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Half of UK parents back shorter summer holidays as new survey reveals the financial strain on families

Half of UK parents back shorter summer holidays as new survey reveals the financial strain on families

Major new research finds half of UK parents support cutting the summer holidays by a week, with childcare costs a growing concern.

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Ruairidh Pritchard

Published: September 29, 2026 at 11:35 AM

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Six weeks of summer holidays might sound wonderful, but for parents juggling work, childcare and the cost of keeping children entertained, the long break can be anything but relaxing. Now, new research suggests that half of UK parents would welcome a change to the school holiday calendar.

According to Parentkind's National Parent Survey 2026, 50% of parents support reducing the summer holidays by one week and adding that week to another school holiday instead. Just 21% oppose the idea.

The findings, from a YouGov survey of 6,053 parents of school-aged children across the UK, reveal just how much pressure the school holidays can place on family finances, particularly for mums, single parents and families on lower incomes.

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Half of parents support cutting the summer holidays by a week

Parentkind's research found that 26% of parents strongly support shortening the summer break by a week and moving those days elsewhere in the school calendar, while a further 24% slightly support the idea.

Interestingly, mums were more likely to support the change than dads, with 54% in favour compared with 47% of fathers.

Support was particularly high among some groups of parents:

59% of parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) support the change.
56% of single parents are in favour.
50% of all parents support moving a week of the summer break to another holiday.

Crucially, the proposal explored in the survey wouldn't mean children losing a week's holiday altogether. Instead, they would have a shorter summer break and an additional week off at another point in the school year.

The cost of the school holidays is putting families under pressure

Behind the debate about shorter summer holidays lies a much bigger issue: the financial and practical challenge of managing childcare.

The survey found that 51% of parents, equivalent to approximately five million across the UK, find the school holidays financially difficult.

Mums are particularly affected, with 57% saying they struggle financially during school breaks, compared with 46% of dads.

For some families, the situation is even more challenging. Seven in ten parents in the lowest-income households say school holidays are financially difficult, while 67% of single parents report the same problem.

It's not just the expense, either. The research found that 42% of parents find school holidays stressful, rising to 51% among parents of primary-school children.

Parents are sacrificing annual leave and losing income

For working parents, covering weeks of childcare can mean some difficult decisions.

According to the research, 22% of working parents have taken unpaid leave to care for their children during school holidays in the past 12 months.

Meanwhile, 53% of working parents with a partner have taken leave separately from their partner to cover childcare, potentially sacrificing time they could otherwise spend together as a family.

Holiday clubs aren't necessarily an affordable alternative.

Parentkind found that just 23% of parents consider holiday clubs and activities in their area affordable, while 35% actively disagree.

Among families who use holiday clubs, the average cost is £28.87 per day, per child, an expense that can quickly add up during the summer.

Would shorter summer holidays make life easier for parents?

For parents supporting a change to the school calendar, managing childcare and reducing financial pressure are significant considerations.

Among those who favour moving a week of the summer holidays to another school break, half believe it would make arranging childcare easier, while 40% say it would help reduce their financial stress.

However, changing the school calendar wouldn't necessarily suit everyone.

Among parents who oppose the proposal, 37% believe redistributing the holidays would actually make childcare arrangements more difficult.

The findings highlight the different challenges families face when it comes to balancing work, childcare and spending quality time together.

And while moving one week of the summer holidays might ease the pressure for some households, the research raises wider questions about affordable childcare and the support available to working parents throughout the school year.

So, could the school holiday calendar change?

Parentkind's survey explored parents' views on a hypothetical change, rather than announcing any new plans to shorten the summer break.

However, with half of parents supporting the idea and more than five million finding school holidays financially difficult, the findings provide new insight into the challenges families face.

And the message from the research is clear: for many parents, the debate isn't simply about how long children should be off school. It's also about how families can afford to manage those weeks.

What MadeForMums parents think: We also asked our parenting community whether the six-week summer holidays should be shorter. In our smaller Threads poll, 61% voted to keep the holidays as they are, while 39% felt six weeks was too long. The poll had received 31 responses at the time of writing and, unlike Parentkind's national research, wasn't designed to be representative of UK parents.

Authors

Ruairidh PritchardDigital Growth Lead

Ruairidh is the Digital Lead on MadeForMums. He works with a team of fantastically talented content creators and subject-matter experts on MadeForMums.