School holiday changes will see Notts pupils get shorter summer holidays

EXAM SET UP

Pupils across Nottinghamshire will have shorter summer holidays and a two week break in October as part of changes to school holidays made by the county council.

The summer holiday will be shortened to five weeks and the October half-term will become two weeks.

A fixed spring break, which will be the first full two weeks in April, is also being introduced.

The changes will take effect from the 2019/20 academic year and follows a consultation by Nottinghamshire County Council where more than 6,300 responses were received from parents, teaching staff, governors and trade unions.

Chairman of the Children and Young People’s Committee at the County Council Philip Owen said: “Following the consultation, we are responding to the wishes of parents across the county who expressed a preference for the new pattern of school holidays.

“The two week break in October will hopefully benefit younger children feel less tired during the autumn term so they can approach the Christmas period still able to function effectively in their studies.”

Councillor Owen also highlighted the fact that the current pattern meant that the second half of the summer term in some years was more than eight weeks which was considered to be too long.

Following approval at the council’s Children and Young People’s Committee today (Monday December 18), the new holiday pattern will be effective from the 2019/20 academic year until 2022/23.

More than 57 per cent of those who responded to the consultation preferred the new holiday pattern.

Almost two-thirds, 2951 of 4937 parents responding, were in favour of a shorter summer holiday.

55 per cent, 787 of 1419 of teachers and headteachers preferred the current pattern of a six week summer break, one week half term October break and a fixed spring break.