Petition
Reduce summer break to 5 weeks and allow flexible school holidays
Rejected
14 signatures
What the petition asks
Reduce the summer holiday from 6 to 5 weeks and allow schools to use the extra week flexibly during the academic year, outside exam periods and excluding Years 10 and 11 to allow full exam prep.
The six-week summer holiday is difficult for working parents to manage and costly for families. It can also make returning to school harder, especially for children with neurodiversities. A five-week summer break with a flexible week would ease childcare pressures, allow families to holiday outside peak times, and support smoother transitions for children back into school.
Why it was rejected
It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.
We can only accept petitions about things the Government or Parliament are directly responsible for.
Decisions about term dates are a matter for academy trusts, local authorities or governing bodies.
Decisions about term dates are a matter for academy trusts, local authorities or governing bodies.
Timeline
| 22 Sep 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 4 Nov 2025 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
14
Status
Rejected
Rejected
4 Nov 2025
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 17 Aug 2026.