Term dates are very important for schools. They decide when holidays will start and end. As a result, students would want to know when the term dates are so they can plan ahead and know the structure of the year.
Secondary schools will start around the beginning of September. This ultimately depends on your local council, but usually start within the first week of September. This also depends on which country you are in. Different cities and countries start around different times and offer different term times. For example, London’s term dates are usually 1 week earlier than that of Birmingham, and Scotland offering more differences.
However, there are also the holidays and other term dates that need to be discussed, and also the differences between the different nations. You should read on to find out about the different dates in different countries and cities, and the rest of the term dates.
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When do schools start in 2024?
The start date of your school depends on your local council, and schools. In England, nearly all of the schools will start before the first week of September. Your local council decides term dates for the schools that it runs.
The council also allocates a certain number of days, reserved for teacher training. As a result, you should look at your local council’s website. If you live in England or Wales, you can click on this link to the Governments page to find your local councils term dates. If you live in Scotland you can click on this link, and if you live in Northern Ireland you can click on this link.
When do academies start in 2024?
Academies differ to normal schools. They are not run by the local council, so do not have to follow their term dates. As a result, academies structure their term differently to normal schools, and also change the start and end of certain holidays. If this is your case, you should refer to your school’s website or teachers to get the term dates. However, even if your school is an academy, it would follow dates similar to the local council.
How is the school year structured?
Pupils spend 190 days of the year in school. Secondary schools are separated into 3 terms, with each term being split into half terms. Half-terms have holidays that last 1 school week, and end of terms have holidays lasing 2 school weeks.
The end of the summer term, also known as the end of the school year, has a holiday that lasts around 6 weeks. Each local council allocates the number of days given for teacher training days. This is usually around 5 days a year.
What are the secondary school term dates?
Each city differs so you should check your local council with the links above. The first term is known as the Autumn term. This starts around the start of September and ends before Christmas. The half term is around the middle of this, around the middle or end of October.
The next term is the Spring Term. It starts around 2 weeks after the end of the Autumn term. This is usually around the start of January. It ends around the middle or end of March. The half term is around the middle/start of February.
The next term is summer term. This starts around 2 weeks after the end of Spring term and ends around the end of July. The half term is around May.
The term dates differ depending on your local council and your school. You can use these links to view this. If you live in England or Wales, you can click on this link to the Governments page to find your local councils term dates. If you live in Scotland you can click on this link, and if you live in Northern Ireland you can click on this link.
Why do schools start in September?
Schools start in September due to a very old law. The Education Act of 1880 states that all children should attend school. It then chose September as the starting month, as this was the month where all the harvesting was complete. Back then, farming was very prominent, and children would often help out on the farm. The farming schedule took precedence over nearly everything back in those days, but now it has changed. However, the rule still remains.
In this article we have discussed different term dates, and the differences between the different cities and nations. We hope you have learnt about this, and good luck for the year ahead.