School summer holiday could be cut to four weeks in one part of UK

Nov 21, 2023

School holidays in Wales could look very different amid new plans.

The Welsh government has announced a consultation which would see a shorter summer holiday.

While the overall number of holiday days will stay the same, the government hopes the length of school terms will be more balanced across the year.

One week would be taken from the summer break and added to the autumn half term.

The changes, if approved, would be introduced from September 2025.

Further changes to the school calendar in Wales, which could be introduced later, include taking another week from the summer holidays and adding it to the Whitsun half term break.

The two-week spring break would also be fixed and separated from Easter.

Schools would still be closed on Easter Monday and Good Friday were they to fall outside of the break.

The review of the school year is part of a cooperation agreement between the Labour government and Plaid Cymru.

While not in a formal coalition, the two parties have been working together on a number of policies since the 2021 Senedd election, including increasing the number of parliamentary members.

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The Welsh government’s education minister, Jeremy Miles, said the summer break “can be a real strain”.

“Families struggle to find childcare over the six weeks, and others struggle with the additional costs long summers bring,” he 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.”

Some areas across the UK have already introduced changes to the school year, including the Isle of Wight, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottinghamshire and Stirling.

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