How we check school dates

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.

When we last checked each council