Schools forced to U-turn on ending term a week early to 'protect family time' over Christmas

An academy trust was forced to U-turn on decision to end term a week early after the Department for Education intervened.

Focus Trust, which runs 15 schools in Manchester and West Yorkshire, told parents on Friday night that the Christmas holiday will be extended by a week in order to “safeguard  the wellbeing” of staff and pupils and to “protect precious family time” over the festive period.

The decision to cut the term short by a week was made due to “growing concern that many children, their families and staff would be forced to self-isolate through the traditional two week holiday due to exposure to Coronavirus”.

But just hours after the letter had been sent to parents, officials from the Department for Education (DfE) wrote to the Trust to urge them to reconsider.

Vicky Beer, the regional schools commissioner for Lancashire and West Yorkshire, told the Trust: “Given the impact already felt on children’s education since March, I do not think it is appropriate to extend the Christmas holiday, given the knock-on impact that this can have on lost learning.

“I am also concerned as to the additional disruption and inconvenience this will cause to many parents due to the additional child care arrangements required as a result of this action.”

On Monday the Trust confirmed it had U-turned on the decision to break for Christmas early after receiving a letter from the Department for Education directing it to overturn the decision.

Ministers have insisted that finishing term early is “not the answer” to saving Christmas, adding that the best place for children to be is in the classroom.

Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, said that keeping schools open is a “national priority”.

He added: “The evidence clearly shows that keeping our classrooms fully open right through to the end of term is in the best interests of children, for both their education and their wellbeing.”