Latest news with #schoolbreak
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
What are YOU up to this summer?
School's out for most of you, which means one thing... the summer holidays are officially of you in Scotland and Northern Ireland have already been on your summer break for a while, and students in England and Wales are almost done for the summer term too. So with a good few weeks away from the classroom we want to know, what will you be getting up to this summer?Are you going away? Will you be spending time with friends and family? Will you be taking part in some new activities or catching up on hobbies? Whatever your plans, we want to know. You can let us know what you'll be doing in the comments below.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
France's eight weeks of summer holidays, or England's six? I've done both and know which one I prefer
Remember the summer holidays of your childhood – the seemingly endless, sunny days many of us look back on fondly? Those six 'precious' weeks look very different when you're a parent. Having to feed, entertain, look after and fund your offspring during the extended break can sometimes make the summer seem endless for all the wrong reasons. Parents in England where, as in Scotland and Wales, the school summer break is six weeks, have complained that this is too long, and are backing a reduction to four weeks. Pity then the parents in mainland Europe: French school holidays last for eight weeks. In some regions of Italy, summer is a whopping 14-weeks long. Having birthed and brought up my five children in France, only moving back to England in April last year when my eldest was 14 and my youngest nine, I've experienced summers on both sides of the Channel. And it will be no surprise that I prefer the six-week version. But not for the reasons you might think. I'm lucky. I may have five children to entertain, but I work from home and have a husband who's retired. I have to combat additional noise and break up the odd skirmish, but at least I don't have to worry about childcare during the summer months. Then again, in France, nor did most of my friends. France is set up differently for the summer break. For starters, there are affordable play schemes in most areas. In my small town in Limousin, children could have a day of fun, sport and supervision from 7.30am to 6.30pm, plus a cooked meal, for as little as €9 (about £7.80). Rather than the odd snatched moment or week off, many children in France benefit from a healthy dose of family time over the summer as their parents are also on holiday. August is sacrosanct in France. Many businesses close or pare down, and people often take a fortnight – or even the month – off. (Need a routine scan in August? Good luck: even hospital services seem lighter on staff during the summer.) And while it's traditionally expensive to take holidays during peak times, in France help is available to those on modest incomes. The Vacaf voucher is a means-tested benefit that families can offset against a holiday at more than 7,000 hotels or holiday parks, saving up to 70%. Money won't be made tighter by 'back to school' shopping, either. France gives parents a 'rentrée' payment of more than €400 a child in August to cope with these costs. It's means tested, but generously so, taking into account income and family size. If additional childcare is needed, help will probably be available from grandparents. Of course, many UK-based grandparents also help with childcare, but in France it seemed the expected norm rather than the generous exception. Kids are shipped off to Mamie and Papy for two weeks at a time, leaving parents free to enjoy the sunshine. Eight weeks seemed long, but in France they were manageable. Even – whisper it – fun. So why do I prefer the six-week option? Well, first, it's better educationally. The 'summer slippage' children experience from the six-week break is well documented; pupils are thought to lose up to 40% of the gains they have made over the school year during this time. Another two weeks to forget everything could be catastrophic. And, however well supported children are, eight weeks is a long time to be away from the structure and routine of school. By the end the kids seemed feral, and were so accustomed to getting up later they found it hard to adjust to the 6am start. Despite moaning that their French friends are already sunning themselves, my children have had fun during those 'extra' two weeks at school. Lessons have been wound down and learning tied up. School plays have been performed, awards dished out, sports days (something they didn't experience in France) enjoyed. Classes have met their new teachers for September, and new schools have been visited. There's a sense of growing anticipation of the break ahead when teachers and pupils relax and (dare I say) enjoy each other's company. It's true that, in my experience, not a huge amount of learning occurs during this time. But that doesn't mean there isn't value in spending another fortnight in the classroom. Some might argue that even six weeks is too long for a summer break. But despite the summer slippage, I'd be loath to have holidays reduced further. This six-week break is a childhood rite of passage and I'd hate to see kids lose it. (Plus, as an ex-teacher, I know it's one of the few times staff get a proper break not filled entirely with marking and planning – mess with it at your peril.) Instead, imagine if the UK government took a lesson from France and provided better, affordable care for families, and helped those who need support take their holiday during these expensive months (not necessarily by subsidising, but by staggering school holidays across the country or working with providers to ensure fairer pricing). Then, perhaps more parents would actually look forward to the summer. Gillian Harvey is an author and mother of five living in Norfolk. She is the author of The Village Café in the Loire
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
France's eight weeks of summer holidays, or England's six? I've done both and know which one I prefer
