School where 85% of pupils are Asian gives children a two-week October half-term so they can visit Pakistan with their families

Wensley Fold Primary School, a Church of England academy in Blackburn, Lancashire, said the changes are being made after requests from parents to take their children out of school to visit relatives abroad.

The school, which until now has had a week off for the October half-term, said the changes would be introduced as a trial for the new school year in September.

Changes: Wensley Fold Primary School, pictured, has extended the October half-term break from one to two weeks to allow families to visit relatives abroad. The latest Ofsted figures reveal 85 per cent of pupils at the school are from minority ethnic groups

A statement on the school's website said the extra five days off would be made up at the start of the school year.

The latest Ofsted figures, from an inspection in 2006, show the school has an above average number of pupils from minority ethnic groups, with 85 per cent of pupils not speaking English as their first language.

That number was up from the 2001 inspection when 66 per cent of pupils were found to have English as an additional language.

There are currently 304 children on the school roll.

The new two-week autumn break at Wensley Fold Primary comes shortly after the government announced more freedom to allow headteachers set term dates.

In a letter a letter to parents, the governing body said the changes were being made in response to requests from families to visit their relatives abroad.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said October was the best time to visit family in Pakistan due to the more reasonable temperatures.

Temporary trial: A statement on the school's website, above, said the decision has been taken after 'many requests' from parents to take their children out of school to visit relatives abroad. The school says the changes, which will be brought into effect at the start of the next school year, will be trialled for 'one year initially'

Average daily temperatures in the capital Islamabad can reach 33C in the height of summer.

A letter to parents, published on the school's website, said: 'In light of the changes by the government to holidays in school time and the many requests we have from parents to take children out of school to visit relations overseas, the governors have decided to review the school holiday pattern 2014-2015.

'In October 2014 the school will close for two weeks from October 20 until October 31, instead of the usual one week closure. 

'The governors have decided that this will be a trial for one year initially and we would welcome feedback from parents in the future'

- Wensley Fold Primary School

'The five days will be made up at the beginning of the school year and we will of course, have to comply with the regulatory school openings.

'We are giving all parents as much notice as possible to book flights. 

'The governors have decided that this will be a trial for one year initially and we would welcome feedback from parents in the future.'

The changes in the government’s Deregulation Bill will pave the way for all individual schools to change the timing and duration of terms and holidays from 2015. 

Academies and free schools already have this power.

One union leader said piecemeal changes at individual schools would cause ‘chaos’.

Blackburn with Darwen NUT representative Simon Jones said: 'People may teach at one school, their kids go to another and their partner may teach at a third, so their holidays need to match.

'Siblings also often go to different schools. It causes so much family disruption.

'What is needed is a co-ordinated overall plan for term times, which isn’t trendy but it is true.'

The MailOnline approached the school for comment but no one was available.