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Education

New term structures prompt fears of ‘chaos’ in our schools

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Report and Comment by Herald Special Correspondent, John Vaughan

 

classroom_pupils_closeup_290There are fears amongst many within the education sector that Wales could be heading into chaos with a radical potential restructuring of term times. This comes as England adopts a policy from 2015 whereby head teachers will have the power to set their own school terms, potentially scaling down the long held traditional six week summer holiday to as little as four weeks.

The plans for England were announced on Monday July 1 of this year. The Department for Education set out the policy to ensure that, in future, term times are decided upon by head teachers and not local Councils. As it stands at present, Wales is not included in these plans and, though currently there is no legal duty on councils or governing bodies in Wales to work together on holiday times, there are plans to give the Assembly Government powers to set the same holiday times for all state schools in Wales. However, this is not policy yet and there is growing concern from some people within education that Wales could well follow in the same direction as England.

The National Union of Teachers have stated it will cause problems for families in different schools. A view shared by South Pembrokeshire And Carmarthen West AM and Shadow Minister for Education, Angela Burns who said, exclusively to the Herald,

“Imagine the chaos, a child at one school, another at one with different term times. It is hard enough with the disparity that England and Wales have. Even schools in the Vale of Glamorgan have different term times to Pembrokeshire. It’s the logistics!”

The Shadow Minister went on to express her concerns over the impact that this could have for potential childcare issues and parents planning for their work schedules. She stated,

“Why not let the County Council do it as they do now? I don’t understand the point of it and what are the benefits?”

Some have cited that one of the potential benefits of such a change could be cheaper package holidays for parents; others are more sceptical of this as an argument, as Christine Blower, head of the National Union of Teachers, pointed out when suggesting that holiday companies would just expand the period over which they charge premium rates, with the result that the general public would have fewer weeks of less expensive holidays.

Mrs Burns expressed her concern at the current Welsh Government proposal that the Welsh Minister for Education could have the sole power to set school term dates which could also mean an arbitrary decision could be taken on five or even six terms in a school year. She stated that she had been challenging these proposals. Mrs Burns also cast doubt upon the idea of cheaper holidays, given any change of term structure by saying that,

“The holiday companies would soon cotton on to it and nothing would change (with regard to cheaper holidays). I don’t see how that (argument) holds water”, a sentiment echoing that of Christine Blower.

A further argument put forward for this change is that it would allow for a better means of organising the curriculum. One head teacher in England argued that the changes would allow for ‘more equalised blocks of working which would be much better for curriculum planning and would be better in terms of levels of student and staff exhaustion’. Putting this point forward to Mrs Burns she responded by saying,

“Instinctively I don’t like the idea, but there is statistical evidence that the long summer break does give children too much time to forget what they are learning. The more successful European countries have shorter terms.There might be a discussion worth having about a four term year, it might serve small children, especially during the winter term”

This raised an important issue with regards to the lack of consistency with current term times and, when this was suggested to one local teacher, who asked not to be named, said,

“I can understand the argument that some of our terms are currently very long, with the present structuring, and, certainly, the autumn term leading up to Christmas can really take it out of all involved, pupils and teachers alike, but the summer holiday is almost an institution. It is a very long year and at the end of it we are all exhausted. I would suggest the first week of that summer break be a period for recovery and rest and then the last week is mostly used by teachers to prepare for the autumn term, whereby you simply hit the ground running almost immediately. I can see an argument for a five week summer break, but I would add that extra week on to the Christmas holiday, leaving the term length as it is. I can’t imagine the kind of chaos that would ensue if different schools had different term times – it makes you glad to be teaching in Wales if this is what is about to happen to our colleagues in England”

Seeking a response from the Head of Education in Pembrokeshire, Kate Evan-Hughes stated that,

“If such a policy were to be introduced in Wales, we, as a local education authority, would work with schools to minimise the impact and disruption for parents and students”

It certainly appears that whatever is decided upon in Wales, the policy is likely to cause at least some disruption and disorientation to parents, teachers and pupils when it is introduced into English schools.

However, a local Pembrokeshire school governor, who wished to be unnamed, did stress there may be some positives,

“From speaking to teachers I know it can take months for children to be re-focused after the summer holidays. I can see a four week holiday might be of benefit to help with this problem and pupils would re-focus much more quickly. Also, schools often struggle to keep children in school, holidays are cheaper (outside of current holiday times), but of course holiday companies would cotton on, but it could well cut down on unauthorised absences which is a real problem.”

