Plans to cut the school summer holiday from six to five weeks have been shelved by the Welsh Government following strong opposition from teaching unions.

Responding to the Welsh Government's announcement that no changes to the school year will take place during the current Senedd term, Laura Doel, national secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru, said: “We opposed the proposed reforms to the school year from the outset, and therefore welcome this announcement and thank the new cabinet secretary for education for listening to the profession.

“Changes of this magnitude cannot be taken on a whim and need to be supported by really strong evidence that this would benefit pupils, but no such evidence was forthcoming.

“While we dispute the Welsh Government’s perception that responses to the proposals in its consultation were mixed, we are pleased that the profession has been given an assurance that there will be no changes to the school year during this Senedd term.

“This should never have been a priority, especially amid other reforms to the curriculum and alternative learning needs (ALN) provision. We are grateful to the cabinet secretary for being brave enough to put much more pressing issues to the top of her agenda rather than pressing ahead with a reform which would have had no benefit to learners.”

If the proposals had gone ahead, the half term break in October 2025 would have been extended to a fortnight, with a five week rather than six week holiday in summer 2026.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have also welcomed the news that there will be no immediate changes to school calendars in Wales.

Commenting, the Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Jane Dodds MS said: “I am pleased to hear that the Welsh Government has listened to the serious concerns raised over these proposals.

“Changes of such a seismic scale risked adding further pressure onto the shoulders of teachers and schools that are already being weighed down by the long-lasting impact of Covid on education.

“Any future reforms must be seriously scrutinised, and stress tested so that we know our children are receiving the very best education possible.”