A SECONDARY school is pulling out of Brighton and Hove’s two-week October half-term scheme.

Cardinal Newman in Hove has opted out of the council’s extended autumn break, which aims to give families the chance to go on holiday and spend time together outside of the expensive summer peak.

Headteacher James Kilmartin said the decision was being made to give Year 11 and Year 13 pupils more studying time in the build up to their exams.

He claims it will allow the children to make maximum progress ahead of crucial GCSEs and A-level sittings to help them get apprenticeships and university places.

However, Brighton and Hove City Council has said the extra week of holiday will not reduce the number of teaching and learning days pupils receive, as changes have been made to the start and finish of the three main terms.

The decision for the additional week's holiday was made after a consultation with parents and teachers at the children, young people and skills committee last year.

It is a two-year plan, and future term dates will be reviewed at the end of the period.

Catholic school Cardinal Newman, who took part in the scheme this year, is the first to go against the initiative, which has been applied to both primary and secondary schools.

Mr Kilmartin said: “Following a detailed discussion at the full governing body in September we have decided to revert to a one week half-term in October 2018.

“We always opposed the move to a two-week October half-term, mainly because it means that our Year 11 and Year 13 students get one week’s less teaching in the run up to their public exams.

“Our October half-term in 2018 will run from October 22 to 26, and we expect students to be back in school on October 29 at 8.40am.

“We can then get on with the business of teaching and learning, enabling our students to make great progress and achieve the qualifications which will enable them to move on to the most appropriate post 16 courses and to take up places at the best universities and in high quality apprenticeships.”

The council took into consideration the term times of schools in neighbouring authorities around East and West Sussex.

The remaining term times for Brighton and Hove schools in this academic year are: spring term, which runs from January 2, 2018 to March 29 with the half-term break from February 12 to 16; summer term begins on April 12 to July 24, with half-term from May 28 to June 1.