It is an emotive issue and there are opinions for and against the change in England. No matter whether Wales adopts this policy or not, it seems from speaking with the various academic parties that, in Wales, there is at least a growing movement to question as to whether there should be a change to the structure of the school year and the amount of and length of terms. However, what are the impacts likely to be and who will it benefit? As Angela Burns states,

“This is a big decision that needs to be taken with all the consultation of teachers, unions, parents, governors, support services and businesses as it is a really radical move. If only one school did this it would be highly disruptive. It is a decision that needs proper analysis, research, evidence and consultation with everyone that it will affect. It is a huge change that needs investigating properly. It could be very unsuccessful”

Perhaps we, in Wales, should wait and see how successful it is in England before deciding upon a policy for Wales. After all, where education is concerned, risks simply cannot be taken with children’s academic futures. It is far too important for that and, surely, a measured and patient approach should be taken before any change is made, where quantifiable evidence has been studied and reflected upon before any final decision?

 

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Education

Council failed Welsh language standards over school closure

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CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL failed to properly assess the Welsh-language impact of plans to close Ysgol Llansteffan before moving to publish a statutory closure notice, the Welsh Language Commissioner has found.

The adjudication follows a complaint by Cymdeithas yr Iaith over the council’s handling of the future of the Welsh-medium school, which is due to close formally on August 31, 2026.

In correspondence with Cymdeithas yr Iaith, the Commissioner said the council had accepted that its original Welsh Language Impact Assessment was insufficient.

The Commissioner did not uphold every part of the complaint. Cymdeithas had argued that there was insufficient capacity in other Welsh-medium schools in the Carmarthen town area, and that some pupils could be pushed out of Welsh-medium education. However, the Commissioner said it was not within her powers to investigate school-place data in that way.

But she did find that the council’s original assessment failed to deal “conscientiously” with the effect that closing the school would have on the community of Llansteffan.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith had argued that it was unreasonable for the council to describe the language impact of closing what it called the most important Welsh-medium institution in the village as “neutral”. The group said the decision ran counter to efforts to strengthen rural Welsh-speaking communities.

The Commissioner found that Carmarthenshire County Council had failed to comply with Welsh Language Standards 88, 89 and 90, which require public bodies to assess the impact of policy decisions on the Welsh language.

Her adjudication says the council later revised its Language Impact Assessment during the course of the investigation. However, the Commissioner made clear that such consideration should have formed part of the decision-making process from the outset.

The Commissioner said: “To comply with the standards, it is essential that consideration of Welsh language effects forms an integral part of the policy-making process from the outset, rather than being separate from the decision itself or addressed at the end of the process.”

She added that the council’s process flow chart should include a clear requirement for the Welsh-language effect of a proposed school closure to be considered from the very start.

The Commissioner does not have the statutory power to overturn the school closure decision itself. Her role is to determine whether the council complied with the Welsh Language Standards and to require future compliance.

Speaking on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith in Carmarthenshire, Ffred Ffransis said the decision confirmed that the council’s process had been flawed.

He said: “The simple truth of the matter is that the Cabinet of Carmarthenshire County Council in November 2025 took the decision to issue a Statutory Closure Notice for Ysgol Llansteffan based on a defective Language Impact Assessment.

“The fact that they took later steps to amend and mitigate does not compensate for the harm done by this injustice to the pupils and the local community.

“We have already been informed that one young family has put their house on the market to move to an area which has a school.

“We shall be drawing the attention of the Chief Executive Officer, Wendy Walters, to the lack of a strategic approach across departments.

“There is an application to build affordable homes in the village, but attempts to revive the community by attracting young families are being undermined by the closure of the school by another council department.”

The council’s Cabinet decided on November 17, 2025, to issue a closure notice for Ysgol Llansteffan using the shortened process available for schools with fewer than ten pupils. Cymdeithas says the number of pupils had risen from eight to 17 during the process.

The full council later agreed to close the school after considering the objections report at the beginning of March 2026. Cymdeithas says councillors were not told at that meeting that a complaint had been made about the original Language Impact Assessment.

Parents have already had to register their children at other schools for the next academic year.

