Kent families could be forced to take split Easter breaks this year - as schools in different parts of the county opt for separate dates.

Now Easter holidays in Medway have been branded a 'nonsense' as some families face difficulties with childcare or planning a holiday.

It is one of the first times the majority of children at schools in the towns will be taking their half-term break at a different time to those in the rest of the county.

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While schools in Kent start a two-week holiday from Friday March 25, those in Medway will return to class after the long Easter Weekend before beginning their fortnight off on Monday April 4.

Gravesend-based independent education adviser Peter Read has criticised the arrangements.

He said: "I don't think it makes any sense at all, and I think those schools that voted for it when they look back on this, will say they made a mistake.

"Some Medway schools have seen that it doesn't make sense and are following the Kent pattern so we've got chaos and parents are not going to respond well to this."

The former headteacher also believes children's education will be affected by the disrupted timetables and thinks many parents could decide to take their children on holiday anyway.

He added: "I think there will be a lot of absenteeism over those four days in Medway schools.

"It's a nonsense to go off for four days, back for four days and then have a two-week holiday.

"Children are not going to be focussing on their work - they're getting over a holiday, they've got another one in a couple of days' time.

"I think it's going to be a dead time for teaching and learning. It'll be very difficult for teachers to motivate children, what a waste."

Mum-of-three Donna, 46, from Halling has two children at a junior school run by Medway Council and an older child at a KCC run secondary school in Maidstone.

She says the Easter arrangements this year mean they can't spend any time together: "I didn't even look at it to be honest, I just assumed they were off at the same time. It was only one of the other parents who informed me and now I'm stuck with different holidays.

"I'm a single parent and one of my children is going on holiday with his dad for one of the weeks so I don't get a week with my three boys together.

"It's the first time it's happened, they always usually have the same holiday. It's crazy."

A Medway Council spokesman said: "Term dates are consulted upon with all Medway schools including academies and a significant majority voted in favour of the slightly later Spring Break of 1 - 15 April. We also give schools the opportunity to state other dates if they do not agree with any options put forward by the local authority.

"The Medway dates follow guidance as set out by the LGA and the South East authorities, and academies can decide on their own dates.

"Kent County Council was one of the consultees when we were looking at this and we received no response."

A Kent County Council spokesman said: "In Kent we set the school holidays three years in advance and consult with all neighbouring authorities, schools, teaching staff, unions and parents.

"Increasingly school governing bodies set their own school holiday dates as more of them become academies and free schools. We are currently consulting on the three years from 2017 to 2020."