Agenda item

- that the proposed term dates for 2008/09 be supported

A report was submitted which set out information on the outcome of discussions with the Teaching Unions in relation to the neighbouring South Yorkshire Authority’s proposed term dates and the Local Government Association’s recommendations for the school year 2008/09.

The Local Government Association (LGA) Standing Committee meets annually to agree recommended standard school year term dates.

The LGA have published guidance for 2008/09 and the principles behind their recommendations are:

·        A return date for the school year as near as possible to the 1st September 2008;

·        Equalised teaching and learning blocks;

·        Establish a two-week Spring Break in early April irrespective of incidence of the Easter Bank Holiday;

·        A summer holiday break of at least 6 weeks for those schools which want this length of break;

·        A calendar based on 190 pupil days for 2007/08 and allowing the five INSET/CPD days to be set by the Head Teacher.

To assist in the determination of term dates, as well as the above information from the LGA, officers from the Authority have met with the other Authorities in South Yorkshire and suggested co-ordinated dates have been drafted for South Yorkshire.

The LGA proposals and the South Yorkshire co-ordinated dates were considered by the Teacher Unions.  Both of the proposals were very similar and there was general support for the recommended dates (The South Yorkshire proposed dates being in-line with the LGA recommendations). The LGA return date on  September 1st and the dates of the half terms breaks are identical to the South Yorkshire proposed dates.

The recommendations made were:

·        to commence the 2008/09 School Year on the 1st  September 2008.

·        to take a week at October half term. (the LGA proposal gives local flexibility to allow this to be extended by two days which would create a split week).

·        the Easter holiday to fall at the start of the Holiday break, which gives a more even term structure with the Bank Holiday in the middle of the break (This is in line with the LGA recommended dates)

·        A 6 week summer break

The co-ordination of term dates as much as possible with neighbouring authorities and with the LGA is seen as a key issue and the suggested dates for Rotherham (and South Yorkshire) be adopted.

In Service training days

The school year for pupils is 190 days but teachers are required to make themselves available for 195 days, the five remaining days being used for in-service development and training. The five in-service dates have been incorporated into the proposed 195 days.  Schools may still be needed for election purposes, the inclusion of the in-service training days allows for flexibility.  In some schools the five teacher in-service days have traditionally been used as five full days of development for teachers but other schools have chosen a combination of full days and a dis-aggregation of the remaining in-service days into after school or “twilight” in-service sessions.  It is recommended that this flexible practice should be allowed to continue if it best suits the professional development needs of staff.

Resolved:- That the proposed term dates for 2008/09, as submitted, be approved.