Primary school extends school day to help parents afford cheaper holidays

Pupils at Chiddingstone School will stay 20 minutes later each day in return for two weeks' extra holiday

Chiddingstone is a Church of England school near Tonbridge, Kent

A primary school in Kent is extending its school-day and shortening term times in order to help parents plan cheaper, off-peak holidays.

Pupils at Chiddingstone Primary School, near Tonbridge in Kent, will work for 20 minutes longer each day in return for two weeks extra holiday time over the course of the school year.

Staff and parents of the school came to a joint agreement on the new term structure, which will allow pupils two weeks off during the May and October half-term breaks instead of one.

The decision comes soon after a landmark High Court ruling last week which fell in favour of Jon Platt, a father who refused to pay fines for taking his daughter out of school. Mr Platt was not criminalised by the court, and his case was dismissed – a move that is expected to pave the way for parents who struggle with peak-season holiday prices.

Chiddingstone Primary School head teacher Rachel Streatfeild said: “We have a very close relationship with our parents and after a long period of consultation we have decided to trial this restructure.

”We are conscious that parents will be able to benefit by taking their children on holiday when prices might be more affordable, but we also feel the longer half-term holidays will keep the terms short and therefore allow us to teach the curriculum more efficiently.

“We do not have a problem with our parents taking their children out of school during term time, but we noticed that after last year's term six, the children were exhausted. By adding a week to each half-term holiday we can restrict each term to no longer than six weeks.

“We also feel the slightly lengthier day will benefit the older children who will face longer school days when they transition to secondary school.”

The law states that children can only be taken out of school during term time in “exceptional circumstances”. Parents can face a £60 fine for doing so, which doubles to £120 if not paid within three weeks.

Those failing to pay face prosecution, and a maximum fine of £2,500 or up to three months in prison.

Chiddingstone Primary is a Church of England school, meaning school governors have the power to determine the length of each school term and day, unlike local authority schools.

Since Mr Platt's high profile case last week, several travel firms have reported a surge in booking requests from families during off-peak times. Initiatives such as the one being introduced at Chiddingstone may encourage other schools to follow suit in order to prevent children from missing out on learning time.

Ms Streatfield said she was conscious that many parents work long hours, but that the plan has received “only positive feedback”.

The new hours will be trialled for 12 months before it is reviewed by parents and staff members for future academic years.