Will the Minister confirm whether the Welsh Government is considering extending the school day or shortening the summer holidays, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on children's education?
I recognise the impact the pandemic has had, and continues to have, on all our learners. It has affected learners in different ways – their progression and their physical and mental health and wellbeing in particular. The range of different experiences and impacts on learners in the past year means we need to enable schools and teachers to support their learners to develop their own learning pathway, as they have more continuous face-to-face learning.
This week I announced a further £72 million to ensure support is in place for our leaners as they continue to go back to face-to-face-learning. That includes funding to Recruit, Recover and Raise Standards into the autumn, additional support for trainee teachers, and targeted support for schools, early years learners, disadvantaged learners and those in years 11, 12 and 13 to support their transition to their next steps. This brings the level of funding in Wales to over £239 per pupil.
We will continue to work closely with our partners to develop an appropriate and effective package of measures to support learners’ progression and well-being. We are at the beginning of this work and we will be engaging widely to co-produce this in the coming months. At this stage, all discussions are possible and there is no option off the table to support our learners.
The processes for changing the school day and holidays are set out in legislation. The Education Act 2002 requires local authorities to work with school governing bodies to set term dates. The Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) Regulations 2003 provide for schools to meet for at least 190 days (or 380 sessions) during a school year. These are amended to account for extra INSET days or exceptional circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic. The Changing of School Session Times (Wales) Regulations 2009 set out how local authorities and schools can make changes to the school day. Consultation with stakeholders, as well as notice of changes, are key components.