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!

They had an abnormally long Winter term, didn't they? Easter is a bit earlier, exams will start when they always do.

The gap from September to May hasn't changed. But also - so what? They will all have roughly the same number of school days before exams.

Another one here with a yr 11 who needs this Christmas break. Presumably your son has only got 2 weeks like everyone else, they're just falling on different dates? Let him make the most of it. After this it's stress and pressure all the way until June.

22nd - 8th for schools here (Scotland)

Prelims were just before Christmas where we are so a well deserved break and/or free study time for those in exam years before heading back for a tough few months and final exams in April/May.

Yep the 8th January. Late to break up - late to go back. Easter is at the end of MARCH. It's gonna be here so quickly after they go back! Is there any point in having a half term in February!?

@FreshWinterMorning are you seriously suggesting that pupils and staff do eleven straight weeks with no break from Jan 8th to March 22nd?

Those who are back earlier finished earlier!! 195 days of school for pupils every year divided up a couple of years in advance, calendars online with shed loads of notice, it's the same the country over.

Mine broke up 22nd and back on 8th. I hate it, would much rather have the long lead up to Xmas. Feel like there’s not much fun to do next week that doesn’t cost a fortune. I can see how it’s better for older children but mine are still young and are driving me crazy!

Where I am in the US, kids finished the 22nd back on the 8th.

I just checked our local school calendar, and that is exactly what happens! They do have 2 bank holiday weekends, but the next decent break begins 11 weeks after they go back on Jan 8. Kids attending Catholic schools will have an extra week of school, as they usually get their spring break at Easter.

In the US and we don’t have a midterm in the autumn or winter. But school finishes for the year end of May/early June.

What are all these "Christmasy" things people would have been doing in the week before Christmas if schools were off?
Most Christmas fairs/markets/children's church services happen on weekends anyway. There was a whole weekend before Christmas Day this year as the 25th was a Monday - I actually found it hard to "fill" those 2 days. I gave my girl a few of her gifts early because she needed something to "do". Most events had been and gone. There wasn't much to do.
She goes back to school on the 9th. We already have plans for next week. A cinema trip, meeting up with her friends, spending hours playing the Nintendo games she got at Christmas etc.
Also we won't be going home from mother in laws until 2nd January because there's no/limited trains on New Years Day. When my daughter was smaller and at primary school onw year she went back on the 2nd. It was a right pain trying to get home on time because of the trains. We basically had to miss the celebration of New Year - we had to leave "early" because of school.
Christmas technically doesn't finish until Jan 6th - but even for those that don't go in for the 12 days of Christmas - the New Year part is part of the "season". Going back to school on the 2nd/3rd of January is a pain and no fun.

In Australia they have four terms of 10 weeks, no half terms.

Less traffic on the road though

We are not back until the 8th. It was such a long term; I am glad I have 2 weeks off.

They broke up round here on the 22nd - made it a brutally long trudge to the end of term - but they go back on the later side (I forget exactly when) and it'll all balance out over the course of the year, but the littler ones were bloody knackered by the end of it. It's just the way Xmas has fallen this year makes it seem out of kilter to the "norm".

Broke up 15th and back on 9th.

Ours (Scotland) finished Thursday 21st and back Thursday 4th

much shorter hours

Mine broke up on the 21st Dec and aren't back until the 9th Jan as they like tagging Teacher Training Days at the start and end of the terms here. Who doesn't like finding 2 extra days of childcare, hey.

Primary here and not back till the 8th but broke up on the 22nd

He won't be missing a week, and could do some private revision

9th for mine I think! It's a crazy long holiday, they broke up on 20th - luckily both have residential holiday camps for a few days, DS is on one at the moment, oldest has theirs in the new year. State school in London.

Only half an hour shorter comparing my child's schools.

which is?

Aussie was 9 to 3, UK 8:55 to 3:25. Not a huge difference. In Australia the bus took 45 minutes each way too.

half hour a day equates to a morning school a week, which will add up rather quickly over the year