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Secondary education

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

Original poster

Do secondary school children go to half term holiday camps?

70 replies

QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 10:23

DS1 is in Y7 at an independent secondary. No information about half term camps. Half term is different to his brother in a state primary, so next week (and today, and the following Monday so 10 days in total)
Most his classmates "are going to Rome" Hmm

We only have an overlap of one day, so could possibly go away for the weekend. But I have now 2 weeks at home with children.

What do secondary school kids do during half term?

Are they home alone? Hang with mates?

I work from home, so for me this is very inconvenient.

DS is adjusting/improving all his nerf guns, using saws, sand paper and has asked for a power drill. He is noisy. The new design is so powerful the darn gun shoots 40 meters across the green outside our house.

I am going to be insane by the end of both these half term breaks

OP posts:
secretscwirrels · 18/10/2013 10:46

It's such a chore having children at home isn't it. Perhaps boarding school is the answer. Never mind, only a few more years and they will have flown the nest and leave you in peace. Wink

lovetoski · 18/10/2013 10:54

It depends where you I suppose town or country. Are his new school friends local? Can he arrange to see old primary friends or are they on a different half term. My ds yr8 likes to chill for a few days but will arrange to meet friends for a cinema trip if I nag him. He is also booked on an activity day middle of the week, climbing, archery, raft building etc to break week up. Half term you can normally book up day activities rather than the whole week. Any sports he likes?

Ladymuck · 18/10/2013 10:56

Depends a lot of the children and their interests tbh. I have one who likes clubs etc, and one who doesn't. Usually there are plenty of sport and music/drama clubs going for these half terms weeks. Centreparcs is usually full, especially for the week that isn't main school holidays. For the other week mine will be playing with friends (from school, and various homeschoolers that we know), finishing off projects that hadn't been completed before half term and doing a couple of trips as it is Family Arts Festival.

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:02

He has only started Y7, so dont know that many children. Most of them are going away for the entire break. His primary friends have half term the following week like his brother.

Thats the pain when you are a working parent who cant afford to just jet off like the other families. Wink That was to you secretscwirrels.

I am just keen to find something interesting that he can do, besides sitting at home. I can tailor my workload to do things but not the full day and not every day. We are going to the park later. The pool tomorrow.

So is is quite common for the schools to not suggest anything or offer information when they reach secondary?

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SoonToBeSix · 18/10/2013 11:03

Why would working from home be inconvenient? You can check your ds is ok and spend some time with him why would he need to go to camp?

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:04

Because he gets bored? I am not talking about a camp like a full week a way, but a couple of hours maybe one or two days.

I have been looking for cricket, basket ball, and tennis, and cant find anything nearby.

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Floggingmolly · 18/10/2013 11:11

Most local sports centres offer half term activities? Have a look at your local council's website.

SoonToBeSix · 18/10/2013 11:12

Google kings camp if he likes sports they run day camps for all ages.

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:18

I think the problem is that his school has different half term to state, so there are no camps or even day activities in his half term week.

My primary child has brought home lots of leaflets relating to camps and activities. I guess I just assumed ds1 would too.

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HmmAnOxfordComma · 18/10/2013 11:21

Ds's independent school offers holiday club to the children up to and including year 7 (open to children from other schools too).

We sent him for one day in the summer (because the trip looked good, not because we needed the childcare) but he was the oldest child there by a few years and he wasn't very happy:-(

I would be surprised that there weren't any activities available at local sports centres - although not if the holiday weeks fall on different weeks to the state schools, for obvious reasons.

Those day camps things are only useful to non-working or working from home parents, aren't they, though? Because the hours are usually 10-3 or similar. No good for parents out at work to get their children there.

HmmAnOxfordComma · 18/10/2013 11:22

Maybe try other private schools if yours doesn't have a holiday club?

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:31

Other local independent schools seem to host Camp Beaumont, but not during this and the next week.

His other half term breaks coincide with his brothers so it will be easier (in that there is just one week, and they can play together, or go to activities together)

While they were both in primary we used the camp their school offered for a day or two, and spent the rest of the time together.
The beauty of working from home is that I have this flexibility. The inconvenience this time is that because of the strike yesterday, and ds1s half term started today, I wont get much work done between yesterday and 4th November. 17 oct - 4 nov is a long stretch!

OP posts:
Clavinova · 18/10/2013 11:33

I think football camps are more likely to be running at this time of year, eg Chelsea Soccer Schools. Have you tried other independent schools nearby/Family Grapevine Magazine/local library? What county are you in?

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:39

We are in London! You'd think I would be able to find something!

Have found something fantastic for me and ds2, during HIS half term break : Lotions and potions in the Chelsea Physics Garden!

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Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:39

I think I will just grab a bus into British Museum and look at roman artifacts.

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CaptainSweatPants · 18/10/2013 11:44

don't get why you expect the school to plan your half term breaks?

They plan when kids are at school not out of it!!

CaptainSweatPants · 18/10/2013 11:46

So is is quite common for the schools to not suggest anything or offer information when they reach secondary?

Er, yes !!
They assume you'll get on with it
At my kids primary no one suggested anything either

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:47

I dont expect them to plan my half term break. I am new to secondary. I expected them to offer suggestions.
A friend who has had her child in the school since junior school said there were always lots of offers for camp activities. This is why I thought there would be some.

OP posts:
BurberryQ · 18/10/2013 11:48

wouldnt you enjoy the time with your children in which you do not have to rush about getting them to school?
I know I do, and I am no Stepford mum, far from it. and I work from home, and i am skint.Grin
that is why I am going to london and dumping the kids at their grandad's

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:49

See, CaptainSweatPants, we have different exceptions because our experience differs. In primary (where my ds2 is, and ds1 was) Fit for Sports run camps. The school also send home lots of leaflets about nearby local activities.

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Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 11:54

I dont understand why so many poster treat my thread like I posted in AIBU.

Like I said, I am new to secondary, and dont know what is normal.

It is not about whether I want to skip my children off to boarding school, or not spend time with them.

I have from 17th October to 4th November with one child each on different weeks. I am also a working parent. Granted I have flexibility as I work from home, but cant take over two weeks off!

I take 3 weeks off for Christmas, 3 weeks for Easter, 1 week for February, 1 week for June half term, and entire 6 weeks for summer. That is a lot more than working parents normally take.
But this particular October half term is difficult because it is over two weeks, and I dont have them together.
I am also studying for an MBA and have assignments and a home exam to prepare for.

Most of you just seem to want to make me out to be a crap parent who dont want to spend time with my children. Sad

Lovely behaviour!

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BurberryQ · 18/10/2013 11:59

my apologies Quint, I was being tongue in cheek if you read my post....
I would have thought that in london you would have a lot of choice of activities, why not goo glit?

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 12:01

I have been goggling.

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MaddAddam · 18/10/2013 12:03

Our secondary doesn't suggest any clubs, but my 13 and 12 yos quite often go to watersports activity clubs in half term or holidays - these only take place in the state school holidays though. They're too old for childcare (IMO and in theirs) but they like activity clubs related to their interests.

Quite a bit of the time they're at home, I work from home maybe half the time and DP is off one day a week, and they sometimes just hang out alone or with friends. They do get a bit bored then, and then I shunt them off to more watersports activities.

I think if he's got 2 weeks off though he'll have to be bored at home for one week and you could sign him up to stuff for the 2nd week.

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 12:03

And even so, I still have ONE of them to rush to and from school today and next week, with their normal accompanying activities, because their half terms dont coincide.

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