Remember the summer holidays of your childhood – the seemingly endless, sunny days many of us look back on fondly? Those six 'precious' weeks look very different when you're a parent. Having to feed, entertain, look after and fund your offspring during the extended break can sometimes make the summer seem endless for all the wrong reasons. Parents in England where, as in Scotland and Wales, the school summer break is six weeks, have complained that this is too long, and are backing a reduction to four weeks. Pity then the parents in mainland Europe: French school holidays last for eight weeks. In some regions of Italy, summer is a whopping 14-weeks long. Having birthed and brought up my five children in France, only moving back to England in April last year when my eldest was 14 and my youngest nine, I've experienced summers on both sides of the Channel. And it will be no surprise that I prefer the six-week version. But not for the reasons you might think. I'm lucky. I may have five children to entertain, but I work from home and have a husband who's retired. I have to combat additional noise and break up the odd skirmish, but at least I don't have to worry about childcare during the summer months. Then again, in France, nor did most of my friends. France is set up differently for the summer break. For starters, there are affordable play schemes in most areas. In my small town in Limousin, children could have a day of fun, sport and supervision from 7.30am to 6.30pm, plus a cooked meal, for as little as €9 (about £7.80). Rather than the odd snatched moment or week off, many children in France benefit from a healthy dose of family time over the summer as their parents are also on holiday. August is sacrosanct in France. Many businesses close or pare down, and people often take a fortnight – or even the month – off. (Need a routine scan in August? Good luck: even hospital services seem lighter on staff during the summer.) And while it's traditionally expensive to take holidays during peak times, in France help is available to those on modest incomes. The Vacaf voucher is a means-tested benefit that families can offset against a holiday at more than 7,000 hotels or holiday parks, saving up to 70%. Money won't be made tighter by 'back to school' shopping, either. France gives parents a 'rentrée' payment of more than €400 a child in August to cope with these costs. It's means tested, but generously so, taking into account income and family size. If additional childcare is needed, help will probably be available from grandparents. Of course, many UK-based grandparents also help with childcare, but in France it seemed the expected norm rather than the generous exception. Kids are shipped off to Mamie and Papy for two weeks at a time, leaving parents free to enjoy the sunshine. Eight weeks seemed long, but in France they were manageable. Even – whisper it – fun. So why do I prefer the six-week option? Well, first, it's better educationally. The 'summer slippage' children experience from the six-week break is well documented; pupils are thought to lose up to 40% of the gains they have made over the school year during this time. Another two weeks to forget everything could be catastrophic. And, however well supported children are, eight weeks is a long time to be away from the structure and routine of school. By the end the kids seemed feral, and were so accustomed to getting up later they found it hard to adjust to the 6am start. Despite moaning that their French friends are already sunning themselves, my children have had fun during those 'extra' two weeks at school. Lessons have been wound down and learning tied up. School plays have been performed, awards dished out, sports days (something they didn't experience in France) enjoyed. Classes have met their new teachers for September, and new schools have been visited. There's a sense of growing anticipation of the break ahead when teachers and pupils relax and (dare I say) enjoy each other's company. It's true that, in my experience, not a huge amount of learning occurs during this time. But that doesn't mean there isn't value in spending another fortnight in the classroom. Some might argue that even six weeks is too long for a summer break. But despite the summer slippage, I'd be loath to have holidays reduced further. This six-week break is a childhood rite of passage and I'd hate to see kids lose it. (Plus, as an ex-teacher, I know it's one of the few times staff get a proper break not filled entirely with marking and planning – mess with it at your peril.) Instead, imagine if the UK government took a lesson from France and provided better, affordable care for families, and helped those who need support take their holiday during these expensive months (not necessarily by subsidising, but by staggering school holidays across the country or working with providers to ensure fairer pricing). Then, perhaps more parents would actually look forward to the summer. Gillian Harvey is an author and mother of five living in Norfolk. She is the author of The Village Café in the Loire
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
End of long school holidays? Half of parents want summer slashed to FOUR weeks and longer winter breaks
Half of frazzled parents want summer holidays to be slashed to four weeks and half terms extended, a new survey shows. Research by the charity Parentkind found many families think the up-coming six-week break is too long, often citing childcare as an issue. Most teachers also support a four-week break, as long as they do not lose the total amount of holiday they get throughout the year. Pupils in state schools start their break from this weekend, and will be off until early September. Previous studies have shown pupils regress during the holidays because they get out of practice with their reading and writing. The charity's research is based on its own poll of 3,000 parents and a separate poll of 9,000 teachers by Teacher Tapp. It found that 53 per cent of parents would back plans to reduce the school summer break to four weeks from six and only 33 per cent would oppose this. Many parents would prefer two-week half-term breaks and a longer Christmas holiday. Most half-term holidays last a week, although increasing numbers of schools are offering a two-week October half term. A shorter summer break was seen as a financial positive by 32 per cent of parents, compared with 17 per cent who saw it as a negative. The proportion in favour on these grounds increased to 47 per cent among parents of children entitled to free school meals. Thirty-seven per cent of parents overall and 43 per cent of those whose children were entitled to free school meals said a shorter break would be beneficial for childcare, compared with 14 per cent overall who said it would be detrimental. The Teacher Tapp polling found that 62 per cent of teachers would accept a shorter summer holiday, 38 per cent would support it being reduced from six weeks to five and 24 per cent were in favour of it being cut to four weeks. However, 35 per cent wanted to stick with the traditional six weeks, while the remainder gave other answers. Jason Elsom, the chief executive of Parentkind, told the Times: 'While children will no doubt be looking forward to extended time away from school, the long summer break is a challenge for some parents. 'Our large parent poll shows that most parents want to knock two weeks off the six-week summer break to give teachers and children a month off instead. 'Parents tell us that a shorter summer holiday would help with costs and childcare, which would be particularly welcome at a time when some families are struggling to keep their heads above water. 'We need to make sure the long summer break doesn't add further stress and hardship for parents, particularly those on low incomes.' A recent survey by Coram found summer holiday childcare costs in Britain have increased by 4 per cent in the past year, to an average of £179 per child per week. It is almost three times the price of after-school club in term time.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Create Your Own Journey by the Sea at Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay
