kids not back until 8th

[molly5678]

does anyone's children's secondary school not go back until the 8th January! seems a crazy long xmas holiday when most are back to school/work next week!
son in year 11 so could do with not missing an extra week!

Mine broke up 22nd. Younger two in primary back on the 8th, along with myself who works a term time contract that pairs up with theirs.

The older two aren't back until the 10th which is rediculous imo. They will have to stay home alone for two days when I'm back in work, they'll be quite happy left to their own devices (literally - xboxes, oculus, laptops galore) but can't seem to play them without screaming at each other when they lose so expecting a few phonecalls snitching on the other while I'm trying to work! Luckily my work is very laid back but not the point!

What happened to going back on the 3rd/4th like we used to!

Mine broke ip on the afternoon of the 15th December and back to school on the 8th January (private school). Doesn't seem like a very long break- usually they break up earlier.

I live on a county border and we have ones going back right after new year and ones off until the 8th. They get the same number of days off though.,

Yep state school in Scotland. It looks like summer term goes back a bit earlier though. I guess it all evens out over the year. One child moving to private later this year so will have 2 different holiday schedules to manage ...

I certainly wouldn't choose the 2nd to go back. I have to go back on the 2nd for work because of much less annual leave than children get, it's still Christmas and much too soon! If it was up to me I'd balance it by always finishing on the 20th (on Friday before if that's a weekend) so they have solstice onwards off.

DS is in nursery and he was off from 15th December and back on 8th January. Luckily both DH and I are self employed so we can tag team parent/work next week but three weeks seems too long.

Agree it’s badly planned. Finished lunchtime on the 20th here and back on the 9th. Previous half term was 8.5 weeks, way too long and both staff and DC knackered. Next half term is five weeks, with one inset day. It would have been so much better to finish on the 15th and go back on the 2nd. The working world is back then. Also - who wants a week off after Xmas when it’s cold and miserable out and there’s none of the fun, run up to Xmas stuff to do? Mine finished school, we went to a panto the next day and then it was full on family. No time for all the other stuff 🙄

1 back on the 3rd, 2 back on the 8th.
They are normally back by 3/4/5th even if it means they do a short or half a week, so 8th does seem unusually late especially as Easter is quite early this year so it’ll be a short spring term.

My kids finished on thr Thursday and are back on the Tuesday 9th, thanks to inset days book ending the holiday.
I finished a day later and go back a day earlier. When they were little, I'd have been gutted at finishing so late, but now they're older I wrote like the week after New year. Think one year we finished on 17th and went back on 2nd. That was shit. But equally, the year we finished on the 23rd.

on the 2nd!

That's cruel!

Mine broke up on the 22 and back on the 8th, that's two weeks which is the normal length of time for Christmas. I also have one in year 11, he needs the break after mocks and working hard non stop since September. One week wouldn't have been long enough.

It's not 'like we used to'. The date depends a little on in when Christmas falls. It was a Monday so schools the fed to go right up to it and then have two weeks off. If it falls mid to late in the week, they still break up the Friday before but 2 weeks off then puts the end in the early days of Jan. This has always been the case. I've been a teacher for 35 years so have seen the pattern.
Lots of people here saying it's nice to have the longer time off before Christmas. Wait until that happens (in about 3 or 4 years) a load of posters - probably different ones - will say it's horrible having over excited kids at home and why can't school go on later 'like it used to'. Can't please everyone. Or anyone if you're a school, apparently.

8th Jan here but they only finished on Friday 22nd. Although it's a nightmare as I work in finance and can't take off the full 2 weeks as I need to do month end 🙄

Your son won't be missing a week. We broke on 22nd, back on 8th

9th here and last local school to break up on the 22nd.

We broke up on the 21st and are back on the 3rd. I'd bloody love to be back later. It seems unfair in both directions.

Mine broke up on the 21st and not in until 9th.

Ouch Showy, that's harsh! I assume they must gain holiday elsewhere.

Mine broke up on the 22nd, they were on their knees, poor teachers must have been utterly exhausted. Back on the 9th with teachers in on the 8th for an inset day.

Last year they broke up on the 23rd! First time dd had ever had to go to school on her birthday in 14 years.

Likewise for ours. I definitely enjoy the break from school activities and admin!

Didn’t break up till the 21st so yes back on the 8th

We broke up on 22nd and back on 8th

We had a full 10 days off before Christmas but we're back on the 2nd. Brutal. My autistic child will struggle to attend. Would much rather have broken up later and be back on the 8th, but I guess the grass is always greener.

Both my girls go back on 9th

4th or 5th too early fir secondary - 8th way better

Those saying he won't miss a week might not be right if he's year 11. If the summer term finishes later for a longer (than say normal 2 weeks) Christmas break, that doesn't mean his exams start any later in May. But he should be revising independently at this point and a long break is a good opportunity to do that.