by School summer holidays in Wales could be shortened by a week after the Welsh Government drew up plans it said would benefit both teachers and pupils.
Under the proposals, the week would be taken from the summer holidays and added to the one-week break in October.
There will be no change to the total number of holiday weeks, with the changes starting in October 2025 and the first shortened summer break coming in July 2026.
Another week could also be taken from the summer holidays in the future, but not from 2025.
Families struggle to find childcare for the six weeks and others struggle with the added costs of long summers
Welsh Education Secretary Jeremy Miles
Welsh Education Secretary Jeremy Miles said the six-week summer break “can be a real strain” on parents.
“Families struggle to find childcare for the six weeks and others struggle with the added costs of long summers,” Mr Miles said.
“We also know that our most disadvantaged students suffer the most ‘learning loss' from a long summer.
“We want to make sure education works better for students, teachers and families.”
Jason Elsom, chief executive of parenting charity Parentkind, said he was pleased to see the consultation from the Welsh Government.
It is fair to say that the current concentration of school holidays in the summer months results in inflated costs for childcare and family holidays, exacerbating the challenges faced during the cost of living crisis
Jason Elsom, Parentkind
“Our recent poll of 6,800 parents in Wales revealed that the majority of parents support a move to spread school holidays more evenly throughout the year, with 72% of lower income families in favour,” said Mr. Elsom.
“It is fair to say that the current concentration of school holidays in the summer months is resulting in inflated costs for childcare and family holidays, exacerbating the challenges faced during the cost of living crisis.”
However, Laura Doel from the National Union of Headteachers Cymru told the BBC there were more pressing issues facing schools in Wales.
He said: “When school staff are being made redundant to balance the books, when schools need to prioritize providing quality education for pupils and when we are deeply concerned about the recruitment and retention crisis, this should not be a priority for the government.”