An Ideal Phu Quoc Family Resort for a School Break Getaway PHU QUOC, Vietnam, May 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With the school holiday season fast approaching, Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay invites families to reconnect, recharge, and create unforgettable memories in a tropical paradise. Positioned on the tranquil northwestern coast of Phu Quoc Island, this beachfront resort blends relaxation and adventure, offering the perfect escape for families seeking quality time under the sun. Whether looking to dive into exhilarating attractions or simply unwind by the ocean, Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay is designed for all ages. Conveniently located near top destinations such as Phu Quoc's largest theme park and safari, Grand World Night Market, and Phu Quoc's premier golf courses and casino, families enjoy seamless access to the best things to do in Phu Quoc. Family-Friendly Experiences Await Young explorers will be thrilled by Tribe Kid's Club & Games Room, which offers supervised indoor and outdoor activities. Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay also provides all-day children's activities located in various spots throughout the resort. For more extensive fun, families can venture to VinWonders - Vietnam's leading theme park packed with thrilling rides, immersive cultural exhibits, and engaging entertainment zones for all ages. Just a 5-minute drive from the resort, it is perfect opportunity to experience Vinpearl Safari - Vietnam's largest wildlife conservation park, which is ranked second among zoos and aquariums in Asia, as recognised by Tripadvisor. After a day of island adventure, unwind with the whole family in the spacious Two Bedroom Suite. Just steps from the pool, kid's club, spa & gym, this spacious 200 square metre retreat offers a private garden terrace, a king room adjoined to a twin room, and a separate living area—ideal for shared moments and family relaxation. For those who wish to embrace the sea breeze, the Ocean View Room and Oceanfront Suite provide a tranquil space to soak in the panoramic beauty of Phu Quoc's sparkling coastline. Savour Every Moment with Memorable Dining No getaway is complete without memorable dining. At Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay, families can indulge in global flavours at two signature restaurants. Horizons Restaurant & Bar: Mediterranean-inspired dishes, daily buffet breakfasts, and BBQ nights. Amber Sands Beach Club: A stylish beachfront dining experience featuring fresh Vietnamese seafood and international cuisine, complemented by Phu Quoc's breathtaking sunsets. IHG One Rewards members enjoy even more benefits, with 20% off dining, plus earn 100 bonus points for every USD 10 spent. Family Adventure by the Sea While parents unwind at Hoa Sim Spa, children can engage in a variety of activities at the resort. From playful moments in the Games Room through free PlayStation battles and Monopoly competition, to the beach activities like water gun fights, kite flying, and volleyball, there is plenty to keep children entertained. For those who love to get creative, paid creative workshops is a chance to explore Finger Drawing Art, Origami, and Coconut Leaves Art. Stay energised at the 24-hour gym, thoughtfully designed to provide a refreshing fitness environment. Enjoy state-of-the-art equipment in a serene space filled with natural sunlight, which helps maintain focus and promote refreshed feeling throughout workout. Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay ensures every stay is seamless, comfortable, and welcoming by providing complimentary scheduled airport shuttles and multilingual service. To make the family holiday even more memorable, Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay is offering a selection of exclusive summer packages designed with comfort, convenience, and unforgettable experiences in mind, including the School Break Getaway (starting from VND 3,000,000++/night), which includes daily breakfast for two adults and two children (under 12) and a VND 600,000 credit for Tribe Kids Club and resort activities. For those seeking relaxation, Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay offers the Relax & Rewards package (starting from VND 4,100,000++/night), featuring daily buffet breakfast, a 60-minute tension soother treatment for two adults, and 3,000 IHG One Rewards Points per night. Experience adventure and relaxation at Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay with your loved ones now by mailing us at About Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts is one of the fastest growing hotel brands globally. At Crowne Plaza® we're expert in helping guests to do business better, combining empowered colleague service, always-on connectivity, innovative rooms and flexible co-working spaces. All this helps guests to be productive, feel energised and build meaningful relationships with their clients and colleagues, or travelling companions. Beautifully equipped rooms, signature Sleep Advantage® programme, 24-hour fitness facilities, stylish meeting & event facilities and on-site restaurants & bars. At Crowne Plaza hotels we deliver an experience that's design-led, tech-enabled and culturally relevant to the world of modern business & leisure travel; meaning guests can recharge and be inspired in their downtime and worktime. For more information, visit and connect with us on: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: About IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites, Atwell Suites, and Candlewood Suites. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 6,000 hotels and 890,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with approximately 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG Rewards, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 400,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit for hotel information and reservations and for more on IHG Rewards. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
