Parents in Wales vote to shorten school summer holidays by a week – leaving anxious pupils in England asking… are WE next?

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Parents in Wales have voted to shorten summer holidays by a week, leaving pupils in England worried about if their own holiday break will be cut.

Welsh ministers are proposing to change to school calendar so that the holidays are spread out more equally across the year.

The Labour-led administration has launched a consultation on the proposed changes, which could see the summer break cut to as little as three weeks.

A poll by charity Parentkind revealed that the majority of parents in the country support a move to spread the holidays more evenly throughout the year, with 56 per cent in favour.

Although these reforms are currently only being discussed for Wales, a consultation in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, found 73 per cent of parents who took part in a public consultation also want to see the summer break shortened as it’s ‘too long’.

But this proposal is being resisted by some teachers, with the union NASUWT saying there is ‘no sustainable educational argument’ for the change.

Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said that the Welsh Government would press ahead with a consultation

A survey by Parentkind found that 59 per cent of those living on a lower income support it

 The controversial plans to change the school year is one of the Welsh Government’s commitments in its education manifesto.

In a survey published last year, the government put forward three possible options for changing the dates of the holidays.

These included:

• Shortening the autumn break and giving pupils a five week summer holiday
• Having five school terms of seven or eight weeks, with a four week summer holiday (and longer Christmas breaks to compensate)
• Six school terms of six or seven weeks, with each school holiday lasting two weeks, and a three week summer break

The potential reforms are being discussed because parents are struggling to find childcare in the break and children with additional learning needs find it difficult to return after a long break, the government said.

It argues that the current calendar of three school terms was designed 150 years ago in a different era when children were needed to help with agricultural work in the summer. 

A survey by Parentkind found that 59 per cent of those living on a lower income support the move in Wales.

These results were echoed in a Scottish consultation of 9,000 parents.

According to a report by the Child Action Poverty Group, families that reported struggling with costs and childcare over the summer holidays were much more likely (72 per cent) to be in favour of a more even school year including a shorter summer holiday. 

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This compared to just 29 per cent of families being in favour if they did not face these challenges.

The report also found more affluent families who said they easily met summer holiday coss and didn’t need childcare were which more likely to oppose the idea. 

One parent said in the report: ‘[I have a] child with severe autism in special school. 

‘Consider shortening summer break now that respite provision is so scare. Summer causes tremendous problems for children who rely on the routine and support of schools.’

In total, 39 per cent want to see extended holidays at Christmas and in February instead, with 36 per cent calling for a longer October half-term. 

Jeremy Miles,  Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said the traditional six-week summer holiday will continue until at least 2024.

Speaking to the BBC, Faisal Abbasi, whose child attends school in Cardiff, said: ‘I think they should leave it the same, because everybody’s used to the schedules.

‘People are working, they’ve got holidays pre-booked and things like that. 

Commenting online, one parent wrote: ‘I look forward to the summer holidays, I love having my children home. Let the children keep their holidays.’ 

But not all were in favour, with another parents adding: ‘It’s not a case of people not wanting to spend time with their kids, some people work full time and can’t have the six weeks off with their children. 

‘I’m one of those families where me and my husband aren’t teachers, so regardless of how many holidays we save, we can’t spend the entire six weeks with our children.’ 

A decision will be made in spring and the proposed changes would take effect in the 2025-26 school year.

Overall the number of school holidays across the year will not change. 

Laura Doel from the National Association of Headteachers Cymru told the BBC: ‘When school staff are being made redundant to balance the books, when schools should be prioritising delivering quality education to learners, and when we are deeply concerned about the recruitment and retention crisis, this should not be a priority for government.’ 

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