A legal challenge to the closure decision is understood to be due to be heard in August, shortly before the school’s formal closure date.

 

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Education

Ysgol Glannau Gwaun celebrates prestigious Gold Active Travel award

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Pupils at Ysgol Glannau Gwaun have been celebrating after their school became one of only nine in Wales to achieve Gold Active Travel status

The Fishguard school recently travelled to the Senedd in Cardiff to receive its prestigious Walk, Wheel, Cycle Gold Active Travel Award, recognising the work pupils and staff have done to promote walking, cycling and scooting.

It was the second time pupils from Ysgol Glannau Gwaun had travelled to the capital to present their active travel projects to a range of audiences.

The school now has a fleet of 60 scooters and 40 bicycles, allowing children from Nursery through to Year 6 to build their confidence and skills.

Through a range of grants and funding opportunities, weekly cycling and scooter sessions are now offered to all pupils, regardless of age or ability.

In 2023, only 11 of 41 pupils were able to complete their Level 1 and 2 cycle training, as many did not have access to a bicycle.

Since then, the school has worked hard to change that. Thanks to investment in school bikes, every pupil can now take part in cycle training.

Older pupils have also taken on leadership roles, supporting younger children with balance bike and scooter sessions.

Progression Step 3 pupils have designed a 1.5km community scooter trail, beginning at Fishguard Library and finishing in Goodwick. The route has been created not only for pupils, but for the wider community.

To further encourage active travel, the school also loans scooters to families, helping to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part.

Staff help run a walking bus to after-school music activities at the secondary school, while the School Senedd regularly develops new ideas to promote active travel.

One recent initiative was a six-hour scootathon, which raised £1,000 for the RNLI.

To mark the Gold award, the school held a special celebration day for all pupils. Fusion Extreme delivered BMX workshops, while British BMX champion Matti Hemmings impressed pupils with a spectacular display of skills.

Pupils also presented their journey to achieving Gold status to parents, governors and community partners, including Transition Bro Gwaun, which helped fund the school’s bicycle fleet.

Headteacher Mrs Mari Jones said: “I am incredibly proud of our pupils, whose enthusiasm, leadership and commitment have driven many of the initiatives that contributed to this award.”

Deputy Headteacher Mrs Sharon Osborne added: “We are extremely grateful to the Pembrokeshire Road Safety Team, Alice from the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust, Transition Bro Gwaun and the Catrin Vaughan Foundation for their support.

“Their funding and resources have enabled our pupils to develop exceptional cycling and scooting skills, alongside valuable leadership and communication skills.

“This has culminated in pupils confidently presenting their achievements to a wide range of audiences.”

Pupils say their active travel journey does not end with the Gold award, with more ideas already being planned.

As they proudly put it, nothing stands still at Ysgol Glannau Gwaun.

 

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Education

Education secretary vows to tackle ‘root causes’ of antisocial behaviour in schools

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WALES’ education minister has vowed to tackle the “root causes” of antisocial behaviour in schools.

Plaid Cymru’s Anna Brychan was pressed on the Welsh Government’s plans to fix the issue by Reform MS Paul Marr on Wednesday July 1.

Referencing Plaid’s 100 day plan, Ms Brychan said the government will address the root causes of behavioural challenges, including “attendance, wellbeing and wider needs”, through a “co-ordinated whole system approach.”

She noted the importance of early intervention and aligning support services to “enhance learning environments”.

Welcoming Ms Brychan’s commitment to early intervention, Mr Marr said parents in his Ceredigion Penfro constituency want to know “why schools are increasingly being expected to deal with the threat of knife crime without proper resources.”

Calling on the Welsh Government to commit to funding preventable security measures and emergency response training, he noted: “Policies and plans, with respect, Minister, do not stop blades.”

Reform MS Paul Marr
Reform MS Paul Marr

Mr Marr also referred to his experience working in the prison service, where he said attacks on staff with bladed instruments became “a regular occurrence”.

He called for assurances for teachers from Ms Brychan that, with rising numbers of incidents, these attacks are “not expected to be their new norm”.

She said: “Every learner has the right to feel safe and know they belong in a school, are able to attend, participate and achieve.

“And the same is true of members of staff, and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our school workforce is equally a priority for us.”

Labour’s Shav Taj spoke of the importance of correctly framing the debate around antisocial behaviour in schools.

