Isle Of Wight Schools: Controversial 2021/22 Term Dates Revealed

Thursday, 4 June 2020 17:00

By Louise Hill #LDR Reporter

Children and staff at Island schools would be “on their knees” if they adhere to the Isle of Wight Council’s term-time plans for 2021/22.

That was the response of one school after the council published its intended dates for the school year starting in autumn 2021.

A representative of Summerfield Primary, Newport, said:

“The children and staff will be on their knees with a seven and a half week half term and all the excitement and illness associated with the last few weeks of the autumn term.”

A decision is set to be made on June 10 by Cllr Paul Brading, cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, which would set out the timetable for schools in future years.

Among the proposals for the 2021/22 school year is a two-week October half term again, starting the school year on the last day of August and incorporating an 11-day Christmas holiday.

The second half of the autumn term starts on November 1 and ends on December 23, to return to school again on January 4.

Lanesend Primary School, Cowes, has asked for the Christmas holiday to be two full weeks, with Oakfield Primary saying the consensus to break up on Thursday, December 23 is just too late in the term and adds significant pressure to staff.

Others are saying the break is just too short and doesn’t allow staff recovery time.

The proposal for the two-week October half term, in a third year running, has been met with mixed reaction.

The Isle of Wight Council says it has been positively received and there has been ‘no basis of identifying an adverse effect’.

However, feedback from Newport CE Primary has said it has not had the desired effect of reducing holidays taken in school time, with the previous levels remaining, and asked the council to consider returning to the one-week break.

Other schools have asked for a review of the two-week break to confirm if it has had the impact the council had hoped for.

Another proposal is starting the school year on August 31, 2021, but is advising schools to take that day as a non-teaching day to move the start to September 1.

A delegated decision report says publishing the dates now, well in advance of the school year, helps families plan holidays and arrange childcare around the school year, so school attendance is not compromised.

Another feature of the pattern is allowing for the longest possible time after Easter, but before summer half term, helping schools support children taking Key Stage Two SATS and Key Stage Four exams.

Cllr Brading has been asked to approve the following term dates for 2021/22:

Autumn 2021 – Tuesday, August 31, to Wednesday, December 22
With a half term from Monday, October 18, to Friday, October 29.
Spring 2022 – Tuesday, January 4, to Friday, April 8
With a half term from Monday, February 21, to Friday, February 25.
Summer 2022 – Monday, April 25, to Friday, July 22
With a half term from Monday, May 30, to Friday, June 3.

By Louise Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

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Isle Of Wight Schools: Controversial 2021/22 Term Dates Revealed

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