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An independent boarding preparatory school in Marton is making waves with its newly introduced mid-term breaks.
Huntley School’s headmaster Sam Edwards said the school decided to trial a mid-term break last year after seeing a decline in the energy and wellness of students as the term neared an end – and it worked so well the school is continuing it this year.
Most state schools across the country typically start the year with a 12-week term, followed by a two-week set of school holidays.
Huntley School was, up until last year, working with the regular state school terms, followed by three-week holiday breaks due to having classes on Saturdays.
Huntley School students now have a mid-term break to help with their wellbeing and achievement.
However, in a 10-week term for example, the new approach means Huntley School will teach for five weeks, have a week off and then teach for another five weeks to complete the term.
Edwards said this gave the students a much-needed reprieve before jumping back into the busy schedule of a “typical Huntley week.
“Research shows that microbreaks are important to integrate into your day to improve performance, motivation, and concentration.
“Our mid-term break acts as the microbreak students need to achieve their best throughout the term.”
Edwards said a key focus within Huntley School’s curriculum was wellbeing and, while exercise, food and nutrition were all key aspects to physical wellbeing, taking time to simply rest and reset was an essential element for mental wellbeing.
Huntley School headmaster Sam Edwards.
“At Huntley School, we have seen student achievement levels and engagement increase through to the end of terms, rather than fade off as observed when we had the traditional term structure.”
By shortening the three-week holiday to two weeks, the academic slide or loss of skills over the break, which most often occurred in reading levels, was also reduced.
Edwards said all of this contributed to greater academic success by the end of the year.
“An evidence-based approach to education and the ability to adapt to changes in what we know works best for students is just one of the benefits of attending an independent school like Huntley.”
Edwards said changing term dates came with challenges, such as the provision of childcare, but “the success evidenced by Huntley School’s trial shows it is a worthy goal to aspire to”.
Edwards said the decision to introduce a mid-term break was well-received by the school community.
“Just as teachers saw the need from students for the recharge, so too did parents.
“Now as it’s a fully integrated programme, parents view the break as a holistic approach to wellbeing, ensuring that students are ready to learn and achieve their best for the full term.”
Edwards said Huntley School was sharing the model with other schools across New Zealand and was “excited to share its success with schools interested in learning more”.
Massey University Institute of Education’s Maximiliano Pierret, who specialises in neurodiversity and inclusive education, said while the mid-term breaks might be beneficial for some students, they might not be for others.
Pierret said while a break could help some children gather more energy, other students who may be used to a routine of studying may find it difficult.
Pierret said it would be a bit of trial and error for the school and he hoped it would continue to consult with the students.
“It’s the whole thing about giving a voice to the students, but also not just a voice, but making sure that voice is given influence.”
