Major change to half-term school holiday sparks fury from thousands of parents

A MAJOR change to the half-term school holiday has angered thousands of parents.

Furious parents say it will cost them more because their kids are to be given an extra week’s holiday during the break this autumn.

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A protest has been launched, claiming their children have already missed a lot of schooling due to the Covid pandemic and teachers’ strikes.

They say it also means they will need to find the money for child sitters or lose pay if they have to take time off work.

A petition has been launched to persuade Unity Schools Partnership (USP) to do a U-turn and drop the idea.

USP, which is in charge of 32 schools in Suffolk and one in Essex, is adding five days to the October half-term while extending the school day by 10 minutes.

Swathes of angry parents have attacked the idea, which will affect 14,000 pupils.

A USP spokesman said they believed the idea would “impact positively on the physical, emotional and mental health of our staff and pupils”.

They hoped it would “decrease absence rates during the autumn term, as families will be able to take more affordable holidays”.

But critics say if the idea catches on, travel firms and airlines will simply bump up their prices to cover the “new” holiday time.

Having held a consultation with parents and carers which ended in mid-March, USP chief executive Tim Coulson said they received more than 2,300 responses, with “a majority amongst both staff and parents in favour of the proposals”.

However, many angry parents have now signed a protest petition.

They said a straw poll of 500 Haverhill parents showed 82 per cent opposed the changes.

‘NIGHTMARE’

Diana André said the proposals are “a nightmare” as she has a teenager at Castle Manor and runs a pre-school in Haverhill, and said many of her staff are parents in the same boat.

“I fail to see how the Trust is listening or supporting working families with this proposal.

“At the pre-school, we are not in the same position to be able to close for an extra week in October.

“This leaves a problem for our staff team who will now have to find and pay for a week of childcare.”

Mrs André added that in her consultation response, she pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic “taught us that children often learn best in school”.

“Many children are still catching up. Ten minutes added on to the day will not make up for a week at home.”

Stephen Husband, who started the petition, has children at a Haverhill primary school and younger children in nursery.

He said that the later finish will “have a roll-on effect to nursery”, meaning he will have to pay for an extra 30 minutes day – another £1,700 per year.

Another working parent, Emma Rogers, is worried that, from July to January, children will now have 10 weeks off school.

“This places a financial burden on an already strained situation for families in relation to childcare.

“Lots of children are still suffering the effects of lost education over the pandemic too.”

This places a financial burden on an already strained situation for families in relation to childcare

Parent Emma Rogers

Fae Church also fears how much school her daughter would be missing.

“She has already missed almost two weeks of school this year due to strike days, inset days and school closures due to weather or site maintenance.

“To then propose that they need an extra week off is just infuriating.

“Unity School Partnership has clearly made their own decision on the proposal and the supposed benefits of the scheme are condescending.”

Acknowledging that the petition had been started, trust chief executive Mr Coulson said “We feel it is important to extend the October half-term as a pilot scheme in the first instance, so it gives the trust and our schools a chance to see if this proposal works in practice.”

On social media, Chris Canham said: “The behaviour and attitudes of the teachers nowadays leaves a lot to be desired.

“I am wondering what kind of examples this is setting on the children they are supposed to be teaching and mentoring.”

The behaviour and attitudes of the teachers nowadays leaves a lot to be desired

Chris Canham

But Jo Smith replied: “Well, parents were consulted and personally I’m in favour of it, as are lots of the parents at my child’s school.

“You’re never going to please everyone and it’s only a pilot at the moment.”

Catfunt Spooner said: “When was the last time that a pilot scheme was not made permanent.

“I am glad that you are looking forward to the extra week of hols. None of this affects me because I have pulled my children out of Unity schools.

“But for all of those other folk who don’t have the option to take yet another week off school then I am afraid this is massively impactful.

“And if you really think that the learning obtained in a solid week is going to be matched with these scrappy five or ten minute extensions then you’re bonkers.

“It’ll be form time where staff let students faff on their phones and then leave.

“You’re screwed. So good luck and enjoy using one week of your holiday entitlement on this extra week, or good luck dealing with the teenage pregnancies resulting from teenagers being left to their own devices for a fortnight in the autumn.

“We had two children in Unity schools and fairly rapidly removed them both.

“And that was based upon experience, not hearsay and rumour.

“When a Trust does not have a single Ofsted Outstanding rated secondary school you have to ask some serious questions about what they’re about.

“They have ‘Executive Heads’ (what on earth are those?) who have been rewarded with whopping pay rises for maintaining mediocrity and not asking awkward questions.”

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