Children in yr10 onwards - which school hol do you go away in?

peachyprice

FBaby, a lot of subjects are moving away from modular exams and a lot of schools are moving away from early GCSE's, they're going back to the days of O Levels where they have just 1/2 exams at the end of the two year course, so hopefully yours will be fine.

You can always check on the examining board's website when your subjects are due to take place, they publish the timetable quite early, usually before the schools do. But it's never safe to assume that there won't be an exam the day before/after a holiday, over the four examining boards there are a lot of subjects to fit in!

silvercar

These yr 10/11 children are coming up to the age when they will holiday without you, so it becomes more of a case of considering whether you want to be away at the same time as them or not. May half term holidays may depend on whether they are the type of child that you could leave at home to revise for exams in a quiet peaceful house with no younger siblings running riot or whether you need to be home to monitor and support.

peachyprice

silvercar wrote: »

These yr 10/11 children are coming up to the age when they will holiday without you, so it becomes more of a case of considering whether you want to be away at the same time as them or not. May half term holidays may depend on whether they are the type of child that you could leave at home to revise for exams in a quiet peaceful house with no younger siblings running riot or whether you need to be home to monitor and support.

Blimey, I wouldn't be leaving a 14yo home alone while I went on holiday!

FBaby

Thanks Peachy for the tip about the examining Board. Only paid deposit so far so wouldn't be the end of the world to cancel but would be gutted so will cross our fingers!

Buzzybee90

FBaby wrote: »

Hi Spendless, your post has left me a bit anxious...as I've already booked to take the kids away next May holiday and will even take them out of school the day before and after I assumed that DD would do all her GCSEs the following year. The school made a point during a presentation that the new education system didn't encourage taking early GCSEs.

I assumed that even if they did, it wouldn't be the day before/after holiday anyway. I didn't think about revising, but I suppose that could be done whilst on hols. I remember spending the whole week away on a skiing family holiday revising in the pub every day for my A levels!

This holiday was an incredible opportunity that the kids really wanted to do (and cancelled this year's holiday as a result) and so booked very quickly.

I did 4 GCSEs early and I believe (though don't quote me!) we had mocks for the others at a similar time.

maman

Wyre wrote: »

Daisiegg - You assume that we can take holidays during the summer holidays. It's not as if it is just this year - she will be year 11 next year so no holidays then, the following year her sister is year 10 so no holidays then and none the year after for year 11.

Regardless, I suppose what I am really objecting to is the complete lack of notice that these revision sessions during holidays would be running. We weren't even informed that my lass would be taking the exams early. I am impressed the staff are giving up their holidays to run them but surely they knew more than one day before the holidays started that it would be happening?

These sessions aren't compulsory so if your DD can't make them then no worries, other children will. I agree it's very kind of teachers to give up their holidays both for the students and for the school results/league tables.


Sorry, I've forgotten what your problem is with holidaying in the summer.

FBaby

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

I did 4 GCSEs early and I believe (though don't quote me!) we had mocks for the others at a similar time.

Yes, but my school said the system was changing this year and there would be no GCSEs taken early. She has already done mock GCSEs this year, so shouldn't be a problem studying for these even when away (she is very studious naturally and would probably enjoy doing it during quiet times). I just have to cross fingers they are not on these two days as wouldn't want her to miss an exam, even a mock one.

Buzzybee90

FBaby wrote: »

Yes, but my school said the system was changing this year and there would be no GCSEs taken early. She has already done mock GCSEs this year, so shouldn't be a problem studying for these even when away (she is very studious naturally and would probably enjoy doing it during quiet times). I just have to cross fingers they are not on these two days as wouldn't want her to miss an exam, even a mock one.

I certainly hope so, I picked up some bs I didn't really want in some widely pointless subjects! I did the same on my hols over the years.

pinkshoes

I have a Y10 pupil who went away to Spain for the two weeks before May half term. He then complained whilst doing a practice paper that I hadn't taught lots of this stuff. Well DUH, if you will miss 6 lessons...

May half term is often full of revision sessions for Y10 and Y11 too.

I'd recommend a summer holiday instead. They'll appreciate the break after exams!

silvercar

peachyprice wrote: »

Blimey, I wouldn't be leaving a 14yo home alone while I went on holiday!

I did say "coming up to the age". By this time of year most yr 10 pupils are 15 and most yr 11 pupils are 16. Both mine did organised overseas schemes just after gcse's so didn't want a family holiday that year.