Resources

OPINION

ALISON FARNELL on the changing face of school terms

Short-term thinking

Again we are a divided nation; the haves and the have-nots. Those pupils who have had a long Easter holiday and those who have not!

Are the schools near you still on Easter holiday? Or are they about to finish school for their spring break? Are your teacher friends about to return to school for an exceedingly long summer term, or are they about to take advantage of cheap off-peak April holiday prices and enjoy a week in the sun?

Easter is a moveable feast, and this year it was quite early. Not as early as in some years, though. The changing date of Easter has dictated school holidays for years. In Local Education Authorities (LEAs) still using the traditional three-term calendar, the early Easter meant that they had to cram all their spring term teaching into just 10 weeks, five either side of the February half-term. Some schools even had just four weeks in one of those half-terms. Then, they broke up before the Easter festival for two weeks’ Easter holiday. To fit in 24 teaching weeks between Christmas and the summer holiday, they return to face an exhausting 14 or 15-week summer term, just broken by the spring bank holiday half-term. There will be some very weary teachers and children by July!

Other LEAs, and Essex is an example, have changed to six almost equal length terms of six weeks, punctuated by their usual half-term holidays in February and May. They also have a two-week spring break in the middle of April. That’s also 24 teaching weeks between Christmas and the summer holiday. And yes, they did get an Easter holiday – but it was confined to the public holidays around the actual Easter weekend.

So why did they change? Because research shows that pupils retain what they have learned better with regular, shorter terms and holidays. And teachers get less exhausted.

So what about some more research? Will Essex school pupils learn and understand more about the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus this year, than they will in 2006? Possibly! Because this year, they are in school either side of the actual Easter festival. In 2006, the later date of Easter means that their long spring holiday coincides with Easter. So they won’t be in school to hear about Easter. And the vast majority won’t hear about it at home or on TV!

Alison Farnell is Director of The Stapleford Centre
afarnell@stapleford-centre.org

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		OPINION ALISON FARNELL on the changing face of school terms Short-term thinking Again we are a divided nation; the haves and the have-nots. Those pupils who have had a long Easter holiday and those who have not! Are the schools near you still on Easter holiday? Or are they about to finish school for their spring break? Are your teacher friends about to return to school for an exceedingly long summer term, or are they about to take advantage of cheap off-peak April holiday prices and enjoy a week in the sun? Easter is a moveable feast, and this year it was quite early. Not as early as in some years, though. The changing date of Easter has dictated school holidays for years. In Local Education Authorities (LEAs) still using the traditional three-term calendar, the early Easter meant that they had to cram all their spring term teaching into just 10 weeks, five either side of the February half-term. Some schools even had just four weeks in one of those half-terms. Then, they broke up before the Easter festival for two weeks’ Easter holiday. To fit in 24 teaching weeks between Christmas and the summer holiday, they return to face an exhausting 14 or 15-week summer term, just broken by the spring bank holiday half-term. There will be some very weary teachers and children by July! Other LEAs, and Essex is an example, have changed to six almost equal length terms of six weeks, punctuated by their usual half-term holidays in February and May. They also have a two-week spring break in the middle of April. That’s also 24 teaching weeks between Christmas and the summer holiday. And yes, they did get an Easter holiday – but it was confined to the public holidays around the actual Easter weekend. So why did they change? Because research shows that pupils retain what they have learned better with regular, shorter terms and holidays. And teachers get less exhausted. So what about some more research? Will Essex school pupils learn and understand more about the importance of the death and resurrection of Jesus this year, than they will in 2006? Possibly! Because this year, they are in school either side of the actual Easter festival. In 2006, the later date of Easter means that their long spring holiday coincides with Easter. So they won’t be in school to hear about Easter. And the vast majority won’t hear about it at home or on TV! Alison Farnell is Director of The Stapleford Centre afarnell@stapleford-centre.org © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.