How we check dates, and our sources

Official sources only

For each council we use its own term dates page, PDF calendar or approved committee report. For bank holidays we use GOV.UK. For exams we use Qualifications Scotland, which replaced the SQA in February 2026.

Sometimes a council site cannot be read, or a calendar is only an image. We then look for another official route. That could be the council's calendar file or a council school's published dates. If we cannot confirm a year, we leave it out and say so.

The date checked

Each council page shows the date we last checked its calendar. If the date is old, look at the council's own website as well.

What we check

1. The first and last day for pupils in each term.
2. Every holiday, including local holidays and long weekends.
3. All five in-service days.
4. That the pupil days add up to 190 for the year, as a cross-check.

What can change during the year

Councils sometimes change dates after publishing them. In-service days move most often.

Some in-service days are placed on polling days, when schools are used as polling places. These can move if election plans change. When a council flags a date as provisional, we say so on the council page.

Some schools also have local days off that the council list does not show. Your school's calendar is the final word.

Reporting an error

If a date on this site does not match your council or school, tell us through the contact form. Include the council, the date and where you saw the correct one. We check it against the official source and update the page.

Our sources

Every figure on this site comes from a public, official source. These are the bodies we rely on.

School holidays and term dates

Each council sets and publishes its own school calendar. We take dates from the council's term dates page, PDF calendar or approved committee report. Each council page shows its source and the date we last checked it.

Bank holidays

GOV.UK publishes the official list of bank holidays in Scotland.

Exams and results

Qualifications Scotland publishes the exam timetable, results day, grade boundaries and appeals dates. It replaced the SQA on 1 February 2026, and some of its documents still use SQA web addresses.

Schools and pupils

School counts, pupil numbers and class sizes come from the Scottish Government's pupil census, taken each September.

Teacher pay

Pay scales come from the SNCT, the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers, and the salary scales the EIS publishes.

Tax and deductions

Scottish income tax bands come from GOV.UK and the Scottish Government's budget. National Insurance and student loan rules come from GOV.UK.

Law

School leaving dates come from the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, published on legislation.gov.uk.

If you spot a figure that does not match its source, tell us through the contact form.

When we last checked each council