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Fixed Easter Holiday - Consultation for Schools

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Sheffield Council are consulting on whether we should permanently fix the 2-week 'Easter' Break.

Consultation is open until 9th July and you can have your say here:

 

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/education/about-us/consultation/school-calendar-2017-18-consultation.html

 

Changes to the school calendar

 

We are responsible for setting the school calendar for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools (i.e. schools that are still under our control).

 

Academies, Voluntary Aided (Church) and Foundation schools are free to set their own calendar.

 

This consultation provides an opportunity to let us know what you think of:

â—¾the current model

â—¾a possible alternative where the Easter break would always be fixed at the first 2 full weeks in April, irrespective of when the actual bank holiday falls

 

Schools would still close for the Easter bank holiday as usual.

 

At a recent pre-consultation seminar with schools, the option of a fixed Easter break was popular. This would allow for more even half-terms that would not be determined by when the Easter bank holiday falls.

 

Any changes would take effect from the academic year 2017/18.

 

We are not consulting on any other proposed changes to the school calendar at the present time.

 

We would like to hear the views of parents, carers, schools and anyone else who may have an interest.

Edited by cgksheff

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I work in Nottingham and they have fixed Easter Breaks already. It becomes quite strange. They will have the Easter break and then separately have the bank holidays off.

 

I dont see why they need to change it to be honest.

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I work in Nottingham and they have fixed Easter Breaks already. It becomes quite strange. They will have the Easter break and then separately have the bank holidays off.

 

I dont see why they need to change it to be honest.

 

Probably due to the fact that the timing of Easter varies every year. This year it was in March. I suppose it would help schools to plan better if the term times were were consistent every year.

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Can't see the harm myself.. Would make it better for schools to prep for classes etc but would also allow for parents to plan holidays far in advance, that would benefit me personally.

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I work in Nottingham and they have fixed Easter Breaks already. It becomes quite strange. They will have the Easter break and then separately have the bank holidays off.

 

I dont see why they need to change it to be honest.

 

Because this year due to Easter being so early they ended up with a 4 week term and an insanely long term - not good for the kids or teaching planning, projects etc. I think it's a great idea. All the other holidays are reliably at the same time - makes sense.

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Yea it was silly this year, in fact it's more silly that a good chunk of the adult population are still having to work their lives around the church and the phases of the sodding moon!!!

 

Fix the holidays to get sensible term time lengths, it's better for the students and makes everyones lives easier.

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They should fix the Easter holiday and at the same time , make the may holiday and the autumn holidays two weeks each too (and reduce the summer break down by 2 weeks)

 

I have completed the online questionnaire and said the same thing.

 

Ours have 7 weeks off this summer , but a week at May and Autumn is not enough time for teachers to go on holiday and do some prep work (nor is it any good for a decent break for the rest of us)

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I think split Easter breaks across the country is good - I often go to Devon when its half term up here but not down south.

 

Plus, early Easters are too cold to enjoy.

 

But they need to co-ordinate it so that secondaries and primaries in the same area are off at the same time.

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Ours have 7 weeks off this summer , but a week at May and Autumn is not enough time for teachers to go on holiday and do some prep work (nor is it any good for a decent break for the rest of us)

 

Be grateful - almost 8 weeks in summer, 3 at Easter, 3 at Christmas, 2 in autumn. :|

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Problem with shortening the summer hols is the heat in the classrooms. No ar con in most schools, lots of windows and 33 bodies makes lessons unpleasant and unproductive.

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I agree

 

Much better to have even term lengths in school

 

Hopefully parents could get a cheaper holiday (until the hol companies catch on that is)

 

Might cause some problems with staffing / recruiting staff though - parents/teacher lives in Rotherham, Doncaster, Leeds etc but work in Sheffield - their children may have different holidays so teachers may leave or not apply for a job in Sheffield

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Problem with shortening the summer hols is the heat in the classrooms. No ar con in most schools, lots of windows and 33 bodies makes lessons unpleasant and unproductive.

 

Totally agree. Especially in the new-build schools. It's unbearable.

 

I see no point in giving more holidays to children when the weather is going to be dire.

 

This proposal will be nice for those families who can afford to go abroad on holiday in the spring and autumn but for those many families who cannot, then it's shameful pinching their chance to enjoy sunny weather outdoors from the summer holiday.

 

It's the poorer kids after all who are becoming more deficient in Vitamin D.:rant:

 

 

Also for working parents, it's already a nightmare trying to arrange family holidays in the 6 week holidays, for employers trying to organise leave and rotas. If there's only a 4 week window in the summer, it will be impossible!:rant:

 

There are also more families than people realise who have one parent or sibling in one local authority different to the other and many of our teachers who are from Chesterfield, for example, might not find working in Sheffield doable if their own kids have different holidays to them.

 

Also, when kids are off in the summer, households with less income don't tend to have to put the heating on, etc. If kids are off in spring and the autumn, more families will have a rise in costs due to needing heating on and tv, playstations, whatever, as the kids will be fed up and not be able to go out because of the rubbish weather.

Edited by Lex Luthor

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