In all 4 nations of the UK from N Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England school children require to attend school for a certain amount of days & weeks, hours each academic year. The UK education system results in all local authority council education departments decide the actual school year start, end and holidays which results in different school weeks timing.
Scotland, England, Wales UK school year has 3 terms split into 6 half terms over 39 weeks (195 days) including 5 days teacher inset training, with N Ireland 40 weeks 200 days schooling days year.
How long is a term in school UK? 3 terms, each term is 13 weeks long, academic year is split into 6 half terms six weeks long with school holidays in between.
How many months in a school year UK? There are 9 academic months in each school year from September to July with 3 months school holidays spread throughout the year.
How many school days & weeks in a year UK
- Scotland school year has for 38 weeks over 190 days for pupils (plus 5 days inset teacher training days) split over 3 terms and divided into 6 half terms with school holidays for pupils and teachers in between.
The school year in Scotland starts second Monday of August until last week of June. Scottish councils set different Bank holidays/national holiday dates to other UK schools.
- England school year has 39 weeks or 195 days (5 days inset days) over 3 terms split into 6 half terms with school holidays between terms. Academic school English year starts first Monday of September to end of second week in July.
- Northern Ireland school year has 200 school days & 40 weeks an academic year over 3 terms with holidays in between.1st term starts from early September to 3rd term to end of June. 200 school days includes inset staff training days when pupils are off on these days.
- Wales’s school year is 190 days over 39 weeks and 5 additional teacher and school staff INSET days training in the academic year. The Wales school year is split in 3 terms and half terms 6 weeks apart with school holidays in between.
“The standard terms and conditions for teachers provide for 195 working days, of which 190 are teaching days” in Wales, UK.
What is school inset days?
Primary and secondary schools in UK have 5 inset days (In service training) each year for teacher that is mandatory for local government maintained school to hold and teacher & staff to attend. School is closed on inset days and pupils get the day off.
Inset teacher training days are for teacher, teaching assistants and all support staff who receive guidance & training in safeguarding, child protection & other educational issues. The school normally chooses to hold one day inset training throughout the year to provide important educational updates to all staff.