How the school year breaks up
The UAE Ministry of Education publishes its academic calendar several years ahead, and the calendars it announced in February 2026 follow one pattern. The school year runs from late August to late June or early July. There is a mid-term break of about a week in October, a winter break of around three weeks from mid-December into January, and a short spring break in late March or April.
The ministry calendar does not apply to private schools following some other curricula, such as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi schools. Local education authorities may also let private schools outside the ministry curriculum split the mid-term break between October and February. Check your own school's dates, and before a long break, check what your membership allows: RPM's membership options, including any freeze terms, are confirmed on enquiry.
A plan for each kind of break
| Break | What usually changes | Your training plan |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-term, about a week | School runs stop, and many families stay in Abu Dhabi | Keep every session, and move them to calmer mid-morning hours if you can |
| Winter, about three weeks | Travel, visitors, cooler weather | Two sessions a week as a minimum, plus outdoor walks and runs while it is cool |
| Spring, a few days to a week | Brief trips and family days out | Keep your usual week, even if sessions are shorter |
| Summer, around two months | Heat, long trips, children at home all day | At least two sessions a week wherever you are, with cardio indoors while at home |
Exact dates differ between schools, so plan around your own child's calendar.
Parents: finding hours when the children are home
- Trade slots: one parent trains early while the other covers breakfast, then swap on alternate days.
- Use activities the children already have: a holiday camp, a sports club or an afternoon with grandparents can each open up an hour.
- Train before the house wakes: in the holidays, the early slot is often the only one nobody else claims.
- Keep sessions shorter: 40 minutes of focused work beats a long session you keep postponing.
Childcare at RPM is not confirmed, so ask before you plan around it. For older children who want to train, RPM's youth fitness is coach-supervised and arranged and approved by a parent or guardian, and the team confirms which ages each session accepts. How parents choose a youth fitness programme has a checklist for that decision.
Teachers: the break is the time to build
Teachers get the longest breaks and the hardest term weeks. The holidays are when a coaching block or a new skill fits, and the last few days are for settling back into the routine you will keep in term.
The guide for teachers sets out a full plan for term time and the holidays, from after-school sessions to the long summer.
Travelling over the break
WHO's 2020 guidelines say that some activity is better than none, which is the right standard for a holiday week. Aim for a minimum rather than your full programme.
| Where you are | A minimum week |
|---|---|
| Somewhere with a gym | Two full-body sessions of 30 to 40 minutes |
| No gym, but space to move | Two bodyweight sessions: squats, lunges, push-ups, planks |
| A packed family trip | Daily walks, and one short bodyweight session |
When you get back, restarting after summer travel covers jet lag and a rebuild sized to your time away.
Keeping the children active too
WHO advises children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 to average at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous activity, mostly aerobic, and to limit recreational screen time. The holidays take away the structure of the school day, so it is worth planning activity into the family week.
- Summer: indoor swimming, sports camps or supervised classes can stand in for outdoor play in the hottest months.
- Winter break: the cooler weather suits beach walks, cycling and time in the park.
- Together: a family walk or a game in the park counts for everyone.
- At the gym: children need supervised sessions built for their age, not a place on the adult floor. See youth fitness at RPM.
School holidays at RPM
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, with free on-site parking and a lift up. The hours below are the usual ones. RPM has not confirmed whether they change over holiday periods such as Eid, so ask the team.
| Days | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Saturday to Thursday | 06:00–23:00 |
| Friday | 09:00–22:00 |
Hours can change, for example during Ramadan. Confirm with the team before a late or early visit.
Men train in the Mixed section, and the Ladies section is a women-only space with its own strength and cardio equipment and the Pilates studio. The tiers are Floor, Engine and Atelier, with inclusions, prices and freeze terms confirmed on enquiry. The free guided tour is a walk-through, so book it at the hour you would train in the holidays.
Sources
Questions, answered.
Is the school holiday a good time to join a gym?
It can be, if you will spend most of it in Abu Dhabi, because your hours are open. If you are travelling for weeks, joining when you are back may make more sense.
Should I freeze my membership for the summer?
It depends on how long you will be away and on the terms. Ask what a freeze costs, the shortest and longest it can run, and how much notice it needs.
How do I keep the habit when every day feels like a weekend?
Fix two training days in the week and keep them like appointments. Everything else in the holiday can move around them.
What if both parents work through the holidays?
Then the holidays look much like term time for you. Keep your usual slots, and use any calmer mornings your working hours allow.