England to Consider Shortening School Summer Holidays to Four Weeks

A new report suggests revising the Victorian-era school calendar to address post-pandemic educational inequalities, proposing shorter summer breaks and longer half-terms.

• The report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, proposes cutting summer holidays from six weeks to four and extending autumn and winter half-terms to two weeks each.
• Reforming the school calendar aims to improve the wellbeing of pupils and teachers, balance childcare costs, and potentially boost academic results.
• Several school trusts and local authorities in England have already begun to reform their academic calendars, with some introducing a two-week autumn half-term.
• The proposed changes are seen as a low-cost reform that could be popular with parents and improve education for teachers and pupils.
• Mixed reactions from educational leaders highlight the need for careful consideration of the impact of these changes, with some citing the need to focus on immediate challenges such as staff recruitment and retention.

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