School holidays to remain the same in Leicestershire

Nearly 18,000 responses have been received from people sharing their views on when the holidays should fall.

In eight-week consultations held by Leicestershire County and Leicester City councils this summer, the majority said they did not want big changes to the existing term time patterns.

Leicestershire County Council’s ruling cabinet will now be advised to opt to preserve Leicestershire’s ‘July Fortnight’, an earlier October half term and a longer autumn term.

Councillor Deborah Taylor, county council cabinet member for children and families, said: “Firstly, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took time to voice their views in our consultation.

“We had nearly 12,500 responses in the county, which reflects the strength of feeling and importance this has to many.

“Every few years we stop and ask people for their views on school term dates rather than just automatically keep setting them. 

“We do this to make sure that the dates we have in place are continuing to work in the best way possible for the majority of our young people and their families who live in, work in, or attend school in the local area.”

Around 69% of respondents in the county wanted to keep the traditional holiday pattern. Popular reasons included the opportunity to have less busy, affordable, quality family holidays.

And if agreed by both authorities next week, the city and county’s term time dates will be aligned going forward for the next five years from autumn 2022 through to summer 2027.