Are schools in Wakefield closing early for Christmas? Latest as government says schools can close earlier than planned ahead of holiday

Schools across England have begun announcing early closures ahead of the Christmas holidays, following a government ruling that they can move a pre-planned inset day to this month.

School leaders were last week told they would need to remain on call for six days after the start of the holidays to assist with track and trace and notify contacts of any positive cases in their school community.

Speaking at a meeting of the education committee last week, schools minister Nick Gibb said that schools in England would be allowed to move an inset day to the last day of term to help give a "clear six days" between the end of term and Christmas Eve.

He said: "[School staff] have worked phenomenally hard in keeping the school’s hygienically safe for pupils, in particular.

"We want there to be a clear six days so that, by the time we have reached Christmas eve, staff can have a proper break without having to engage in the track and trace issues.

"We are about to announce that inset days can be used on Friday 18 December, even if an inset day had not been originally scheduled for that day."

As a result, an inset day scheduled for 2021 may not go ahead as planned, Mr Gibb said.

It means that schools in England, including in Wakefield and the Five Towns, will be allowed to close for the holidays on Thursday, December 17, instead of Friday, December 18 as planned.

The decision on whether or not to close has been left up to individual schools and academy trusts, who have been confirming their decisions in letters to parents.

In a letter to parents, Elizabeth Fairhurst, chief executive of Northern Ambition Academies Trust, which runs Airedale Academy in Castleford, said: "To ensure that staff get the time off they need and deserve, schools have been advised to use an additional INSET day, changing Friday 18th December to a non-teaching day, in which the school is closed to all staff and pupils.

"As a result, for all schools in the Trust, the last day of term will now be Thursday 17th December.

"Schools will be closed to staff and pupils on Friday 18th December and your child’s school will communicate their plans for the last day of term directly to you."

But Kettlethorpe High School and Mackie Hill Junior & Infant School, in Wakefield, both confirmed that their plans had not changed in the wake of the announcement, and the schools would remain open on Friday, December 18 as planned.

Check with your child's school or education provider to find out when they break up for the Christmas holidays.