Three in 10 prep schools are considering changing or have changed their term dates because of the pandemic, Tes can reveal.

In a survey by the Independent Association of Prep Schools last week, 22 per cent of schools reported they were considering changing their term dates, while 8 per cent said they had already planned to do so.

And 82 per cent of schools considering or making a term date change said they would adjust Easter holiday dates.

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Some schools have decided to have their half-term holiday earlier or are considering doing so. Some are extending the half-term break so that next term starts later.

Coronavirus: Schools changing term dates to maximise face-to-face teaching

Making the Easter holidays shorter is another option prep schools have looked at.

For the 70 per cent of 250 respondents who said they would not change their term dates, schools cited reasons such as the ongoing uncertainty around when schools would reopen more widely, the effectiveness of remote learning, and concerns over how changes would impact parents and staff who had already made plans for the holiday period.

But for schools considering a change to their term dates, many commented that they wished to maximise face-to-face teaching time as online learning fatigue set in.

Some said they would be providing summer schools as well as implementing term date changes, while others had changed their term dates a long time ago, with one school increasing its term times over the next five years.

There has been growing speculation over how term dates or school days can be altered to help pupils recover lost learning time.

Earlier this month, the government reportedly considered plans to lengthen the school day, or alter the school calendar to include a longer Christmas break, to cut the risk of further disruption from the coronavirus.

IAPS chief executive Christopher King said: “All schools are trying to respond to an evolving situation in the best possible interest of their pupils, parents, teachers and staff.

“The majority of schools are opting to not make further changes which could cause issues in this already uncertain time - for example, for working parents who have already booked time off over the holidays or for teachers who have children at other schools.

“On the other hand, around a third of schools believe a change to their originally published dates will allow them to maximise potential face-to-face time with their pupils, with some having even moved to change them as early as last year.

“Fortunately, while nothing beats classroom learning, online learning is proving effective for IAPS schools. So, no matter the dates, whether at school or at home, learning continues.”