In the UK, the school year is divided into three or six terms, and runs from September to July. The dates for these terms vary from one school district to another and are set by local authorities. The three-term system has breaks within the terms as well as between. The six-term system breaks between terms.
The six terms and breaks follow this pattern, with specific dates being set locally:
- Term 1: September – October (one-week break)
- Term 2: October – December (two-week break)
- Term 3: January – February (one-week break)
- Term 4: February – March (two-week break)
- Term 5: April – May (one-week break)
- Term 6: June – July (six-week summer break)
In addition to the general breaks between terms, students also take bank holidays, which include New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and others. The exact choice of bank holidays varies, depending on the country, for instance, Northern Ireland also takes St. Patrick's Day and Scotland takes St. Andrew's Day.