Mixed response to school year consultation

The Cabinet Secretary for Education has today [Tuesday 4th June 2024] confirmed that plans to change the school holidays will not happen this Senedd term to give teachers and staff space and time to deliver other reforms.

• Plans to change the school year will not happen this Senedd term to allow schools to deliver other reforms and improve attainment.
• Decision on timing to be deferred to next Senedd term.
• Confirmation that changes to the school year will not take place in 2025 to 2026.

The decision follows a mixed response from the biggest Welsh Government education consultation on record, generating well over 16,000 responses, which sought views on changing the school calendar to spread school holidays out more evenly across the year.

Proposals suggested moving a week from the start of the summer break into the autumn break creating a two-week half term to improve the education experiences of young people especially the most disadvantaged and align more effectively with how families live and work.

While a narrow majority of responses were in favour of changing school holidays, the findings from the consultation were equivocal and contradictory which highlights more discussion and exploration is needed to ensure any future amendments benefit everyone.

The pause will also allow other reforms such as the New Curriculum for Wales and reforms of Additional Learning Needs to be fully implemented and rolled out before other changes are introduced.

The decision on the timing of implementation of the plans will also be deferred to the next Senedd term.

Term dates for 2025 to 2026 will be published by local authorities shortly.

Read the announcement in full on Mixed response to school year consultation | GOV.WALES.