The school day and term dates
In Scotland, each education authority sets its own terms and school holidays. The school year covers three terms and lasts at least 190 days (38 weeks).
The Scottish Government produces a list of all school term dates and holidays across Scotland each year. Term dates and holidays 2008-09 and 2009-10 are available online, or from the Scottish Government Education Directorate on 0131 244 4485.
The school year
The school year usually begins in the second or third week of August. There are breaks of one or two weeks in October and at Christmas and Easter. Some education authorities have a short break in mid-February.
Schools also have a number of single day holidays, in line with Scotland's system of local holidays. The school year ends around the end of June.
Term dates and holidays for independent schools are available from the schools themselves.
The school day
The usual length of the week for most school pupils is
- Primary schools – 25 hours (usually with reduced hours for infants).
- Secondary schools – 27 hours. Some areas have eight 40-minute periods, with subjects involving practical work taking place over two periods. Many other schools have a five or six periods, with each period lasting around an hour.