiday. and after. fingers crossed! x

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ajandjjmum · 01/02/2011 23:03

Hope it works out - at least you'll remember to look before booking when dd is 16 .

stacielise · 01/02/2011 23:08

Definitely. though i think ill definitely be more aware of the situation than his parents have been!

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stacielise · 02/02/2011 21:50

quick update.

he is involved with some sort of scheme where he goes to college 3 days of the week, and his head of year believes he may finish all of his gcse's before the may 20th. wont find out for sure till the end of the month but at least we are getting somewhere.

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