We set term dates to make sure children get the most out of their time at school. We set them based on 7 principles.
1. School and teacher representatives set an annual window of 196 days. Schools must divide the days between:
- 190 days pupil attendance
- 5 professional development days
- 1 day for occasional holiday
2. When 2 weeks are set they should include 3 weekends.
3. School terms should be in full weeks Monday to Friday. If this isn't possible, there should be at least 2 working days.
4. All half-terms must be full weeks.
5. The Christmas break should contain 2 full weeks where possible.
6. Holidays should be as close to neighbouring counties as possible.
7. The year 7 taster day for new secondary school pupils must be the second Thursday in July.