Hi all

I was browsing the Berkshire schools' websites and I noticed that Upton Court's school calendar suggests they have a two-week half term in October. It's not a typo as their prior year calendars also show two weeks break.

Can anyone confirm if this is the case? And what impact, if any, does this have on the national curriculum? From September the school will be moving down to 4.5-day week as well - so I'm struggling to understand how can they afford to take another week off during October without impacting the curriculum.

Thanks

I can’t speak for Upton Court, but some schools do all inset training as twilight sessions after school and use the 5 days training to give 2 weeks in October. They go to 4.5 day weeks by all teachers having their PPA time (planning, preparation and assessment) on the same afternoon. This way there is no need to pay for cover staff and it saves some of the - extremely tight- budget.

A fair number of state schools have a two week October half term and manage quite comfortably to fit the curriculum in! The Christmas term is long, the days are short and it is the first term in secondary for Y7s so many head teachers feel that a longer break in October is sensible and I have to agree with them.

I can vouch for the last year and Upton Court had a two week half term in October. In 2019 the half term will be two weeks as well.

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Thank you,

Worrybot

Yes they do. DD has been there for 3 years (DS for 1 year) and it's been a 2 week half term all the time she's been there. (October half term only) it just means they have less inset days.

The partner primary schools have also introduced it as well.

From this September they have also changed the school day, they will now finish at 3.05pm every day except Wed when they finish at 1.20pm, it used to be 3.20pm every day except Wed and Fri which were 3.05pm

Just to add that on the days they finish at 3.05 they had a shorter lunch break so it's only the Wednesday that would have an impact on study hours but even that is minimal as they don't get a lunch break at all on that day.