Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests made.

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 6^th March 2017

b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 6^th March 2017 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Report of the Executive Director of People

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive of People that informed the Cabinet Member of the outcome of consultation and sought approval of the School Terms and Holidays Calendars for 2018/2019 and 2019/2020.

Currently the Local Authority was required to set term and holiday dates for community schools, community special schools, voluntary controlled schools, pupil referral units and maintained nursery schools.

Governing bodies were required to set term and holiday dates in foundation and voluntary aided schools. Academies and free schools were responsible for setting their own terms and holiday dates. All schools in England were free to decide when their school day should start and end.

In addition to taking into account the comments from consultations of previous years, the following Coventry Local Authority principles and protocols were taken into account when setting the proposals for consideration:

•  a school year is 195 days, with 190 pupil days and 5 teacher (INSET)days;

•  1 teacher day is determined by the Local Authority and 4 days by individual schools;

•  statutory holidays are observed;

•  schools prefer, especially secondary schools, full weeks of teaching wherever possible;

•  schools prefer a full week break at half term and two full weeks at Easter and Christmas;

•  half term holidays are set at the same time as those of neighbouring Authorities if possible.

Two options were developed for each academic year and these were presented to the Secondary Headteachers Executive on 4th January 2017 and the Primary Headteachers Executive on 5th January 2017. The options were discussed and the school terms and holiday calendars for 2018/2019 and 2019/20, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, were agreed as the preferred options for wider consultation with all schools and trade unions.

Consultation with the Trade Union Partnership, the Secondary Heads Partnership, the Primary Heads Partnership and the Special Heads Forum took place at a series of meeting held between 3^rd and 19^th January 2017 at which they broadly agreed with the proposals.

When the Cabinet Member decision became effective, schools would be informed of the approved calendars and they would be published on the City Council website. Catholic and Church of England Diocesan Authorities, governors of voluntary aided schools, governors of trust schools, free schools and academy trusts would also be informed and invited to recommend the same calendar for their schools.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills,:

(1) Following consideration of the outcome of the consultation on School Terms and Holidays, agrees the School Terms and Holidays calendar for 2018/2019 and 2019/2020;

(2) Adopts the School Terms and Holidays calendar for 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 for Community, Voluntary Controlled and Community Special Schools and Maintained Nursery Schools, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

(3)   Invites the Catholic and Church of England Diocesan Authorities and the Governors of Trust Schools and Academies to recommend the same calendar for their schools.

There are no outstanding issues

There were no outstanding issues.

Any other items of public business which the Cabinet Member decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of public business.