Parents warn extra Jubilee day off will cause disruption to education

‘We need to be mindful of the need to minimise disruption. It would be preferable if this was at least on a standardised day’

TEACHERS have been given an extra day off after the Jubilee weekend if their school is on half term and parent groups have warned that the move will cause disruption to children’s education.

The special bank holiday on June 3 to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend has been extended to schools to take at another time if the assigned day off falls during half term.

The Department for Education (DFE) amended the regulations to reduce the school year for maintained schools to a minimum of 189 days rather than 190, in order to allow schools to close that day or on another day.

Announcing the change, the National Education Union (NEU) said: “Schools not already on half-term break on the day of the bank holiday will be able to close that day. Most schools will, however, be on half term at the time of the bank holiday. This change to the regulations will allow maintained schools to be able to close at another time to give staff and students an extra day off.”

The result of a day off at another time could mean that parents with multiple children at different schools could face more than one day of closure and disruption to education.

Molly Kingsley, a co-founder of the parents campaign group Usforthem, said: “While we appreciate people want to celebrate the Jubilee, we need to be mindful of the need to minimise disruption. It would be more preferable if this was at least on a standardised day.”

John Jolly, of Parentkind, a parents charity, said: “In this jubilee year, many schools will provide children with the chance to celebrate the Queen’s remarkable reign. Where this will lead to an additional day of holiday following the half term, schools must communicate clearly with parents to allow them the maximum possible time to prepare for alternative arrangements and minimise disruption to family life.”

He added: “A key driver for successful schools is communication and this is a crucial area where additional holidays will have an impact on parents.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The announcement of an additional bank holiday for the jubilee was made by the government a long time ago, and schools will have long had arrangements in place for this day off to take place on a different date where the bank holiday falls in the half term.

“This is in order to ensure their staff are able to benefit from the additional holiday decided by the government in line with all other workers.”

The Department for Education was contacted for comment.