Management Information Sheet

The Government's draft Deregulation Bill moves all responsibility for determining term dates in schools from the local authority to the governing body. If approved (anticipated September 2015) the governing body of all such maintained schools will be responsible for determining their school's term and holiday dates each year as is the case now for all Aided, Foundation and Academy schools.

Norfolk County Council has always consulted with schools on the school calendars put in place for Norfolk. However, this new freedom for all schools represents a good opportunity to look anew at how the shape of the school year might work best for pupils, parents, staff and the wider community.

Nonetheless, serious difficulties could be incurred by schools taking an individual, isolated approach to the school calendar: for parents with children at different schools, for staff with children at other schools and for County transport.

Norfolk's three headteacher associations (NASSH, NPHA and NSEL) decided to facilitate a 'Cross-Phase Working Party' - containing representatives from schools in each academy group, diocese, phase, geographic area, and from FE, HE and Norfolk County Council - to take a coordinated approach in exploring options for a Norfolk model for 2016 and beyond.

This document explains the methodology and agreed principles/parameters, and provides a three-year projection for the Working Party's proposed model. The initial views of Norfolk headteachers are being sought on whether there should be a Norfolk model and whether this option should be formally consulted on as the proposed Norfolk model.