Suffolk schools show interest in extended half-term pilot

Parents had raised concerns about the extra time off

An education trust piloting a two-week half-term has said other schools have shown an interest in the scheme.

The Unity Schools Partnership, which runs 33 schools in Suffolk and on the Essex-Cambridgeshire borders, is trialling the idea.

Schools within the trust are trialling different ways to add the extra holiday taken back into the timetable.

Almost 500 parents signed a petition protesting the plans with some saying they worried about childcare costs.

To avoid losing learning time schools within the trust, which also has establishments in East London, have trialled adding an extra lesson to certain days or extending the day by 10 minutes.

Parent Robby Bhuee said the change has caused childcare difficulties.

The chief executive of the Partnership, Tim Coulson, said parents and teachers had been consulted and a majority supported the extended break.

But parent Robby Bhuee said while two weeks was "quite a nice thing for the children" it has caused childcare difficulties.

"I work, my partner works as well, so just the increased costs and how everything is in regards of the cost of living crisis, it's been a little bit more difficult."

Amna Sheikh will have to take additional time off work from her job at Tesco

Amna Sheikh, whose children also attend a Unity school, said: "It should be alright but it's slightly different for me - I work in Tesco and I took one week off, now it's two weeks."

Following half-term, parents will be consulted again about whether the change was successful and if it should become the norm.

Mr Coulson said: "What we've had is a lot of schools across Suffolk contact us, they want to find out if this is successful and if this should be more widespread."

He said the trust was sympathetic to parents with children in schools both in and out of the trust, facing different half-term breaks.

The extended autumn half-term will run from 23 October to 3 November 2023.