Decision details

Mr Stott, Director of Universal and Early Support Services from the Directorate of Children and Young People presented a report which set out the current position and future arrangements for Lancashire School Terms and Holidays.  Margaret Scrivens, Liaison and Compliance Officer, Directorate for Children and Young People joined Mr Stott in presenting the report.

It was reported that in June 2005, following consultation with schools and other relevant partners the Cabinet Member decided to adopt the Standard School Year recommended by the LGA and this was introduced in Lancashire Schools for the 2006/07 school year.  Under the legal framework all community and voluntary controlled schools were required to follow the pattern.  The Standard School Year pattern was commended to voluntary aided and foundation schools and, in the main, the pattern was followed.  In recent years most academies had also followed the Lancashire pattern.  Following a review the LGA found that less than half of councils were following the pattern of the Standard School Year, and in 2011 they took the decision not to recommend standard school dates in future years. In Lancashire the patterns recommended for 2012/13 and 2013/14 had already been published to all schools which were working with these dates.

It was noted that in the future, arrangements nationally for School Term and Holiday dates in maintained schools would no longer be steered by any central guidance but that there were two legal requirements – one setting the number of half day sessions as 380 and the other stating that in relation to community and voluntary controlled schools, the local education authority would determine the dates when the school terms and holidays were to begin and end. In the case of foundation and voluntary aided schools the governing body would be responsible for determining when the school term and holidays were to begin and end.

With the County Council's commitment to the Standard School Year, it had been agreed by the Children and Young Peoples' Directorate Leadership Team that in respect of the school years 2014/15 and 2015/16, the Authority would continue to determine the School Term and Holiday pattern based on the Standard School Year principles for community and voluntary controlled schools.  The patterns would be commended to voluntary aided and foundation schools.

Keeping a pan Lancashire framework for school term dates and holidays rather than individual schools determining their own holiday dates was felt to be preferable so that, for example, families with children who attended different schools, would not be subject to extra child care costs if the dates set for the long summer break were all different.  Many schools, it was felt, welcomed guidance on what the dates should be.

It was reported that there were also other implications should Lancashire County Council not set a common framework:

·  Governing bodies would need to negotiate with other local schools, staff, unions and Diocesan/Church Authorities.  For example, given the freedom to negotiate and set their own patterns, schools in the east of the County may decide to return to wakes weeks' patterns

·  Without a school term and holiday framework, Lancashire County Council could be looking at considerable increase in home to school transport costs

·  Monitoring the compliance of the 190 pupil/195 teacher days presented a Human Resources issue

·  There could be issues in the provision of school catering

·  There was the potential for an increase in staffing costs with respect to School Crossing Patrols

Members commented on the report as follows:

·  That schools could be consulted to find out their views on the patterns for school terms and holidays and in particular for a four term year and the consequent reduction in the length of the summer break.  Any changes made to the current framework would preferably be adopted on a County wide basis.

·  That a four term school year might fit better with the modern working life and would be less disruptive to children's learning, especially the transition between Year 6 to Year 7

·  In east Lancashire, before the introduction of the Standard School Year, following the pattern of wakes weeks holidays had worked successfully for schools

·  That it would be helpful for all members to be circulated with the current legislation/briefing note on pupils' absence during term time.  (Schools were now only able to grant absence in 'exceptional circumstances,' and family holidays did not fall into this category)

·  That figures on the impact of pupils being taken out of school during term time also be circulated.  (National evidence of this was also available allowing for comparison with Lancashire)

·  When parents were fined for unauthorised absences, the money was fed back into the Service supporting attendance.  It was suggested that a report on the work of the attendance teams be brought to a future meeting of the Committee

Resolved:  That:

  i  Schools across the County be consulted on the school term and holiday pattern and a report brought back to the October meeting of the Committee

  ii  A report on the work of the School Attendance Service be brought to a future meeting of the Committee.