Post GCSE holiday

[mothtoaflame]

Hi,
As a parent to an only child we are looking forward to holidaying outside of term time when DS sits his GCSEs next year.
Does anyone now at what point the GCSE dates are confirmed and whether they are likely to change?
We will aim to go a few days after his final exam, but can only find reference to the 2023 dates published by Ofqual, thank you.

Most of them will be finished by 28 June so the first week of July will be safe. DC finishes on 16 June this year but there are a few more exams for other subjects during the following week.

I think the timetable is finalised in around February from what I remember. Exams all finish around the end of June usually.
bear in mind that some schools do pre-A level lessons at the end of term and there's prom as well if he's bothered about going to that.
My DD did hers last year, then went straight to Glastonbury then had prom a couple of days after that THEN we went on holiday during first week of July.

DD’s are finished by June 18th or something. We have booked a week away 24th June yay. Have you asked your DC - they will have the dates! That’s what we did.

DD's last exam is 16 June this year. But there's a contingency day on 28 June, which they need to be available for incase any exams need to be rescheduled.

We've booked to go 29 June. Can't wait !

The reserve date has been at the end of June the last few years.

Exam contingency day is 28th June - so any Y11 candidate may be required to sit an exam up until that point.

Also look at the timescales of their Post-16 choices/Sixth Form colleges - many have induction weeks/programmes in that same week.

Anyone who has booked before 28th June is mad in my opinion.

Also consider prom (if they want to attend) and any other end of year activities.

I wouldn't do it in June, we only got DD's exact timetable 3 weeks ago and we know there is a leaving party end of June, introduction dates at 6th form to take part in lessons in their chosen subjects mid-June to beginning of July as well.

Even when he has the dates of his exams, remember to take into consideration the spare day they build in just in case there have been any problems (think this was 28 June last year), prom/celebrations and sixth form inductions. We were all done and dusted by 6 July, but think other sixth forms had inductions right to the end of that week.

Oops, didn’t know about the spare date thing. Oh well, it’s only a UK cottage thing two hours away so if the worst comes to the worst I can bring DD back for that exam.

I asked about this and end of June is a safe bet, I’ve booked to take my daughter away the first week of July!

DD last exam is 21st June and has prom on 28th (though she is not very inclined to go). We have booked holiday for 15th July, because we have a younger one too - figured that missing the last week of school wasn't end of the world (even if we do get fined!)

Thanks everyone, this is really useful to know. At least I can start pricing up holidays for 2024 for budgeting purposes.
Good luck to those of your children sitting exams this year xxx