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Original poster

Can School Extend Easter?

267 replies

EasterEvenLonger · 12/03/2025 18:44

My kid’s school had published Easter holidays as:
Mon 7 April - Tuesday 22nd April

They have written today to extend it to:
Friday 4 April - Thursday 24 April
An additional 3 working/school days

I can’t list all the reasons this is a fucking nightmare for me. Can they just announce this without any consultation and just 3 weeks notice? They haven’t taken any subsequent days off to compensate. It’s an additional 3 days.

YABU - of course they can
YANBU - no they shouldn’t be able to do this

OP posts:
coxesorangepippin · 12/03/2025 19:34

This is a fucking nightmare

It's almost there weeks!

What are you meant to do about childcare?!

PhoneStand · 12/03/2025 19:33

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Do you know about work? Have you ever had a job?

TeenLifeMum · 12/03/2025 19:33

Buddy up with other parents so you cover one day and look after all the dc and the other parents do a day each so it only impacts one day.

What ages are the dc?

Morph22010 · 12/03/2025 19:32

Livinggently · 12/03/2025 18:56

Totally understand the frustration - booking childcare is difficult and not everyone has a support network. Regardless of whether there any rules about this, I’d ask school what they suggest you do given the lack of childcare available at this short notice.

I suppose the school would just say you’d have sort childcare at even shorter notice if child was ill

crumblingschools · 12/03/2025 19:32

If they are having to move stuff and close the school they probably don’t have a lot of choice. Is it a new building?

Maybe they will adjust the day they break up in the summer

Northernbychoice · 12/03/2025 19:29

I presume this is primary. My DC’s secondary state academy school added an extra training day over and about the 5 inset days already announced with less than 3 weeks notice. It was have been difficult if they had been primary age but it’s not so much of an issue when it’s secondary thankfully.
i sympathise.

biscuitsandbooks · 12/03/2025 19:28

I get it's frustrating but it reads like it's just one of those things. They can't very well have kids in school with no classrooms for them to use.

andHelenknowsimmiserablenow · 12/03/2025 19:26

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Oh, so only people who can give up work should become parents?
When DC were little this would have been incredibly stressful. Annual leave doesn't cover all school holidays. Unpaid leave (and pissing off the boss) would have been the only option for these 3 days and I had no spare money to afford that.

Foodylicious · 12/03/2025 19:25

Is this a primary or secondary school?

borntobequiet · 12/03/2025 19:25

JorgyPorgy · 12/03/2025 18:53

Sounds like they are using the move as an excuse for some extra days off! But I’m probably being cynical!

We had a move when I was a teacher, three days. I’ve never been so physically exhausted in my life, despite being (in those days) strong, fit and healthy. And then straight into teaching in new surroundings, with tech barely working and confused and unsettled kids. What fun it was.

Morph22010 · 12/03/2025 19:25

BathTangle · 12/03/2025 18:48

State or independent school? Indies can definitely do this. Don't know about state: aren't the holidays normally fixed by the county Council?

Academies can set their own holidays they don’t have to follow the county council

Gardenyear · 12/03/2025 19:25

JorgyPorgy · 12/03/2025 18:53

Sounds like they are using the move as an excuse for some extra days off! But I’m probably being cynical!

I moved a school once. They certianly weren't days off for the staff. Do you think a move happens by magic?

Needmorelego · 12/03/2025 19:24

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Don't be silly.
The OP (and other parents ) will have planned time off work around the school holidays or made other arrangements like holiday clubs.
Suddenly changing the dates means arrangements now have to be made unexpectedly and that isn't exactly easy to do.

justasking111 · 12/03/2025 19:23

Friend sent me her school timetable they've added an extra week at Easter and finish a week early end of year. That's two weeks they've pinched this year at a private school.

Gardenyear · 12/03/2025 19:22

EasterEvenLonger · 12/03/2025 18:49

It’s a state school. It’s to do a move of stuff from one building to another. It’s not being labelled as “Inset” days by them. The inset days are already in the calendar.

They are allowed extra days, with LA approval if they need to move buildings. You'd hope they'd have known dates to give more notice, but if they don't allow these days staff would need to work through the holiday to make the move happen.

Foodylicious · 12/03/2025 19:21

I'm not sure about the minimum notice period (if there is one) but it seems uk school needs to be open to pupils 190 days for the academic year.
Ours is open 195 days this year, so if they had to close for an additional few days they could (given permission by LEA).

SquashedSquid · 12/03/2025 19:20

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beautyqueeen · 12/03/2025 19:19

Annoying for you but their reasons are entirely reasonable, it’s school not childcare so I don’t think you’ll be ‘owed three days back’.

Needmorelego · 12/03/2025 19:15

EasterEvenLonger · 12/03/2025 19:10

The thing is @Needmorelego the school is very resistant to feedback and if they are within their rights to do this, I’d rather not. I don’t want to make a name for myself.

Go to the Governors or your local MP if the school won't listen to concerns.
If lots of parents do this as a group then you "won't be making a name for yourself" - you'll be one of many.
Edit: As some has just said - do this in a calm way. Don't go in all angry.
The issue is many parents will need childcare due to work responsibilities so can the school help with a solution.

AgeingDoc · 12/03/2025 19:15

JorgyPorgy · 12/03/2025 18:53

Sounds like they are using the move as an excuse for some extra days off! But I’m probably being cynical!

I doubt it's extra days off for any of the staff. I've never worked in a school but I've worked in hospitals that were moving into new buildings twice and it was an absolute nightmare. Lots of people assumed we'd all got days off because routine surgery and clinics were cancelled during the move, but we were in helping with the move and I'd rather have done a normal day's work for sure.
Of course teachers don't have ill people to move but even without that, just moving all your stuff from your familiar environment and setting it up so that it works in a new one is time consuming and hard work. Even if they have removals firms in to physically transport things between the two buildings I would imagine the staff will have to pack up their classrooms and then unpack everything at the other end and that's not a 5 minute job.

Livinggently · 12/03/2025 19:14

Rather than looking up rules and rallying other parents, just have a simple calm chat with school to explain the difficulty you’re facing because of the lack of notice, and see what they say. You’re not going to make a name for yourself unless you’re militant about it. The worst that will happen is they’ll say they’re really sorry and can’t offer any solutions. Then you’ll need to sort it out with work.

Original poster
EasterEvenLonger · 12/03/2025 19:14

KrisAkabusi · 12/03/2025 19:11

Ffs. It's clearly an unexpected event. These things happen. You really should have put that in the OP.

I mentioned it within 3 minutes of the OP. Does the reason for closure impact on the rules around notice period?

OP posts:
Ritzybitzy · 12/03/2025 19:14

EasterEvenLonger · 12/03/2025 19:10

The thing is @Needmorelego the school is very resistant to feedback and if they are within their rights to do this, I’d rather not. I don’t want to make a name for myself.

They have and have to persuade and get permission from the LA.

why are they moving?

PhoneStand · 12/03/2025 19:12

EasterEvenLonger · 12/03/2025 19:05

Thanks helpful @RabbitsEatPancakes. Maybe you could signpost me to the rules around shutting schools and what constitutes reasonable notice, as this was clearly the point of the thread.

I would put money on that being a stay at home mum who has no idea about the world of work.

KrisAkabusi · 12/03/2025 19:11

Ffs. It's clearly an unexpected event. These things happen. You really should have put that in the OP.