Nursery World - Teachers hit out at six-term year plans

Proposals for a six-term school year in England have come under fire from teachers' unions, who have warned that this would increase stress levels rather than reduce them and would do nothing to help recruit and retain teachers. Nigel de Gruchy, general secretary of NASUWT, warned that the proposals from the Local Government Association (LGA) would mean 'a lot of pain for no gain'.

Nigel de Gruchy, general secretary of NASUWT, warned that the proposals from the Local Government Association (LGA) would mean 'a lot of pain for no gain'.

The six-term year emerged in a report from the Independent Commission on the Organisation of the School Year, which was set up by the LGA. Its recommendations included six terms in a school year, with two before Christmas and no term of more than 38 days long; a two-week break in October to relieve teachers' stress; a Christmas break of no less than two weeks; four terms after Christmas limited to a maximum of six weeks; a summer break of at least five weeks; and five 'flexible' days that could be used for holidays or term days according to regional needs.

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