Isle of Wight children will have an extra day off at Christmas, thanks to The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
It was announced by the government last year that a four-day holiday would be added, in June 2022, to allow the nation to come together to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign.
It will be the first time any British monarch has reached the milestone.
IWC decides where the extra day goes
Due to the way local authorities work out school calendars, it has allowed the Isle of Wight Council to decide where to add the extra day off.
With the national celebration in June poised to fall at the end of the May half term, when children will already be on holiday, the Isle of Wight Council has agreed to add the extra day off to the start of the Christmas holidays.The decision followed comments from schools that they would like the festive break to be longer, allowing staff and pupils a chance to recharge their batteries between the first and second terms of the school year.
Longer festive break
Feedback on the plans to add 22nd December to the Christmas break was mixed, however.
Some headteachers suggested giving schools the flexibility to choose when they could use it, while another said it should be added to the start of the summer holiday instead.
Unanimous vote
The Isle of Wight Council cabinet last night (Thursday) unanimously voted, however, to change the term time dates to the following:
- Autumn Term: starts Tuesday, 31st August 2021 and ends on Tuesday, 21st December (Half term from Monday, 18th October to Friday, 29th October)
- Spring Term: starts Tuesday, 4th January 2022 and ends on Friday, April 8 (Half term from Monday, 21st February to Friday, 25th February )
- Summer Term: starts Monday, 25th April and ends on 22nd Friday, July (Half term from Monday, 30th May to Friday, 3rd June)
With the following Bank and Public Holidays:
- Christmas Day – 25th December 2021
- Boxing Day – 26th December
- New Year’s Day – 1st January 2022
- Good Friday – 15th April
- Easter Monday – 18th April
- May Day Holiday – 2nd May
- Spring Bank Holiday – 2nd June
- Platinum Jubilee Holiday – 3rd June
- Summer Bank Holiday – 29th August
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Kimberly Farmer under CC BY 2.0
