School term dates 2024: Summer holidays in full across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

• The summer holidays are still weeks away for English and Welsh families.
• But they’re already underway for their Scottish and Northern Irish peers.
• Northern Irish students will enjoy an extra long summer holiday.
• The new school year could begin from mid-August through to September, depending on where you live.

Some of the most loved weeks of the year, the six-week summer holidays are almost here for England’s primary and secondary school students.

But that long awaited day when the school term finally ends is not the same everywhere, with huge variety possible depending on what country or even local authority area you live in. In some parts of the UK, children are already free to soak up what little summer sun there is to be had so far - with a trade-off for some of school being back in session weeks earlier.

So when will school be out at last for English and Welsh students? And with some variety between different councils or schools possible, where can you find accurate information for your area? Here’s everything parents need to know:

England & Wales

The last day of the school year can vary by council or local authority area and even by individual schools in England and Wales. However, the six-week summer holiday almost always begins in late July - running until the start of September.

For many local authority areas this year, it appears the last day of term will be Wednesday, 24 July. This means the summer holidays will begin in earnest on Thursday, 25 July.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the 2024 summer holidays are already underway for most students, having begun on 1 July. Northern Irish pupils usually get two more weeks off that their British counterparts, although some of their other breaks throughout the year are shorter.

The new school year will begin for students in two months time, on Monday, 2 September.

Scotland

In general, Scotland’s school years start and end earlier than England and Wales. Scottish schools and local authorities can also have slightly different term start and end dates from each other.

This year, the last day of term for many council areas was Friday, 28 June. The summer holidays will end and the new school year will begin around 14 August.

The beginning and end of the holidays can vary somewhat depending on where you live. To find out the exact term dates for your local authority area in England or Wales, you can enter your postcode online here. For Scotland, you can select your council area from the online list here.