School terms, holidays and closures

Guidance and services

• Approved school term dates 2024 to 2025
  Local authorities agreed the dates with schools and provided them to Welsh Ministers.
• Approved school term dates 2023 to 2024
  Local authorities agreed the dates with schools and provided them to Welsh Ministers.
• Approved school term dates 2022 to 2023
  Local authorities agreed the dates with schools and provided them to Welsh Ministers.
• Holidays in term time: frequently asked questions
  Guidance for parents and carers who are considering booking a holiday during term time.
• Holidays in term time: letter to headteachers
  Guidance on the discretionary power to authorise up to 10 days absence.
• School term and holiday dates: explanatory memorandum
  Details of the minister's decision on school term and holiday dates for 2016 to 2017.
• School closures: examinations
  Advice for schools and colleges on arrangements when severe weather conditions affect exams.
• Approved school term dates 2021 to 2022
  Local authorities agreed the dates with schools and provided them to Welsh Ministers.
• Notification of school term dates: template
  Local authorities should use this template to notify Welsh Ministers of term dates.
• Reform of the school year
  Find out about the work that is exploring changes to the school year.
• Opening schools as well as childcare and play settings in extreme bad weather and extreme hot weather
  Guidance for headteachers as well as childcare and play providers about what to consider during extreme bad weather and periods of extreme hot weather.
• Emergency planning and response guidance for education and childcare settings
  How educational and childcare settings should plan for and deal with emergencies, including significant public health incidents and severe weather.

Policy and background Includes strategy, reports, projects and assessments.

• The Maintained Schools (Amendment of paragraph 7 of Schedule 17 to the Coronavirus Act 2020) (Wales) Regulations 2020
  Legislation
  These Regulations amend Schedule 17 to the Coronavirus Act 2020 to enable the Welsh Ministers to make a notice to temporarily dis-apply the required procedures in changing school session times and relating to consultation on school organisation proposals.
• The Education (Notification of School Term Dates) (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020
  Legislation
  These Regulations extend the deadline for notifying the Welsh Ministers of proposed school term dates.
• The Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020
  Legislation
  These Regulations amend The Education (School Day and School Year) (Wales) Regulations 2003.
• Notices disapplying changing school session time requirements
  Legislation
  Temporarily removes the requirement for governing bodies and local authorities to comply with procedures for changing school session times.
• Exploring reform of the school year Beaufort Research report: attitudes towards school year reform in Wales
  Report
  Research and engagement activity to help inform our understanding of current perceptions, appetite for change and implications of reforms to the school year.
• The Structure of the School Year: impact assessments
  Impact assessment
  An assessment of how the structure of the school year will impact teaching and learning.