Holidays in Year 11 - how much revision and to go away or not?

[friedbeansandcheese]

Dd is in year 11. She’s planning spending 3-4 hours per day revising over Easter. I had thought she’d be ok to take a week off so we can go away but apparently not.

How much revision are your dc planning over Easter?

And will you be going away on holiday?

Thanks.

Absolutely no way. Personally i think it’s the one holiday where you stay home and let them get on with their revision in their own space with no additional pressure. Eldest did GCSE’s last year and nothing would have persuaded me to take him away (or May half term).

Please, please don't.

I'm having the same discussion with DS, who has made it clear he won't go on holiday. He is, however, open to the idea of a "field trip" weekend in France, where we will literally be revising one of his topics, so I'm thunk we'll do that.

Also by Easter they’ll be doing more than 3 hours a day. Mine stuck to a school timetable so started at about 8.30 and worked until about 4 with some breaks and then a bit most evenings. I don’t think he would have broken the back of it at that point with limiting himself to 3-4 hours (although obviously he did a bit less on some days).

We usually go away at Feb half term but DS has said he wants to stay at home. He is not really starting to revise until after his birthday in Jan so will be doing 5-6 hrs a day over Easter I'd imagine.

We're going away for a few days after Christmas. We are deliberately avoiding going away during other holidays as I don't want DS to have any distractions. So, if your DC has actively said she doesn't want to go away, I'd respect this.

Also, DS's school runs revision sessions in the Easter holidays - does yours?

OK, interesting. Must admit I hadn't expected her GCSEs to affect everyone so much!!

We are in a double GCSE and A Level year and have just resigned ourselves to having no fun trips. DD is on a course for a hobby/job at Feb half term and a school trip most of the summer. We will survive!

We are going away on a European city break over the Easter weekend. Ds has 2 weeks off school and he breaks up for Easter the day before we go. I thought a weekend to relax and see a new city before he knuckles down wouldn't do any harm.

Completely disagree. Massive pressure for these exams meant that a holiday was even MORE essential.
They took their revision with them (year 11 &13) .. did some every day but more importantly had some decent down time. The expectation of nothing but revision is both far to much and really quite unhealthy!

We are thinking of a few days away at Easter, somewhere self catering so they have space and a table to work at and decent wifi, but a break all the same. Not abroad, we don't want stress over flight delays etc.

At same stage, my DD's wouldn't go away for usual week in Easter but both agreed with 4 nights in the sun
DD2 already declined a holiday next summer as will be doing work for aptitude tests for uni admission. That was an extra holiday tho, she'll still do a week family holiday and a week of camp she does every year

GCSE's are important. Support your daughter wanting to revise and stay home this year.

Aving been through this time with 2 sons, I'd say there is absolutely no way should you go away over Easter in GCSE or A Level year. It will be intended tevisionvtimecat hkne and most school put on revision sessions during the Easter holiday as well. It's a crucial time, these results will effect their future and are way more important than a holiday.

A weekend away yes a whole week, no way, wait until the summer.

For DD1 (who did the old GCSES), we went away for 4 days to have a clear break, then she did 4.5 - 5 hours a day when home.

I am planning similar for DD2 who is currently in y10 though whether she will do 4hrs / day is unclear at this time.

It's a no from me two-but I would go away for an early summer holiday as soon as the exams are over.

Definitely don't.

Also, depends on type oh holiday. My DD's could do a couple of hours revision by the pool or in room after lunch. And couple of hours past questions on the plane
If it's one of these holidays with tons of activity, day trips, much younger siblings, shared rooms etc it's a whole different ball game to in essence grown ups lolling around pool and dinner out from which they return completely relaxed rather then exhausted

Early holiday in the summer isn't going to happen for us because of younger child still at school. If we do go won't book anything till nearer the time to see how DS feels about it then, also find out what the school revision sessions are etc.

I'm a teacher at a grammar school and a parent of yr 11 boy.
My students will, on the whole, work all holidays. For both gcse and a level, when parents ask, I recommend they still have a holiday in feb as they need a well deserved break after mocks. I'd say the same for easter, but maybe not a full week.
We are thinking of a few days in a cottage not too far away at easter - DS can bring work and do half a day study and half a day fun stuff.
To go from christmas to June with no breaks is a long slog. It's impossible to quantify, but I'd be very surprised if a few days break at easter impacted results if DC have been working consistently through the year.

3 week Easter holiday before GCSE’s we went away for 4 days and DS had a break

My DS did his GCSEs 2 years ago and went away on a school trip for a week during Easter break. He took some revision with him, but not sure how much he did. The break really did him good.

DD does hers this year and is going away for 5 days with one of her hobbies. I really don't think they can study all the time.

I definitively would not go on holiday at Easter just before GCSEs. I would however plan a treat just after the exams. I took DD on a lovely 2-night trip within the UK. We stayed in a hotel with a spa in it. She wasn't old enough to get treatments but we has a lovely time in the pools and saunas and enjoyed some nice meals and sightseeing.

It's dd's birthday over Easter. When she did her GCSEs because she was really organised with revision and was doing 4-5 hours a day at weekends and holidays, and a couple after schools each day we did go away. We went away over her birthday for 3 nights - 4 full days. She built it into her revision schedule and did no revision at all in those 4 days, plus only about 2 hours in the day when we had a big family party the weekend after. We also went away for a full day to celebrate 'effort put in' over May half term, though by then she had few exams left and only a week to go.

It really worked for dd and gave her a fab boost mid revision. She came back energised and it didn't affect the rest of her revision plans.

We will be doing similar this Easter when it's her 18th, and she is revising for A levels. We already know the exam dates and know she has a lot of time after Easter too.