CHESHIRE schools which were on the Easter break at the time of the royal wedding bank holiday are taking the day off at a later date.

Overleigh St Mary’s CE Primary in Handbridge took its extra day last week because staff and pupils were already scheduled to be off school when the bank holiday fell.

Due to school activities it had not been possible to take it until last Friday.

Greg Foster, of Cheshire West NUT, said teachers were entitled to the extra bank holiday along with the rest of the country.

He added: “The school teacher’s year is controlled by the Pay and Conditions Act which says we have to be in work for 195 days altogether. A temporary change in the law was made this year so all teachers work 194 days.

“They had to do that otherwise people who taught that day couldn’t have taken their day off and it had to apply equally to all teachers.”

To those who think teachers get too many holidays, Mr Foster had this message: “Try doing it! It’s exhausting.

“The amount of preparation and marking you have to do, particularly targets setting assessments, performance moderation. All these things come in and keep coming in and they never take anything away. It’s just an exhausting job.”

Council spokeswoman Shirley Wingfield said: “Teachers are normally contracted to attend school on 195 days in the year. Like other workers the royal wedding created an entitlement to an extra bank holiday, bringing this down to 194.

“Over the Easter period, some schools were closed on the day of the royal wedding and their staff are therefore entitled to have an alternative non-working day which could, in accordance with the Government advice, be taken in the summer term.”