Grade 7 and Grade 8 After Term 3 Closes on 23 October: A Light Holiday Plan That Sets Up Next Year

Term 3 2026 runs from 24 August to 23 October, just nine weeks. Schools close on Friday 23 October so that KPSEA and KJSEA can run the following week, which means Grade 7 and Grade 8 learners start one of the longest breaks of the junior school years.

A long holiday is a real chance to rest. It is also a long time for reading, Mathematics and Kiswahili to go rusty. This plan is deliberately light: an hour or so on most weekdays, with plenty of room for family, chores, travel and play.

First, be clear about where each grade is heading

KJSEA is sat at the end of Grade 9, not before. That matters for how you pitch this holiday.

Neither group sits KJSEA this year, and a Grade 8 learner does not sit it until they have completed the whole of Grade 9. So nobody needs exam drilling in November. What helps is keeping the foundations firm so that the next school year starts well.

Weeks 1 and 2: rest properly

After a short, packed term and end of term exams, most children need a genuine break. For the first two weeks we suggest no formal work at all, apart from reading for pleasure.

• Let them sleep and recover, but keep a reasonable wake time so the routine does not drift completely.
• Read the end of term report together. Note two or three learning areas where the comments or scores suggest a gap. Do not lecture; just agree what to work on later.
• Keep the house quiet in exam week. If an older or younger sibling is sitting KPSEA or KJSEA from 26 October, the Grade 7 or 8 child can help by keeping the noise and screen time down that week.

From week 3: a light weekly rhythm

Once the rest is done, settle into a simple pattern. Keep sessions short, ideally in the morning before the day gets busy.

Swap in a practical activity whenever you can. Agriculture and Nutrition comes alive in a kitchen garden or when helping to plan and cook a meal. Creative Arts and Sports can simply be the football, dance, drawing or music your child already enjoys. Pre-Technical Studies links naturally to helping with simple repairs around the home, safely and with an adult.

For Grade 7 learners: build habits

Grade 7 learners have two full years before KJSEA. The best use of this holiday is habits rather than content.

• Daily reading. Twenty minutes a day of anything they enjoy, in English or Kiswahili. This pays off across every learning area.
• Mathematics basics. Fractions, decimals, percentages and simple algebra. Gaps here grow larger every term if they are left alone.
• Neat, organised notes. Go through the Grade 7 exercise books together and fix any topics with missing or messy notes.

Our guide to what Grade 7 revised for end of Term 3 exams is a useful list of topics to pick from.

For Grade 8 learners: consolidate before the KJSEA year

Grade 8 learners move into Grade 9 next year, and KJSEA comes at the end of that year. Grade 9 is busy, so this holiday is a calm chance to tidy up Grades 7 and 8 before it begins.

• Make a weak topics list. Use the Term 3 exam papers and report to pick the five to eight topics that caused most trouble. Work through one or two each week.
• Introduce some timed practice. One timed section a week, not a full paper, so that working against the clock feels normal before Grade 9.
• Talk about the year ahead. Without pressure, explain that Grade 9 ends with KJSEA and that steady work all year beats a rush at the end.

The Grade 8 end of Term 3 topics guide lists the areas most worth revisiting, and the guide to teaching a child to check their own work is a good skill to build over the break.

Before the new year starts

In the last week or two of the holiday, bring the wake time and bedtime back to school hours, check uniform and stationery, and do one short revision session on each core learning area. Confirm opening dates with your school directly, and see our school calendar page for the current year.

Frequently asked questions

Does my Grade 8 child sit KJSEA in 2026?

No. KJSEA is sat at the end of Grade 9. A learner in Grade 8 in 2026 moves to Grade 9 in 2027 and sits KJSEA at the end of that year.

How many hours a day should a Grade 7 or Grade 8 child study in the holiday?

About an hour on most weekdays is plenty, after a first fortnight of rest. The aim is to keep skills warm, not to teach next year's syllabus early.

Should we start Grade 9 work during the holiday?

For most Grade 8 learners, consolidating Grades 7 and 8 is more useful. Grade 9 builds on that work, so firm foundations help more than racing ahead.

What if my child refuses to do any work at all?

Start with reading for pleasure and practical activities only. Short, predictable sessions at the same time each day are easier to accept than long, unexpected ones.

For notes, exams and marking schemes covering the whole term, see the Grade 7: Term 3 Complete Bundle and the Grade 8: Term 3 Complete Bundle, or browse the Grade 7 and Grade 8 pages.