11KBW members have always covered both English and Welsh education law issues. In recent years, Welsh education law (as a devolved area) has become a distinct body of law. (Joanne Clement covers some of the key issues in Welsh education law in her recent paper and a number of us spoke at a Welsh Local Authority Training Consortium event in Cardiff in April.)
Summer holidays are the current ‘hot’ topic in both England and Wales. In England, the draft Deregulation Bill would allow governing bodies, instead of local authorities, to set term dates for their school (see paragraph 3 of Schedule 14). Academies, free schools, voluntary-aided and foundation schools already have the ability to set their teaching hours and term dates. This proposal would give the same powers to maintained schools in England from September 2015. In contrast, the Education (Wales) Bill proposes to harmonise term dates across all maintained schools in Wales. Unfortunately neither the English nor the Welsh approach guarantees sunshine…
Rachel Kamm, 11KBW