Welsh Government is consulting on changing the school calendar so that breaks are spread out more evenly.  The number of days of school holidays and teaching days will not change.  

What impact, if any, might there also be on your out of school childcare provision, workforce and children in your care?   

You can view and respond to the consultation documents here The Structure of the School Year | GOV.WALES.  

Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs is also responding.  If you would like us to reflect your collective views in our response, please respond to our survey here by Monday 29th January . 

Welsh Government say research suggests the autumn term is tiring and challenging for learners and staff.  Also, some pupils, especially from financially disadvantaged backgrounds and those with Additional Learning Needs (ALN), find it difficult to get back to learning after long summer breaks.   

What are the options under the proposal?  

Option 1 

• The existing school calendar (Status Quo) 

Option 2 

• A week would be taken from the start of the summer break and added to the October break.  A two-week break would start in October 2025 and a five-week summer break in 2026.  

• Flexibility to separate the spring break from the Easter holiday (should Easter fall outside of the school break, the public holidays would still apply and learning time should be redistributed -this would happen for 2 years in every 10 year period).

Option 3:  

• Option 2 plus additional changes to be taken forward in the future, but not from 2025. These changes include the option of moving a second week from the summer break and adding it to the Whitsun break and moving GCSE results to the same week as AS/A-level results day.   

Why change the school year?  

To better support: 

• the needs of disadvantaged learners and their families 
• the well-being of learners and teachers to reduce fatigue 
• learning and teaching 
• modern patterns of living and working

Terms would be of more equal length, enabling better spaced recuperation for teachers and learners.  Redistributed breaks help manage teachers’ workload and support learning and may provide more affordable opportunities for travel and leisure.  Learning loss over the summer break could be reduced.  

Read further comments from the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, the Designated Member and Parentkind here.