The Welsh government has announced that plans to reduce the school summer holiday have been paused until after the next Welsh Parliament election. Education Secretary Lynne Neagle stated that schools needed time to focus on other major improvements, and that “opinion was hugely divided” on the proposed changes. These had been opposed by teaching unions, the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, and some tourist attractions. If the proposals had gone ahead, the half term break in October 2025 would have been extended to a fortnight, with a five-week rather than six-week holiday in summer 2026. School holiday dates in Wales are broadly in line with England, but there are variations across the UK.
There are approximately 470,000 pupils in Wales who would be affected by the changes if they were to go ahead, according to the latest figures. Ministers argued that disadvantaged pupils would benefit most from a shorter summer break, and more regular terms would be less tiring for pupils and staff. They said many families struggled with childcare over the long summer holiday, and the changes would “align more effectively with how families live and work”. However, education unions said it was a distraction from other challenges schools face and could deter teachers from joining the profession.
The response to a public consultation, the biggest on record about education, generated more than 16,000 responses, and the Welsh government said “a narrow majority” of those who responded were in favour of changing school holidays, but there were “contradictory” findings. Neagle said a “pause” would allow reforms such as the new curriculum for Wales and an overhaul of additional learning needs to be rolled out before another major change. Any decision to go ahead with the changes to school holidays would be taken after the next Welsh Parliament election in May 2026, making any change to the school holidays unlikely before the 2028-2029 school year. The cost of the work around the structure of the school year is around £350,000
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