Parents '50-50' on term dates switch, says council

Education officials have said families are split about 50-50 on proposals to change future school term dates in Leicestershire.

Leicestershire County Council said it had received more than 5,000 responses so far to its consultation on whether to introduce a two-week autumn half-term break from 2027.

Currently the October half-term holiday in Leicestershire lasts one week.

The consultation will end on 15 June but officers said responses received so far suggested there was "an appetite for a different pattern".

Leicestershire has traditionally had a different school calendar to the rest of the country with its "July Fortnight" early start to the summer holidays.

The authority had suggested scrapping the July Fortnight in a bid to bring the county's term times more in line with the rest of the country but dropped the idea after a backlash from parents and local politicians.

It is now asking for views on two possible options for the 2027-2032 period.

Option one would retain the historic term date pattern with a very early summer break and a one-week autumn half term.

Option two also largely preserves the July Fortnight but proposes a slightly shorter summer holiday with an earlier return to school in August to accommodate a two-week autumn half term.

Councillors discussed the proposals at a scrutiny meeting at County Hall on Tuesday.

Renata Chantrill, the authority's head of service for education sufficiency, told the meeting: "There's still a number of weeks of the consultation period left but the responses we have had are about 50-50 between the options at the moment, so I think what that does tell us is that there is quite an appetite out there for a different pattern."

The county council said a two-week October half term would help break up the long autumn term where pupils' learning can start to flag towards Christmas.

It also suggested a shorter summer holiday could help families with childcare costs and said children's learning can regress over a long six-week break.

Scrutiny committee member councillor James Poland, who has two primary-aged children, said he was not convinced any changes were needed.

"I personally don't see a problem with the system as it is now. If it ain't broke don't fix it," he said.

Leicester City Council is also carrying out a simultaneous consultation on future term time calendars,

Poland added he was concerned the two authorities were proposing term times that were not exactly aligned.

He said this could be a problem for families living near the city and county border with children who go to schools in both.

Both the city and county councils have said they will work closely together to co-ordinate future term times where possible.

The county council's Reform UK cabinet member for children and families Charles Pugsley said he was pleased both options kept the July Fortnight.

"It [the July fortnight] defines part of who we are as a county," Pugsley said.

"Generations of families have built their summers around the fact our schools on average break up a couple of weeks earlier than anywhere else.

"It's something people in Leicestershire evidently really value so whichever way the consultation goes the early summer break is safe."

A final decision on future school term dates is expected in September.

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