Samantha Buckland is bracing herself for a tough fortnight.
asserted
Buckland → brace → fortnight
The single mum lives in Reigate, Surrey, and her seven-year-old son goes to a state school that has just introduced a two-week half term.
asserted
that → live → term
Buckland, 45, has two jobs: teaching medical students at a hospital in Brighton and working at a vintage shop in her home town.
asserted
Buckland → have → town
The 45-year-old receives universal credit and is worried about the cost of looking after her son while school is closed.
asserted
school → receive → son
"What I'm trying to do is find out who I can get childcare from and work around that," she says.
asserted
she → try → that
"I'd like to work, I need money.
asserted
I → like → money
It's not cheap to live these days.
asserted
It → live → ?
She's also trying to piece together the patchwork of childcare needed to cover the break.
asserted
She → try → break
There's a local holiday club, but it's only running for one of the two weeks, which Buckland says "parents are up in arms about".
asserted
parents → be → arms
She'll also have to work at the hospital some days.
asserted
She → have → hospital
As a result, she's considering asking family to help, or even going to stay with a fellow mum so they can take turns with the kids.
asserted
they → consider → kids
Most councils in England still favour the traditional one-week half term, according to the website School Term Dates, but several local authorities have opted for a fortnight in 2026/27 - including Nottinghamshire, Bromley and the Isle of Wight.
uncertain
authorities → favour → Wight
The BBC spoke to many parents for this article and while some cited the advantages of a longer mid-term break - cheaper holidays and their children's educational wellbeing - others said they would struggle with childcare and that it placed too much strain on the family, especially coming so soon after long summer holidays.
asserted
it → speak → holidays
Local authorities don't determine term dates for all schools in their area.
asserted
authorities → determine → area
For example, academies and faith schools can often set their own.
asserted
academies → set → own
But those schools with the freedom to choose may still decide to follow suit.
uncertain
schools → choose → suit
Wales shelved plans to adopt a two-week autumn half term in 2024, while there are some schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland that have introduced the longer break.
asserted
that → shelve → break
Surrey County Council switched to two weeks this year, but then decided to return to one week next year after head teachers expressed worries about the impact.
asserted
teachers → switch → impact
Most schools that bring in a longer half term will shorten the summer holidays in turn.
asserted
that → bring → turn
How are academies changing the picture?
asserted
academies → change → picture
The number of pupils in England attending academies has grown rapidly in the past decade, according to Department for Education data, external published in June 2026.
uncertain
number → attend → June
Indeed, 60.4% of all pupils now attend an academy.
asserted
% → attend → academy
As academies spread, the school calendar is becoming increasingly fragmented - creating fresh challenges for parents.
Alistair Pringle, 42, lives in Washington in Tyne and Wear with his wife, a teacher, and two children aged 11 and six.
asserted
Pringle → spread → wife
His eldest has just started at a secondary academy with a two-week half term, while his youngest goes to a primary academy with a one-week half term.
asserted
youngest → start → term
"This is the first time we've had to deal with different half terms," Pringle says.
asserted
Pringle → have → terms
His eldest then has a second week off, but by then the others will have returned to class.
asserted
others → have → class
Pringle works full-time in marketing - often in the office - but is fortunate his employer "can accommodate it if I need to work from home".
asserted
I → work → home
"The thing that concerns me is not so much the childcare, it's the fact that I have to work," he says.
asserted
he → concern → me
"Yes, my eldest would be at home and she'd be looked after, but what's she getting out of that second week?"
asserted
she → look → week
Parents paid by the hour and those in less flexible jobs, such as those working unsociable or set hours, or in specific locations like hospitals or shops, told BBC News two-week half terms could be particularly challenging.
uncertain
those → pay → terms
Full-time workers should get at least 28 days' paid annual leave per year, but this is well below the average amount of school holiday.
asserted
this → get → holiday
Workers are entitled to take up to 18 weeks' unpaid parental leave for each child up to their 18th birthday.
asserted
Workers → entitle → birthday
They can't take more than four weeks in a single year, however, and the cost of taking time off makes it an unrealistic option for many.
asserted
it → take → many
But a two-week break can work well for parents, depending on their circumstances, often allowing families to take a cheaper holiday rather than paying over the odds in peak season.
Fay Harding is a fan.
asserted
Harding → work → season
The 43-year-old lives in Nottingham with her husband, a teacher at a local authority-run school, and three children at academies.
asserted
old → live → academies
Because her husband and children all go to schools with two-week half terms and are all off at the same time, she says "we don't have to worry about additional childcare costs".
asserted
we → go → costs
Harding's family is planning to spend the first week visiting family in Wales, then she'll work the second week while her husband looks after the children.
"
asserted
husband → plan → children
It also gives us the opportunity to have two weeks away," she says.
asserted
she → give → weeks
"We don't have to pay premium prices in the summer."
What do teachers think?
Lucy Walker-Etchells, 40, is a teacher at Dixons Brooklands Academy in south Manchester.
asserted
Etchells → have → Manchester
Her school has a two-week half term, but for the majority of her teaching career she's had one week.
asserted
she → have → week
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
