Decision details

The Local Authority is required to consult annually and determine the school term dates for Community, Voluntary Controlled and Community Special Schools under Section 32 of the Education Act 2002.

The report seeks to secure agreement of the school calendar for 2021/22 Academic year for Voluntary Controlled and Community Schools.

That the Cabinet Member for Education & Skills approves the school calendar for the 2021/22 academic year, as set out in Appendix A of the report.

It is recommended that Appendix A be approved as the model school calendar for the 2021/22 academic year.  This model fixes Easter at the first two weeks in April (commencing Monday 4 April).  The calendar applies to all Community Schools, Voluntary Controlled Schools, Community Special Schools and Maintained Nursery Schools.  Voluntary Aided Schools, Trusts and Academies that are their own Admission Authority are recommended to adopt the model calendar to promote consistency across the City.

It is likely that Church Aided Schools will have their Easter Break around the religious festival.  This has always been the case and Aided Schools will continue to set their own dates at Easter.

There was overwhelming support for fixing the Easter break at the beginning of April when the proposal was first consulted upon for the 2017/18 school calendar.  It is accepted that there are many different views and opinions on the school calendar. The purpose of the consultation was to invite opinion and comment from all stakeholders. There have not been many responses to the proposed calendar, nor has there been any strong opposition to the proposed calendar for 2021/22, which indicates that the support expressed under last year’s consultation continues.

In response to the overwhelming support for fixing the Easter Break during the 2017/18 consultation process, the Authority has only consulted on this single model for 2021/22.