Here’s some thrilling news from England. They intend to implement a two-week half-term for all community and voluntary controlled schools starting from the 2026/27 academic year. Our community-wide survey of local schools showed nearly unanimous support for the amendment. Sixty percent of them were in favor, thirty percent opposed, and ten percent still on the fence. One goal of the New Orleans initiative is to bring more uniformity in school calendars across the region.
The proposal is in response to input from SCC’s recent school survey, which asked schools what they think about the new two-week break. The majority of schools in Surrey are academies – independent, state-funded schools with freedom from local authority control. Teachers employed by community and voluntary controlled schools that come under SCC’s jurisdiction will be impacted by this change.
About 25% of American public schools already enjoy a two-week autumn break. For example, Bramley Oak Academy near London has seen amazing results from their four-day week. St. Dunstan’s Catholic Primary School in Woking has already made a commitment to a one-week fall break starting in October 2026. In order to provide for this, the school will decrease its summer break by five days in July 2027.
SCC’s initiative isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for people. Staff wellbeing and improved student attendance. Studies show that providing an extra week off in October can greatly enhance staff wellbeing and mitigate absence rates by as much as 25%. With SCC, students receive an additional ten minutes of focused educational experience each school day. In this manner, students receive the education they deserve minus the depriving loss of precious time. This added time adds up to the equivalent of a week over the school year.
“Crucially, there is no loss of learning time. We add 10 minutes of extra learning into the school day, which adds up to a full week over the year.” – Neil Miller, deputy CEO of London South East Academies Trust
In its release, the SCC underscored the overwhelming importance of a consistent, standardized school calendar. We’re hoping that this calendar will appeal to both families with young children and educators. Despite the differences between community schools and academies, SCC is committed to ensuring that all educational institutions in Surrey can benefit from this planned change.
More than 60 schools answered a recent Freedom of Information request. Perhaps most importantly, they signaled that they were not currently committed to concrete plans or outcomes on the mid-term changes. This ambiguity underscores the importance of continued stakeholder conversations among K-12 educators and advocates.
SGO Neil Miller, the deputy CEO of London South East Academies Trust, declared that his trust’s schools had adopted a two-week October half-term with alacrity. He emphasized how this shift has had a positive effect on the morale of staff and students.
“All the schools in our Trust have a two week October half term – which we find to be extremely beneficial for staff and pupils.” – Neil Miller, deputy CEO of London South East Academies Trust
Surrey County Council is putting the finishing touches to its proposals ahead of the new academic year. That means schools and districts need to proactively engage with parents and guardians regarding any changes to traditional holiday schedules. The anticipated two-week half-term could provide numerous benefits for students and teachers alike, fostering an environment conducive to learning and development.
