THE headteacher of Barnsley’s biggest school wants a rethink on ditching the six week summer holidays, claiming many heads knew nothing of the plan.
Nick Bowen is principal at Horizon Community College and joint chairman of the Barnsley Schools Alliance, tasked with driving up standards in the borough’s schools.
He has urged a rethink on abandoning the traditional summer break for council-controlled schools in favour of four weeks and four days in the summer and an extra week in October from September 2017, a decision approved by council bosses last week.
Council papers stated headteachers were told of the proposals in January and February and consultation was carried out with a committee made up of representatives from the teaching profession and unions.
But Mr Bowen said the majority of headteachers knew nothing of the plan and that it was ‘fleetingly’ mentioned at the end of a meeting when most school heads weren’t there.
Read more in this weeks Barnsley Chronicle
