Archived decisions

Contact: Bob Lloyd-Jones, ext 6364

1. Summary

1.1. This paper reports on the outcomes of consultations agreed by the Executive Member for Education on 23 May 2002. The consultations were designed to invite views about the six term year recommended by the Local Government Association (LGA) compared with the present organisation of the school year with three terms (six half terms).

1.2. The consultation was targeted on:

_ Hampshire residents

_ schools (staff - both teachers and support staff)

_ parents

_ professional associations representing school staff

_ businesses

_ post-16 colleges

_ borough and district councils

_ other local education authorities.

1.3. Were the six term year to be adopted, it would start in the academic year 2004 to 2005.

2. Background

2.1. The Independent Commission working on behalf of the LGA issued its final recommendations for a six term year in December 2001. This followed consultations with groups such as:

_ LEA members and senior officers

_ headteachers and deputy headteachers

_ teachers' unions and professional associations

_ religious education bodies

_ university and college admissions staff

_ school governor organisations.

On the whole their response was favourable.

2.2. The Independent Commission, through the LGA, is proposing that there be:

_ six terms in an academic year

_ two terms before Christmas, with no term of more than 38 days (7 weeks, 3 days)

_ a two week October break

_ a two week Christmas break

_ four terms after Christmas all limited to a maximum of six weeks

_ a change at Easter where, in the very few years when Easter falls particularly early or late, Good Friday and Easter Monday - still taken as holidays - would fall within term time.

2.3. The LGA is recommending that any adoption of the six term year should first be implemented in the academic year 2004/2005. This would mean that:

_ the two week October holiday would first be introduced in 2004

_ the new spring holiday would be set in April 2005.

2.4. Since making its original recommendations, the LGA has held further consultations with the groups listed in 2.1 and also with ministers and officials at the DfES. Again, the response has been mainly favourable.

2.5. In making its recommendations, the Commission has identified a number of objectives associated with introducing a six term year.

· Raising standards and assisting pupils and their teachers through:

(a) The avoidance of stress.
"All those we consulted agreed that excessively long terms induced stress and absences from school among both teachers and pupils. Our proposals for a longer holiday in late October and for ensuring that no term lasts more than around seven weeks are designed to achieve a reduction in stress and are based on the experience of schools which have already adopted a similar pattern."

(b) A better environment for planning and managing the curriculum and assessment.

· Improving the transition between the stages of education.

· Introducing greater standardisation and predictability for parents as well as teachers.

· The introduction of a national `framework' with enough flexibility so that it will not be a `straight jacket'.

3. Hampshire County Council's consultation exercise

3.1. In order to obtain a Hampshire view of the LGA's proposals, the County Council, using a number of methods, invited views, comments and responses by:

(a) issuing some half a million questionnaires to residents in the summer 2002 edition of Hampshire Now, accompanied by an article about the six term year

(b) distributing approximately 11,000 questionnaires to all those teachers and support staff, employed by the County Council, working in the LEA's schools

(c) sending invitations to a sample of parents with children at Hampshire schools to take part in focus group meetings (8). The groups were designed to ensure there was a good spread of representation by type of school, geography and socio demographics

(d) issuing invitations to headteachers and governors to either submit a completed questionnaire or to put their views in writing

(e) conducting in-depth telephone interviews with a cross-section of Hampshire businesses/employers

(f) including questions to be presented to the Hampshire citizens' panel - Hampshire Listens.

An independent firm of social researchers - Miller Associates - was engaged to collate, analyse and report on the results of the various consultation exercises.

4. The results of the consultation

4.1. Overall, respondents to the consultations saw advantages to be gained from moving to a six term year. The extent of agreement or disagreement was varied and focussed upon a number of salient points.

(i) There was a tendency to agree that the six term year would lead to advantages as far as teaching and learning were concerned. Whilst most staff in schools subscribed to this view, compared with other respondents, school staff tended to disagree that current arrangements for school holidays led to difficulties.

(ii) On balance, the introduction of terms of more equitable length was seen as an advantage, as was the greater standardisation which would be brought about, year on year.

(a) more respondents saw advantages then disadvantages in shortening the summer holiday and introducing a two-week break in October, in order to reduce the impact of a long autumn term. However, the reaction to taking the extra week in October was mixed.

(b) there was a high level of support for setting the spring holiday so that it would no longer be a moveable feast depending upon the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

(iii) A high level of concern was expressed, particularly in letters, about the timing of professional (INSET) days. In general, residents and businesses favoured terms being organised for a total of 190 days, with the five teacher professional development days being the responsibility of schools to organise in holidays or twilight sessions. People employed in and by schools - school staff, the Hampshire Inspection and Advisory Service, the Hampshire Music Service and others - favoured terms being organised for 195 days, with schools choosing five professional days from within term time. The main concern was the potential impact on quality. There was a strong view that even were the six term year to be adopted, there should be 195 school days in the calendar so that:

(a) flexibility for setting dates and times for INSET days could be retained;

(b) opportunities to employ staff training providers would not be reduced;

(c) teachers and learning support staff development opportunities would not be reduced.

(iv) Another concern expressed by many respondents was that if a change to a six term year were to be made, it should only happen if neighbouring local education authorities agreed to do the same.

5. Recommendations following the meetings of the Executive Member for Education - 21 November 2002 and the Education Policy Review Committee - 19 November 2002

5.1. The advice offered by the Policy Review Committee, amplified by the Executive Member for Education was as follows:

(i) That the County Council should take an in principle decision to move to a six term school year with effect from September 2004 based on:


(a) a two-week October break

(b) INSET days included in the calendared school year (i.e. 195 days in the school term times0

(c) a fixed spring holiday in the first two weeks of April, which Good Friday and Easter Monday as holidays if they fall outside the spring holiday

(d) negotiations with the Local Government Association and our neighbouring authorities to move forward in concert as far as possible

(e) continued discussions with the unions representing the teachers, headteachers and other staff on resolving the details of implementation.

(ii) That in the event that sufficient progress has not been made pursuant to (i) (d) and (e) above, by the end of March 2003, the implementation be delayed to September 2005 but that a fixed spring holiday be introduced in the school year commencing September 2004 as an interim step.

Recommendation

That the recommendation made by the Executive Member for Education and the Education Policy and Review Committee be adopted by the Cabinet.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB The list excludes:

1. Published works

Guide to the Standard School Year issued by the LGA.

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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