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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:
ErrolTheDragon · 18/10/2013 12:04

I expected them to offer suggestions.

goodness, no. None of their business. Its quite different to primary when most people need some form of childcare so an 'activity' makes sense. Obviously a lot of the problem is that his school is out of sync with what most schools are doing (bloody gove hasn't thought through the ramifications of letting more schools choose their own holidays!).

DH and I work from home, having DD around in the holiday (with or without a friend) really hasn't been a problem since she was maybe year 3 ... much easier than if we worked out of the home. Don't forget that the current thinking is that its good not to always be arranging activities for kids, to let them get bored and have to think of something for themselves! We do plan some activities ( will probably take her to the Chill Factor for some brush-up skiing lessons) - if you're in London there must be lots, and it not being everyone else's halfterm is a positive advantage (BM, Natural History museum etc will be much better!) .

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 12:06

ds1 has ten days, Today, next week, and the following Monday. ds2 has the following week. He could go to cricket camp, but it is £175 for the week, and rather expensive, and a long drive.

Would love watersports! Nothing nearby, would have to go to Hillingdon or Windsor for that sort of stuff.

OP posts:
Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 18/10/2013 12:07

thanks erroll. Yes, from the museums perspective it is a definite advantage. I think the science museum is a good hit.

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 18/10/2013 12:10

watersports activity clubs in half term or holidays
Sounds cool.... decidedly chilly at this time of year Grin. (curious to know what/where....)

Libra · 18/10/2013 12:11

I feel your pain because up here in Aberdeenshire the October holidays are two weeks long. We are currently coming to the end of week one.

DS2 (just turning 11) has been going to King's Camp www.kingscamps.org/ at my university. This is helpful because I can drop him off and pick him up at the end of the day. They are flexible which means that we have not had book him in for the whole two weeks but pick and choose days. DH and I also work from home for a couple of days in the two weeks, which gives him the opportunity to meet up with mates or just chill out for some part of the holiday.

He has been rock climbing on their climbing wall, swimming, playing various sports and doing a bit of craft. The university sports facilities are very good. Last year he was at my husband's university sports centre, which also offered similar programmes.

We plan for him to do this at least for the next two years because I am not happy about leaving him totally on his own at home for two weeks at this age.

So, can I suggest that you see if something similar is on offer at university sports centres near you?

difficultpickle · 18/10/2013 12:12

We had this last year when ds's half term was out of sync with every other private and state school in the area. He went back to school when everyone broke up for their holidays so he was hugely resentful as it meant he couldn't go the normal holiday clubs with his old school friends. His school laid on nothing and all his friends went away. I took some days off but there was nothing to do and nowhere to go in terms of special half term activities and ds missed all the fun stuff the following week as he was back at school. Thankfully the school have changed their half term week this year.

BurberryQ · 18/10/2013 12:14

yes universities are good, my son went on a two day 3d printing course at our local one in the summer, for example......and it was free!!

SidandAndyssextoy · 18/10/2013 12:18

Near us there's a private school that offers memberships to its sports facilities out of school time. It also offers sports clubs during holidays that run over the two weeks. Is there anything like that near you? We are South and you seem to be new.

SidandAndyssextoy · 18/10/2013 12:18

North!

ErrolTheDragon · 18/10/2013 12:18

Quint, if they'd really like watersports there are a surprising number of RYA centres who offer youth windsurfing within the M25 - might not have an appropriate course at the right time for you but the RYA site is really good for finding stuff like this. (dinghy and other things too)

mary21 · 18/10/2013 14:29

Thames young mariners in Ham have stuff both weeks of half term . Just seen 2 places still available 21st and 22nd Oct for 1116 year olds and 2 places for 811.Taz holiday adventures

mary21 · 18/10/2013 14:54

Lens bury water sports say half term programme from 21st Oct -1st November

WetGrass · 18/10/2013 15:00

WHy not ask him? He is old enough to take himself off eg swimming or climbing.

mary21 · 18/10/2013 15:08

Wild learning have space in your 1st half term week sheen 611 year holds Wimbledon 612 year olds

Bonsoir · 18/10/2013 15:15

I think that the ages where DC are too old to chill at home playing but not old enough to get around on their own are difficult ones for half-term. I don't think it is good for DC to be bored and lonely. Sorry - that isn't very helpful! I feel your pain!

LIZS · 18/10/2013 17:40

dc (15 & 12) have 2 weeks starting today . ds is away on school trip for first few days then dd has a show next week so they are mooching around while I am at work then not sure 2nd week. Usually we go away for a few days. Some of the local sports clubs have activity courses starting next week - sailing , rugby etc

CaptainSweatPants · 18/10/2013 18:02

Sorry Quint I get what you mean now
Not sure I'd be happy with a just year 7 entertaining themselves for 2 weeks either
Seems a bit young to go swimming & climbing alone
Not much fun unless with company

lljkk · 18/10/2013 18:08

I thought kids in boarding schools did lots of swapsies in the hols. So he would go to a mate's for a week & mate would come to you for a week, etc.

cory · 18/10/2013 21:36

How about letting him do some of the work finding out about activities and suggesting things he might like to do?

Original poster
QuintessentialShadows · 19/10/2013 11:18

Cory, he seems to not know what he wants. Every suggestion is met with "ugh, dont want to on my own". So I guess we will do a combination of chilling at home while I get some work done in the morning, and going to places such as the science museum, British museum, do a bike ride if the weather is nice. etc. Off to the Museum of Childhood now! Grin

lljkk - I have no idea about how it works in boarding school. Maybe they do that? At least they do in books!

OP posts:
wordfactory · 19/10/2013 11:56

To be fair both my DC's schools do make suggestions for holidays.

Well not suggestions, but they pass on information/advertisements etc. Lots of boarding schools run sports camps. Often residential (which could be fun for a few days). But quite pricey.

We also get info from local tennis clubs etc

BackforGood · 19/10/2013 23:58

I think the main problem with you finding activities, is that your ds is on half term in a different week from you LA schools. There are plenty of things around here to do, but, tbh, as each of mine have moved into secondary, they have been very happy to lie in, then occupy themselves - maybe get together with a friend or friends at the park or to go to bowling or ice skating or something once, but a lot of just doing nothing is generally appreciated.
I fail to see why you can't work from home when you have older dc (speaking as someone who works from home quite a bit). I'm also surprised that they would expect?/want?/accept you coming to the park with them - my dc would die of embarrassment if I trotted along to the park with them once they are in secondary - surely that is the time they are doing these things with a mate, not their Mum?

nancy75 · 20/10/2013 00:05

I have scanned through the thread really quickly so sorry if this has already been said. I work for a company that organises after school & holiday clubs, we run in line with the local authority schools with our term time & holiday coaching, all of the companies in our area do the same. I do find that by the time the children have reached 11 or 12 they don't really want to do holiday camps, we offer stuff up to age 16 but probably get no more than 5 or 6 11+ year olds booked in for any course (we usually cancel the older classes due to lack of interest)

JenaiMorris · 20/10/2013 11:17

Primary didn't offer suggestions, let alone secondary! Various outfits have flyers handed out, or notices posted on the parent portal/school blog, but otherwise it's up to parents.

You're in London though, there must be workshops, camps, activity days somewhere?

Floggingmolly · 20/10/2013 12:26

My primary aged kids come home with sheafs of flyers from Stagecoach, Jigsaw, Kumon, etc, all the time, Jenai.
Once, my five year old was given a notice about a circus coming to the local common, which, because it was around 4" x 3" (considerably smaller than the usual flyers) he was convinced was his "free ticket" to the circus.
That took some explaining.