A consultation opened on 21st November, exploring options for changing the school calendar. Changes are aimed at enhancing pupil and staff well-being and supporting teaching and learning, with breaks being spread out more evenly. The first change would create a 2-week half term autumn break, reducing the summer break by one week. The amount of teaching days and holidays will not change.
One reason for the proposed change is that the current school calendar has an autumn term longer than others. Research suggests this term is tiring and challenging for learners and staff, as more teaching is squeezed into it than any other.
Some pupils, especially those from financially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with Additional Learning Needs (ALN), find it difficult to get back to learning after long summer breaks.
Because the summer break is long, time in the autumn term has to be devoted to going over things rather than advancing learning. Teachers also report more behavioural and well-being issues after the summer break.
Under the new proposal, a week would be taken from the start of the summer break and added to the October break, so that staff and learners get more time to rest during the long autumn term.
These changes would be made from September 2025, meaning schools would get a two-week break in October 2025 and a five-week summer break in 2026.
The proposal would also make the spring term more even and easier to plan for. The two-week break in the spring always coincides with Easter, which moves around. Keeping the spring break at a constant midpoint and separating it from Easter would make the term more consistent. Easter Monday and Good Friday public holidays would still apply, teaching time for these days would be made up elsewhere in the year.
The consultation will also explore additional changes that could be taken forward in the future, but not from 2025. These changes include the option of moving a second week from the summer break and adding it to the Whitsun break. This would help make terms similar lengths and make the summer term more consistent, making it easier for pupils to learn and teachers to plan. In this case, GCSE and A Level results days could happen in the same week. This will be explored over the coming years on the same timeframe as the roll out of our Made-for-Wales qualifications.
Several areas in the UK have already made changes to their calendars.
Jeremy Miles, the Minister for Education and Welsh language said
“We want to make sure education works best for pupils, teachers, and families. We’re looking for people’s views on these changes and what it would mean for them.”
The consultation can be found here.
See the full press notice here.
And the Minister’s Oral Statement here.
I would like to see a two week break at Whitsun this would support pupils and staff who attend the Urdd Eisteddfod prior to exam time.
Start with this and take only 1 week off the summer. Do it gradually, see how it works rather than all at once and have a disaster policy like the 20mph!
We are exploring options relating to October, the placement of Easter and the length of the summer break initially and will explore lengthening the Whitsun break in the future should this option be popular in the consultation (under Option 3). We cannot extend the Whitsun break immediately due to alignment across England and Wales in relation to examinations.
There was one proposal to lengthen Christmas holidays!! Please God NO due to well being of young people whom are vulnerable. This time of year is already difficult if they live in a toxic household and the number that come back to school upset after this time is increasing every year. For their mental health the 3 week break would be detrimental. Very little that families can do at this time as weather is miserable. Better to have 2 week October half term when nights are not so dark. Longer half term here would also help to re charge the batteries of both students and teachers as it’s such a long term.
Increased May half term would be great but not sure how this would work with exams looming. I often do extra revision sessions in May half term and need to be with students to help with revision therefore 2 weeks here not ideal.
There is no proposal to lengthen Christmas holidays in this consultation. Proposed changes for the 2025-26 school year are to the autumn half term and Easter with additional proposals for the future related to the May break
I feel that the proposal makes more sense for the well being of staff, pupils and families. Good idea!