CALLS have been made for school holidays in Warwickshire to be split more evenly across the year following concerns pupils were becoming ‘exhausted’.
Some county headteachers have said many pupils were worn out by Christmas, and could not learn properly due to how unbalanced the holidays were.
This year there will be an autumn term of 15 weeks with a shorter spring term of 13 weeks. The start of summer term will be only 19 days long with lessons between April 29 and May 27 before half term.
Yvonne Clark, headteacher at St Patrick’s Primary School in Leamington, is one of those calling for a shorter autumn term.
She said: “The children at St Patrick’s are superb, but by the end of the autumn term are exhausted. A shorter autumn term and an extra week in the spring term would make a real difference to learning.”
She is one of many headteachers across the county calling on Warwickshire County Council to make changes to school holidays through a longer Christmas break or two weeks during autumn.
The move would not affect the number of school holidays – only when they take place.
Green Party county councillor Jonathan Chilvers also agreed breaks needed spacing out more evenly throughout the year.
He said a consultation into next year’s holidays was underway and called on parents who agreed changes needed to be made to lobby the council.
Coun Chilvers told the Observer: “The current school year is ridiculously unbalanced. Having such a long autumn term leaves children, especially young ones, exhausted and not ready to learn – it’s not fair on them. Yet the spring term is much shorter and the first half of the summer term this year is only 19 days.
“If you’re a parent or involved in a school and agree we need a shorter autumn term now is the time to tell the council – they’re the ones that set the dates.”
The consultation ends on January 18.
Email [email protected] to contact the council regarding school dates.