Labour’s spokesperson for employment, equalities, and economic transformation, Shav Taj
Labour MS Shav Taj

She said: “While challenging behaviour is obviously a real concern, we’re hearing very clearly from unions but also staff on the ground, that it is actually increasingly linked to unmet needs, particularly around mental health and additional learning needs as well.”

Ms Taj went on to emphasise the importance of ALN reforms and ensuring the right level of support is in place through “a person-centred, needs-led system”.

She continued: “What teachers and teaching assistants are continuously telling us is that too often they’re being left to manage increasingly complex needs without it.

“So while some may frame this purely as an issue of discipline, isn’t the reality that where needs aren’t being met early, those pressures are simply playing out and compounding in the classroom?”

Ms Taj asked how the Welsh Government plans to ensure mental health provision in schools is properly resourced, including school counselling and wider ALN support.

Ms Brychan responded saying her points are “exactly the reasons” the programme will look at “wellbeing, attendance, and wider needs through a co-ordinated whole-system approach.”

She added: “She [Ms Taj] touches on ALN; that is a wider issue in our system, and that’s precisely why we want to bring all of these areas together and to recognise the barriers to learning that are part of this area of concern for us, and that’s why we have framed our response in this way.”

Ms Brychan was also pressed for an update on the progress made so far towards introducing a foundational literacy and numeracy plan.

Reform MS David Mills told the Siambr that Estyn found roughly 20% of pupils leave primary school functionally illiterate – a figure he described as “frightening”.

Reform MS David Mills
Reform MS David Mills

He called for the minister to set out “a clear timetable” for bringing the plan forward, and how it will deliver “measurable improvements” in both literacy and numeracy.

Ms Brychan stressed the problem is not with Welsh learners, and said: “Our learners are able to achieve and have potential comparable to anywhere in the world. It isn’t the lack of a willing workforce either.

“It is, I think, a lack of understanding of the expectations around progression in literacy and numeracy, and that’s precisely why we are introducing this literacy and numeracy foundational plan.”

Ms Brychan reassured the member that she is working “at pace”, noting that on her second day in the job she wrote to schools to outline the Welsh Government’s work on the plan, promising an update at the end of the summer term, before the framework is introduced in the autumn.

Natasha Asghar, of the Welsh Conservatives, questioned the deputy minister on what steps the Welsh Government is taking to boost the number of apprenticeships in Wales.

Noting that university isn’t “for everyone”, Ms Asghar stressed the importance of apprenticeships as a route into the workplace for “those who want to earn and learn at the same time”.

Casnewydd Islwyn's Conservative MS Natasha Asghar
Casnewydd Islwyn’s Conservative MS Natasha Asghar

Recalling a commitment from Plaid’s election manifesto, she noted the party promised to expand both work experience and apprenticeships.

However, Ms Asghar went on to share a conversation she had recently with Jane Blackwell – a franchisee of five McDonald’s restaurants in the Newport area – who noted that despite wanting to take on more apprenticeships she is limited to due to the strict criteria of the apprenticeship levy.

Ms Asghar said: “We have a situation here where a business owner with multiple sites is contributing towards the apprenticeship fund, but isn’t able to access it to take on her own apprentices; it is, frankly, absurd”.

She called on the deputy minister to commit to meeting with Jane to discuss the issue and “iron out the problems” to start getting more young people into work.

In response, Cefin Campbell – the deputy minister for skills and tertiary education – said the Welsh Government is currently investing £151 million in apprenticeships to support delivery across Wales.

Cefin Campbell, deputy minister for skills and tertiary education
Cefin Campbell, deputy minister for skills and tertiary education

He said: “We believe that apprenticeships are a cornerstone of Wales’s post-16 skills system and a key policy, as you mentioned, for economic growth, fair work and productivity.

“They provide high-quality routes into employment, supporting people of all ages and helping employers develop the workforce they need.”

The deputy minister agreed with Ms Asghar that the current apprenticeship offer needs changes to reflect both “changing economic needs and the needs of businesses”.

He added: “A new apprenticeship programme from August 2027 will deliver a more flexible and responsive model for employers and delivery partners, shaped by extensive engagement, led by Medr.

“Now, this reform should be seen as part of a wider drive to create clearer pathways, improve parity of esteem with academic routes, and strengthen alignment between skills and economic growth.”

 

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