A COLNE primary school is sticking to Burnley and Pendle's traditional Wakes Weeks holidays -- despite being out of sync with the rest of the county.

Governors at Sacred Heart RC Primary School voted not to change holiday patterns next year after being overwhelmed by the number of parents who wanted to keep traditional term dates.

And today another headteacher, John Connelly of Holy Trinity RC Primary School, Brierfield, said if Pendle schools had stuck together they could have resisted the change imposed by County Hall.

Mr Connelly and Sacred Heart's headteacher Peter Cunningham, who abstained from the vote, claim not all parents were consulted before Lancashire County Council scrapped Wakes Weeks.

But the council's cabinet member for schools Coun Alan Whittaker said 25,000 copies of the consultation document were sent to schools, 500,000 copies of newsletter Vision contained details and people could find out about it online.

Mr Cunningham said: "The first the governing body knew about changes to the calendar was through the press. The school did not receive anything from the LEA.

"We asked parents' views and out of 70 parents representing 130 children who wrote back, only four or five said they wanted the change."

Sacred Heart is a voluntary aided school so governors can act independently of the LEA. A Salford diocesan spokesman confirmed it was up to the school to set holiday dates.

Meanwhile, Mr Connelly said parents at Holy Trinity voted to keep Wakes Weeks holidays but their views were not taken into account. He said: "We sent all our parents the consultation documents and we had a massive response for staying as we are. None of our comments from staff or parents made it on to the website.

"The majority of people in Pendle didn't want patterns to change. It was forced upon them.

"Seventy per cent want to stay as they are but they have been ignored. An awful lot of people aren't happy."

But Coun Whittaker said the council would not reconsider it's decision. He added: "Term dates for community schools across Lancashire were supported by the Anglican Diocese of Blackburn and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford.

"If Mr Cunningham wishes to respond to plans in the way he has done then that is his decision. It's interesting to see that John Fisher and Thomas More Roman Catholic School -- which Sacred Heart feeds pupils to -- is sticking to the diocesan advice of taking new holiday patterns.

"I'm sure Mr Cunningham will be able to explain to parents of children at both schools why they have to take different holidays.

"In terms of consultation, we notified all relevant parties including the schools and the districts -- it's significant to say that Pendle did not respond to our request.

"The matter has been discussed by the county council's overview and scrutiny committee, which was satisfied proper consultation had taken place. There are no plans to amend this decision."