Decision details

That the calendar of school term and holiday dates for 2016-17 be as set out in Appendix 2 to the report following consultation with North Yorkshire schools, professional associations and neighbouring Local Authorities.

*PLEASE NOTE This decision was originally published on or near the date of the decision and so call in no longer applies. It has been re-published as part of the change in committee management system that we use.*




The Local Authority currently has a duty (under section 32 of the Education Act 2002) to set school term and holiday dates for community schools, community special schools, voluntary controlled schools, pupil referral units and maintained nursery schools. Governing bodies are required to set term and holiday dates in foundation and voluntary aided schools. The Education (School Day and School Year) (England) Regulations 1991 require all maintained schools to educate their pupils for at least 380 sessions (190 days) in each school year. Although these regulations do not apply to academies and free schools, it is hoped that for consistency across North Yorkshire all schools will adopt the recommended term dates.

In addition to these teaching days, schools have five professional development days for teaching staff. The LA’s calendar identifies three proposed professional development days thus giving individual schools discretion to determine two further professional development days. The approved calendar has been produced following consultation with schools, professional associations and 26 Local Authorities in Yorkshire & The Humber and the North East. The original proposal was amended in light of feedback received through the consultation. When the Deregulation Act comes into force, this will permit all schools to vary school term dates and the pattern of the school year, taking into account all practical implications of any proposed changes.