Taking a trip before Year 10 mocks?

[Citygirlrurallife]

DS and I are looking at taking 3 nights away together and tossing up between Feb half term and May half term (he wants to go to Valencia for architecture and science museums so arguably educational) weather def lovely in May, not guaranteed in Feb and he’d rather do May but he’s in Year 10 so does anyone have advice as to whether they think that’s a good idea considering it’s 3 weeks before his mocks?

FWIW he’s generally very motivated, on track to get excellent results so I think he would be ok to have the time we’re not away revising and maybe it’s good to not put a shit ton of pressure on him to spend the whole holiday revising - but likewise don’t want him to then feel unprepared because we went away?

May. It's only 3 nights out of 9 days for half term.
If he is hardworking then he can plan around that surely?
I wouldn't do it mid GCSEs, if nothing else in case of travel disruption, but y10, yes.
Maybe make it the start of half term, so he gets a good break, then back to study and back into the flow.

Agree 3 days I year 10 is fine I think, especially if he is a good worker. Most schools have at least one other set of mocks. If he revises before and after then it's fine. It's only if he starts to panic closer to the time and doesn't enjoy his break.

Year 10 exams aren’t mocks, although some schools call them mocks. Mocks take place in Year 11, either just before or after winter hols.

The only concern is that they might inform predicted grades until the actual mocks are taken. This is only relevant if you are applying to selective 6th forms.

Year 11 is too stressful as it is these days, so you might as well take your son away somewhere nice before that happens.

Thanks for responses

@Newbutoldfather thats interesting I didn’t realise they weren’t locks in Year 10. Our school doesn’t have a 6th form and while I don’t know where he’ll apply yet it could well be a selective one

@Citygirlrurallife Whether they are 'mocks' or not depends on your definition.

End of y10 they may well be doing whole papers based on what they have learned so far, if subjects have taken the approach of ordering the teaching by paper content. So they may be real GCSE papers but only a subset. or they may be made up papers based on previous questions.
They will be taken in the school hall / wherever and subject to formal exam conditions.

But of course y10s won't have covered anywhere near the full syllabus yet, and may not have had much practice in required answer styles.

Whether they are 'end y10 exams' or 'y10 mocks' doesn't really matter. imo DC should be encouraged to revise for them properly, making revision notes/mindmaps etc. The more seriously they take the y10 exams the better.

I would definitely do 3 nights in May. You have so much notice, he can easily do a bit extra earlier in the month and then aim to spend most of the rest of the time studying. Y10 exams should be taken seriously but with reasonable expectations - I'd have a different view if you were taking him out in Y11!

I'd go. It's for 3 days and its 3 weeks before exams. And you say he's a hard worker so he'll probably be able to plan around the holiday.

Definitely go! You won’t regret it but you might regret not going. It’ll be a lovely memory to look back on when he no longer wants to go on holiday with you! He’s hard working so a short break would do him good. I was in the same position in Year 10 with my DD and didn’t go because she was worried about her exams but it would have made no impact on her actual GCSEs, so I wish now I had. Year 11 is tough so take the opportunity to go while you can.

Thanks everyone - I e now had a work offer during February half term so that’s settled that we’ll go in May!

It’s mocks, do whatever you want. Results don’t matter as long as get enough for next step, that’s what I tell mine! Enjoy yourselves