Holidays Year 10/11

[SorrengailFables]

Dipped into the year 11 thread and it hadn’t quite dawned on me how many hours kids/families are giving to revision etc and how early exams started (eldest is only year 9…)
How do people plan any holidays or do most just not go away in April/May (UK short breaks) of year 11?

DD is already signed up for school trips in several of the Year 10 holidays and now I’m thinking family holidays might be limited….

It might be a bad idea to have a holiday in year 10/11. I did that and failed all my GCSES. I am a E grader. Year 10/11 matters the most at school the other years prepare us for the final two years.

We’re in yr11 now with no Feb mocks. We went away in Feb half term but DC did a bit of revision when we were away. That’s it now till summer. We usually go away at Easter but not this year when DC is on the home straight. May half term is smack bang in the middle of GCSEs.

In yr10 we did go away at Easter but again, DC did a bit of revision when we were away.

People all do things differently in terms of if and when they take holidays. Schools will do mocks at different times and children will all prepare differently too.

Last year and the year before we had family holidays booked for easter instead of summer. The choice to do trips in easter instead of summer was based on location and temperature. This year we have a family holiday in August again.

DC is year 10. Mocks were before Feb half term.
However they have a few actual GCSE's for some subjects in May and June this year (with other papers in those subjects being potentially taken in the autumn and but the remainder at the end of year 11).
DC also has a GCSE music performance assessment in April to prepare for.

However, it doesn't mean that there can't be a family holiday during the easter holidays if that is what you feel is best for you as a family. Easter is earlier some years than others so that may be a factor for some in making a decision.

However, although there is a need for children to revise, there is also a need for them to have a break, to rest and refresh themselves. I think when you decide to take a holiday in years 10 and 11 will be one for you all to decide as a family factoring in things such as
-When easter is
-When your DC has mocks/exams/assessments
-How well they are performing
-How proactive they are at getting down to the work/getting done what they need to
-Whether they feel they would be better at home doing revision, or having time to relax on holiday ( or will they spend all the time away just worrying about revision.
-when parent's can get time off
-cost and what is affordable

We hope to take advantage of the fact DC will finish school a bit earlier in year 11 and book to go at the very end of June/start of July. Haven't decided where yet.

My DD asked that we not go away at all in Y11, as mocks after Christmas break then the exams after Easter. Isn’t the May/June break in the middle of exams? Or is that A levels. I don’t remember it being an issue in Y10, but then we were unlikely to travel at any time other than Christmas.

Yr11 here - we went away Easter and summer of Y10, it wasn't really a problem as Y10 mocks were in the last 2 weeks of June.

Dd's Y11 mocks were in January so we also did a few days away in Oct half term. And we've decided to do a long weekend away at Easter but that will help with her language and history.

It's a real marathon - Dd just had her first this week and finishes mid June so a balance of breaks and revision seems wise.