School term dates

Local Authorities set the school working pattern for community and voluntary controlled schools.

We set standard school term dates according to the principles below which we ask Academy, Foundation and Voluntary Aided Wigan schools to follow but they are not obliged to do so. Please contact the school directly or access their website for details of term dates.

School working pattern principles

A school working pattern of 193 days will be set to include:

  • 190 pupil days
  • Two fixed inset days (start of autumn and spring terms)
  • One inset day to be determined by schools in their consortia to take place within the summer term
  • The remaining 2 inset day equivalent will be arranged individually by schools
  • The academic year will begin in September
  • Autumn half term will be the last full week in October
  • There will be a minimum two week Christmas break wherever possible
  • Spring half term will be the third full week in February
  • The Easter break will be set as near to the first two weeks of April as possible but will always include the bank holiday weekend
  • The Whitsun, summer half term break, will be the last week in May following the bank holiday
  • There will be a 6 week summer break wherever possible
  • Part weeks will be kept to a minimum but where necessary will be no fewer than 3 pupil days

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