Haverhill mum says longer half-term affects her own studies

Ellen Hall said she would need to take time away from her university studies during the extended half-term break

A student said the decision to extend her son's half-term break would make her own studies much harder.

Unity Schools Partnership (USP) said a majority of staff and parents were in favour of increasing the autumn break to a fortnight across its 33 sites.

Ellen Hall, from Haverhill in Suffolk, studies at West Suffolk College while her son attends a USP school.

She said: "It's frustrating. I have to find additional childcare for him or miss out on my own learning time."

USP, which runs 33 schools in Suffolk and the Essex-Cambridgeshire border, trialled the half-term extension in October.

"I had to miss university. I couldn't justify the cost of finding additional childcare," Miss Hall said.

"There's a lot of value in being present for the class discussions, which you obviously can't get back once you've missed it, so it does put me behind all of my course mates."

Shanice Bee said the additional week off school disrupted her daughter's routine

USP received 2,929 responses from parents during a consultation, with 42% against the decision.

Shanice Bee, 31, has a five-year-old daughter who goes to Burton End Primary Academy in Haverhill.

"It's just a nightmare trying to get childcare," she said.

The academy has added 10 minutes to the school day to account for the extended break but Mrs Bee said students would learn little in that time.

School chief executive Tim Coulson said a majority of parents and staff were in favour of the change

Sally Gleed, 42, whose two children go to Burton End, said she was "really pleased" about the change.

"It gives us quality time as a family - an opportunity to go on an affordable holiday without the risk of getting fined," she said.

Tim Coulson, chief executive of USP, said: "While a majority of staff and parents were in favour of the two-week half term, we acknowledge and take seriously all those comments from individuals not in favour of the proposal."