Unity Schools Partnership made the decision to extend their half-term break in the fall with the goal of boosting attendance and promoting staff well-being. The trust’s CEO, Tim Coulson, expressed his surprise and satisfaction with the overwhelmingly positive outcome.
The trust in Suffolk discovered that there was a 25% decrease in student absences due to illness and a 50% decrease in staff absences when the autumn half-term holiday was extended by one week at 31 of its primary and secondary schools.
Coulson stated that late November was the peak time for absences due to sickness among both students and staff. This was a common occurrence even before the Covid pandemic, as schools tend to be breeding grounds for germs and illnesses.
In late November, it seemed like people were becoming exhausted and we wondered if this was an unavoidable occurrence or if tiredness was making them more vulnerable. If we could handle the situation better, would we be able to decrease the number of people affected?
There was a decrease in the amount of families who took unauthorized vacations during the school term. However, the most unexpected change was the significant decrease in staff absences.
Coulson expressed surprise, stating that he had hoped for fewer absences as evidence to continue. However, he was taken aback by the high rate of 50%.
It can be challenging for children when their teacher is absent. We make an effort to find a substitute, either from within our staff or by bringing in a replacement, but nothing is as beneficial for the students’ education as having their regular teacher.
According to surveys conducted by the trust, a significant majority of teachers backed the decision despite the fact that it required them to work longer hours for the remainder of the year. This would involve extending school days in order to make up for an extra week of work.
The parents’ opinions were split, but after the trial, 58% stated that they would back the permanent implementation of the change, which has now been done by the trust.
Coulson stated that parents have strong opinions on this matter, either being in favor or against it. However, the overall stance is that if it helps retain excellent staff in light of current hiring challenges, it is the most beneficial decision for our children and schools.
Many parents with young children expressed their strongest disagreement, citing concerns about arranging childcare for the extended break. In response, we plan to put in more effort to provide extra childcare during the second week of the half-term. While we offered this option last year and received a good response, we intend to do it on a larger scale this time around, according to Coulson.
According to Coulson, he is in favor of completely reevaluating the school calendar. This could involve implementing staggered holiday schedules for different regions in order to decrease the significant increase in travel costs during peak times.
Coulson expressed interest in seeing something radical, but also acknowledged the challenge of obtaining support to do so.
Source: theguardian.com
