Agenda item

To consider the School Term and Holiday Dates for the Academic Year 2015-16

Councillor Michael Evans in an ad hoc statement asked whether the Cabinet member had taken account of the view of the Early Years, Children and Youth PD&S Panel, which had discussed the issue at length and voted on it.

Councillor Dine Romero explained that 4 options had been discussed by the Panel.  She assured Councillor Evans that she had taken full account of the Panel’s comments but that she had felt that the Panel’s preferred option would have led to terms of unequal length.

Councillor Romero reminded Cabinet that the school calendar had historically been based on a 195-day year, including 5 staff training days which would be different for different schools.  She asked Cabinet to agree to recommend a fixed 190-day year (with 5 training days arranged separately), while still offering schools the alternative of a 195-day calendar (with 5 training days set within).  She felt that this would make it possible in future years for schools to choose term dates which would work better for children, staff and parents, particularly where children from the same family were at different schools.

She moved the recommendations.

Councillor Katie Hall seconded the proposals.  She felt that they were an important compromise which had been reached after listening to the consultation feedback.  Parents with children at different schools were presented with difficult dilemmas.  She reminded Cabinet that it was important to do away with random length terms.

Councillor David Bellotti said that the proposals were a success story.  Schools had responded very positively the previous year.  The Council would be giving a clear recommendation while at the same time allowing for schools with special or different circumstances to make other arrangements.  The move to schools having roughly equal term dates was very welcome.

Councillor Paul Crossley said he felt that consistency of dates would be good for schools, parents and children.  He recommended the 190-day option to schools but asked them to consider the alternative suggestions if they were not able to adopt this pattern.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Katie Hall, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(1) To NOTE that the majority of local schools and academies can already set their own term and holiday dates, by virtue of being an Academy, Voluntary Aided or Foundation School and that the Deregulation Bill currently before parliament proposes to allow every school to set their own dates;

(2) To RECOMMEND the Council’s preferred calendar of School Term and Holiday dates for the academic year 2015-16 based on a 190 day calendar (as set out in Appendix A) to all schools and academies in order to maximise consistency of dates for the benefit of children and their parents;

(3) To RECOMMEND to all school and academy governing bodies that good practice would be to consult parents and take account of their views in the event that they propose any variation from the recommended calendar; and

(4) To RECOMMEND, since a number of schools and academies have already indicated that they may still prefer to set a 195 day calendar, that in this event such schools adopt the 195 day calendar (at Appendix B), which most logically fits with the Council’s recommended 190 day calendar.