Sponsored by
Academy idea could mean end of six-week school holiday in Calderdale
CALDERDALE schools could face a huge shake-up in their term times – and the traditional six-week summer holiday may be a thing of the past.
The idea is the brainchild of Michael Gosling, who will run Halifax's Trinity Academy from September.
He said the current three-term pattern was counter-productive to learning – with pupils slipping back after the long summer holiday.
Mr Gosling said he had had early negotiations with primary and secondary schools and they had indicated
significant support for his plan for a five-term year.
He said Calderdale Council and bus companies had also been contacted.
Mr Gosling unveiled his plan to staff and parents at Holy Trinity and asked for responses over the next fortnight.
Already the National Union of Teachers is expressing concern.
Sue McMahon, of Calderdale NUT, said Mr Gosling intended ripping up agreements without full consultation and proposing a holiday pattern that flew in the face of a policy agreed with neighbouring councils.
She said: "An absurdly limited two-week consultation period is ridiculous.
"There needs to be a much wider consultation period with the whole
education community. This will have a huge impact on parents, transport and staff.
"Academy parents with children at other schools will face their children being on holiday at different times.
"The NUT does not believe the educational arguments outweigh the massive disruption this will cause."
But Mr Gosling said: "With the opening of the academy we have the opportunity to rethink traditional patterns and we have to have a serious debate about this."
His idea is for five terms with a two-week break after each.
Four of the terms would last 35 days. Term four – 50 days – would be split by a moveable Easter break of just more than a week. The summer break would be cut to less than four weeks.
The current terms last 15, 11 and 13 weeks with one-week breaks in the middle.
Mr Gosling said from week 10 in each term there was significant deterioration in the performance of staff and students.
And after the six-week summer break, children had REGRESSED. He said it would be possible for the academy to start the new arrangements in September – but accepted opposition might delay it. He will liaise with the academy steering group after the consultation.
What do you think? Write to: Your say, Evening Courier, PO box 19, Halifax, e-mail: yoursay@halifaxcourier.co.uk or post a comment below
Email to a friend
Print this page- A58 crash UPDATE: road now re-open after man hit by car earlier this morning
- Crash on the A58 in Halifax this morning UPDATE: Man in hospital with several broken bones
- Taxi worker dies aged 35 after finishing his shift
- Man suffers serious injuries in accident on M62
- How the new Halifax Central Library will look
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Halifax
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North west
