Both children are in Lewisham schools, so travel is fixed to seven windows a year. Holiday spend over the last twelve months was £518 — low against a £7,100 net salary, and the school calendar is the constraint worth planning around.
Which means it is likely expiring around now. An ESTA must be valid before travel to the US is possible, and Francoise holds US documents that may change what is needed for her specifically.
Passport expiry dates are not recorded anywhere in the folder. Most countries require six months' validity beyond the return date. Check all five passports and write the expiry dates down before booking.
These are the Lewisham community-school dates. Prendergast is a foundation school and may set its own dates — confirm directly before booking. Source: Lewisham Council and GOV.UK.
£5,289 a month is committed before any discretionary spending, and variable household spend is £2,548 against £7,060 net salary. Holidays have been running at £43 a month.
Two dates change this materially: December 2027, when the Hastings loan ends and £226.57 a month comes back, and whatever the Bank of Ireland fixed rate does. A large holiday commitment before the rate position is known would be taking a risk on an unknown.
May half term 2027 (31 May – 4 Jun) is usually the strongest combination of weather and price in the Mediterranean, and it avoids the July–August peak entirely.
Late August 2027 is the other one — the last ten days before term starts are consistently cheaper than the first fortnight of the summer break, and you still get six weeks to choose from.
Avoid February half term unless skiing is the point; it is the single most expensive week in the calendar.
Check all five passport expiry dates (six months' validity beyond return) · renew the ESTA if travelling to the US · confirm Prendergast's own term dates · check what the existing travel insurance covers before buying more, and whether Admiral MultiCover already includes any travel benefit · book while the Hastings loan is still running rather than assuming the headroom arrives early.