I took a month of unpaid leave to look after my daughter for the summer holiday
A UK parent advocates for shortening the six-week school summer holiday to four weeks to better align with working parents' schedules. The proposal is supported by some parents and education experts who cite benefits for childcare and learning structure.
Why it matters
The debate highlights the ongoing tension between traditional school calendars and the needs of modern working families in the UK.
Image source, Natalie Heptinstall Image caption, Mum Natalie thinks a shorter school summer holiday would help parents save money
Last summer, Natalie Heptinstall took a break from work and spent all of August with her eight-year-old daughter.
It meant she could stay at home and enjoy the school summer holiday with her youngest child, something she hadn't been able to do with her two older kids.
To take time off work, Heptinstall, 52, saved up some money and exercised her right to unpaid parental leave , external - which entitles parents to take up to 18 weeks' leave to look after their child's welfare up to their 18th birthday.
Like many parents, Heptinstall and her husband previously managed with a combination of organised childcare and annual leave to look after their older kids, who have now grown up and left home.
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