Why is the summer holiday SO long?

Poll

Do you think the summer holiday is too long?

I have never really liked the long summer holiday in England, I just end up becoming bored and before you know it, school is back for another year. It doesn't help that the autumn term tends to be the longest of all which is seven weeks on average, but was actually eight weeks last year.

I would personally prefer the long holiday to be shortened, but instead being spread across the year.
____________________________________________________________

For the majority, but not all schools in England, this is the confirmed school year for 2015/16:

Monday 7th September 2015 to Friday 23rd October 2015 (7 Weeks)
* 1 week half-term break
Monday 2nd November 2015 to Friday 18th December 2015 (7 Weeks)
* 2 week term-end break
Monday 4th January 2016 to Friday 12th February 2016 (6 Weeks)
* 1 week half-term break
Monday 22nd February 2016 to Friday 18th March 2016 (4 Weeks)
* 2 week term-end break
Monday 4th April 2016 to Friday 27th May 2016 (8 Weeks)
* 1 week half-term break
Monday 6th June 2016 to Friday 22nd July 2016 (7 Weeks)
* 6 week summer break

There are 195 days in the year, and four teacher training days.
Two of these are set, excluding a public holiday:
Friday 4th September 2016
Monday 4th January 2016
Monday 2nd May 2016 (Public Holiday)

The reason I dislike the upcoming planned term is because of the term length patterns:
7 weeks > 7 weeks > 6 weeks > 4 Weeks > 8 Weeks > 7 Weeks

Holiday:
1 week > 2 weeks > 1 week > 2 weeks > 1 week > 6 weeks

*A short 4-week term often leads up to a lengthy 8-week one, as you can see above. These long terms are seriously tiring - even if there is a one-day public holiday.

I would rather it followed a pattern such as:

Monday 31st August 2015 to Friday 2nd October 2015 (5 Weeks)
* 1 week term break
Monday 12th October 2015 to Friday 13th November 2015 (5 Weeks)
* 1 week term break
Monday 23rd November 2015 to Friday 18th December 2015 (4 Weeks)
* 2 week term-end break
Monday 4th January 2016 to Friday 5th February 2016 (5 Weeks)
* 1 week term break
Monday 15th February 2016 to Friday 18th March 2016 (5 Weeks)
* 2 week term-end break
Monday 4th April 2016 to Friday 6th May 2016 (5 Weeks)
* 1 week term break
Monday 16th May 2016 to Friday 27th June 2016 (6 Weeks)
* 1 week term break
Monday 4th July 2016 to Friday 5th August 2016 (5 Weeks)
* 4 week summer break

The pattern above goes as follows:
5 Weeks > 5 Weeks > 4 Weeks > 5 Weeks > 5 Weeks > 5 Weeks > 6 Weeks > 5 Weeks

Holiday:
1 week > 1 week > 2 weeks > 1 week > 2 weeks > 1 week > 1 week > 4 weeks

Teacher Training Days and Public Holiday:
Monday 31st August 2015
Friday 30th October 2015
Monday 4th January 2016
Monday 2nd May 2016 (Public Holiday)
Friday 24th June 2016

*The above pattern is much more equal; there are no terms which are over six-weeks, but obviously the length of the terms depends on the year - therefore it wouldn't be exactly the same every year.

There are 195 days in the above pattern too!

____________________________________________________________
Obviously some would prefer the long holiday, and like the occasional break, however, I do like the idea of having more breaks throughout instead of a huge break which tends to become boring after four weeks.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 1

username1616429

I thought in England school holidays start mid July and then end at the start of September ? is that right ?

Reply 2

xDan

Original post by hman1994

I thought in England school holidays start mid July and then end at the start of September ? is that right ?

That is correct - and lasts six weeks (seven every once in a while).

Reply 3

Swanbow

Original post by hman1994

I thought in England school holidays start mid July and then end at the start of September ? is that right ?

It was definitely that case for my school, and all the others in the district.

Personally I think that they have schools open every Wednesday during the summer holiday. 1 hour of English, 1 hour of Maths, 2 hours of whatever a pupil chooses and 1 hour of sport. Get teachers to make pupils think outside the box, not sticking to the curriculum, teaching to pass exams or bogged down in paper work. Make learning a less intense and more fun experience. It would help to broaden people's minds and actually get some enjoyment out of education.

Reply 4

username1616429

Original post by xDan

That is correct - and lasts six weeks (seven every once in a while).

Sure in Ireland, summer holidays start at the end of may and we go back to school first week in September

that's 12 weeks for the summer

Reply 5

Crystalclearmagic

Original post by xDan

I was always told that the current splitting of the terms are still heavily based on the farming and agricultural needs of the "old days", if you want to call it that. So when families needed the children for the harvests and sowing of seeds etc.

Though I agree, a shorter summer would be good but personally I'd prefer a longer half term instead. All personal preference at the end of the day and no system will be liked by everyone... :/

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Reply 6

xDan

Original post by Crystalclearmagic

A longer half-term would be nice, such as two-weeks, but that would mean cutting down a lot of other breaks throughout the year to make up the 195 days a year. I'd rather they got rid of those tedious 8-week terms which seem to go on forever and tire everyone. To do that though, they'd have to add more half term breaks - which means cutting down the summer break. That would be my favourite outcome if it were to be changed, but with Nicky Morgan in charge of this stuff, I doubt much will change any time soon.

Reply 7

RF_PineMarten

The summer holiday is fine as it is.

Reply 8

nulli tertius

Original post by xDan

How are you going to get the harvest in if it was any shorter? :confused:

Likewise in Scotland they have the tattie holiday to get the spuds in.

Reply 9

TheTechN1304

Lol. My school's summer holidays start around 3rd July every year and we go back 6th September.

Reply 10

EllieC130

I like summer holidays as they are; I can't wait to have my uni one. I'm planning to get so much done.

Reply 11

contradicta

If anything it's not long enough!!!!

Other countries have 2-3 months!

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Reply 12

Olderandwiser23

You guys are gonna hate university. Lol

Reply 13

User1248243

You need to consider all viewpoints here, not just your narrow constrained one.
I along with many others, found that longer holidays were beneficial as it gave me time to actually do work outside a disruptive state school classroom. When you go to a good state school or a private school in a nice learning environment with strong teaching support, you no longer feel this disruptive behavior and that is why you come up with threads like these.
I found that I was self learning in holidays because my school didn't teach well, and now that's helped me a lot for university when it comes to reading.
Also people need a long break from all those exams that seek to put everyone in arbitrary categories.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 14

jameswhughes

"I have never really liked the long summer holiday in England, I just end up becoming bored and before you know it, school is back for another year."

How can the summer holiday be too long yet you think school is back "before you know it"?

I'm all for long summer holidays. Let people be free after they've done their exams, instead of keeping them locked in classrooms watching repeats of videos or something equally pointless.

Reply 15

username1813165

I agree. I get stupidly depressed every summer. It's like I actually need to be kept under a busy routine to avoid getting depressed.

It's alright for those of you have siblings and don't live in the middle-of-nowhere.

Reply 16

GeorgeTownsend

Nah, I've always loved the long summer holidays to give a welcome break from school. If anything they're not long enough, school seems to start again so quickly