Issue - meetings

Consider report by Interim Service Director, Children & Young People.  (Copy attached.)

PROPOSED HOLIDAY DATES AND IN-SERVICE DAYS FOR THE ACADEMIC YEARS 2021/22 TO 2025/26

3.1       There had been circulated copies of a report by the Interim Service Director, Children and Young People, which provided feedback on the results of the consultation undertaken on holiday dates and in-service dates for academic years 2021/22 to 2025/26 and to consider possible alignment of all school holidays and in-service days with neighbouring Local Authorities.  The Chief Officer Education, Ms Strong, explained that between 24 September and 20 October 2019 Scottish Borders Council consulted on ‘Holiday and In-Service days for the academic years 2021/22 to 2025/26’.  The consultation contained two options: Option A - the current pattern of holidays and In service days, or Option B - change to the pattern to link In-Service days with holidays and enable a full week off for pupils in February.  Details of the options were contained in Appendix I to the report.  A total of 2,069 responses had been returned to the consultation from a variety of stakeholders, with the majority of those returned favouring Option B as detailed below:-

·                2 In-Service days after the Summer break

·                1 In-Service day after the October break

·                1 In-Service day in February

·                Schools closed for 1 week in February for pupils and 4 days for staff;

·                1 In-Service day in May – the Tuesday after the May bank holiday.

3.2     Discussions were about to commence to consider aligning in-service days and holidays in the Scottish Government agreed regional collaborative groups, consisting of Edinburgh; Midlothian; Fife; East Lothian and Scottish Borders.  In light of the above, it was proposed that the school holidays and in-service dates for 2021/22 and 2022/23 (detailed in Appendix 2 to the report) be published on the Council’s website.  In the interim, the preferred holidays and in-service days for the academic years 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/25 would be held pending the discussions with the other Local Authorities.  The report detailed the implementation and communication proposals.  The Committee was supportive of consideration being given to aligning with other Local Authorities as many parents worked or lived out-with the Scottish Borders area.

            DECISION

          AGREED:

(a)          to the preferred option from the consultation on the school holiday dates and in-service days for the academic years 2021/22 to 2022/23 as presented in Appendix 1 to the report; and

(b)          that, should there be a delay in progressing the alignment of in-service days and holidays for the Local Authorities in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Fife and East Lothian, then the preferred school holiday dates and in-service days for 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 would be put in place for schools in the Scottish Borders.