HAMPSHIRE County Council has released the date for the school term and holidays for the academic year starting in September 2017.

In agreeing the dates, Peter Edgar, the county council’s executive member for education, considered the views of schools who were invited to comment on three proposed options.

He said: “For quite some time there has been significant, on-going national debate around school term times, particularly in relation to the cost of holidays and travel during the designated school holidays.

“For families with children in different schools, having to juggle conflicting dates for a family holiday can cause unnecessary inconvenience and stress. This can also be a problem for working parents, including school staff, who may have child care issues.

“The dates agreed aim to ensure that, as far as possible, there is co-ordination with the county’s further education colleges, that tend to follow our pattern, and also with neighbouring authorities.”

The agreed dates are:

n Autumn term 2017: September 4 to December 21, 2017 (half term October 23-27)

n Spring term 2018: January 4 to March 29, 2018 (half term February 12-16)

n Summer term 2018: April 16 to 23 July, 2018 (half term May28-June 1).

It is the local authority’s responsibility to plan for a school year, in voluntary controlled and community schools, that provides the statutory 190 days of schooling for children (195 teacher days to include professional development days).

Hampshire County Council’s aim is to ensure term lengths are balanced to provide structured periods of learning and include regular breaks for children and young people to be able to rest.

The dates set take into account Christmas, Easter and the GCSE and A-Level exam timetable.

The decision on school term and holiday dates was made at Mr Edgar’s decision day last Wednesday.