Parents' anger over plan to extend school half-term

Unity Schools Partnership runs 33 schools across Suffolk and neighbouring counties

Almost 500 people have signed a petition protesting at plans to extend a school half-term.

The Unity Schools Partnership, which runs 33 schools in Suffolk and on the Essex-Cambridgeshire borders, plans to make the Autumn half-term two weeks.

As a pilot, the school day will be extended by 10 minutes to compensate.

Its chief executive said it was backed by most parents and teachers, but many parents have been concerned about extra childcare costs and time off work.

Stephen Hubbard, from Haverhill, who set up the petition, said: "This will severely impact the everyday parent who will not have enough time off from work to cover this extra week off, let alone afford to book a holiday for the whole family, two months before Christmas."

The chief executive of the Partnership, Tim Coulson, said parents and teachers had been consulted and a majority were in favour of the proposal.

He said the trust had more than 2,000 responses from parents.

"The main driving force for this was parents who object to us enforcing government guidance that we fine them if they take a week for a family holiday during term-time," he said.

"They say it's unfair because they want a family holiday but they want to do it at a time which isn't so expensive."

He added that extending half-term would help with the recruitment and retention of staff.

Chief executive Tim Coulson said it was an issue that had divided views, but a majority were in favour

Mr Coulson said it had decided to go-ahead with the proposal on a trial basis for the 2023-24 school year, but accepted that some parents were not happy.

"We want to do two things," he said. "We want to look at alternatives we can provide during half-term that children can go along to, so their parents can continue working.

"Also we are looking to say a majority of parents and teachers think this is a good idea, but we will only do it for one year and then reflect back, and make sure we look at it again before embedding it in the school year."

"We felt we had to make a decision about next year so parents have certainty."

He added that different schools were using different ways of making up the time.

'Massive stress'

However, Mr Hubbard said the plans were out of touch with the reality of the current climate.

"We do not need a trial to see that this will be a huge financial and mental burden on families," he added.

One parent from Ipswich told BBC Radio Suffolk she did not think the plan made much sense.

"As a working mum it's going to be quite inconvenient because it's the added cost of finding childcare and afterschool clubs," she said.

Another said: "I am really struggling to see the educational benefit of the extra 10 minutes a day. I can't see how that replaces a whole week of school time.

"There's no way I can afford another week's childcare or take another week off work, unpaid. It will put massive stress on me."

The Autumn half-term is due to run from 23 October to 3 November 2023.