In Scotland, each local authority sets its own terms and school holidays. The school year covers three terms and lasts at least 190 days (38 weeks).

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.

Local authorities publish school term dates on their own websites. The Scottish Government provides a list of links to school term information for all local authorities.

Term dates and holidays for independent schools are available from the schools themselves.

The school day and school week

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).