INSET days
These are training and development days for school staff. For maintained schools, there are 5 during each academic year.
Each year there are 195 school days and maintained schools can choose 5 INSET days which best suit them. So, pupils attend maintained schools for 190 days each year.
See the dates of all school terms and holidays.
Each school decides when its own INSET days are and will tell parents directly. Usually, they are taken at the beginning or end of a school holiday, but they can be arranged for any day of the school year.
Information about emergency school closures, restricted openings or other special arrangements, is on our School closures page.
Term-time absence
To do well, children and young people need to attend school. There is 14 complete weeks’ holiday in a school year and family holidays should be taken during these school holiday periods so that children’s education is not disrupted.
See the dates of all school terms and holidays.
Parents and carers may request leave during term time and the decision to authorise these requests rests with the child’s headteacher.
Requests are usually only authorised where there are exceptional circumstances preventing the holiday from being taken outside of term time.
For more information see the GOV.UK School attendance and absence web page.
