Half term in boarding schools

Posted on 30th October 2023 |

How do terms and half terms work in boarding schools?

The UK academic year is divided into three terms and each is named by the school – see below for some of the names used:

September term

This runs from September to December and is the first of the academic year. Here are the different names for this term:

Michaelmas
Christmas
Winter
Autumn
The First
Oration Quarter

January term

This term runs from January to end March and this is traditionally the shortest one – see below for the names used:

Lent
Hilary
Spring
Long Quarter

April term

This is the last term of the academic year and is the one to contain most of the external exams at different levels (although some are taken in November in some schools). The names for this term are:

The Final
Summer
Trinity
Cricket Quarter

You can find the exact dates by checking this government page

Half term in boarding schools will be different depending on the area. The half term holidays vary in the middle of each term (usually October, February and May) throughout the year and within each school:

One week for each term
A fortnight each term
A mid-week divided fortnight in the Michaelmas term

Schools normally close in these holidays and pupils are expected to go home or stay in homestays during these periods and this is where the guardianship company supports the pupils in the travel or the provision of homestay.

Some schools still have exeat weekends (or sometimes called duvet weekends) when the pupils are asked to leave the school for two nights or the school will cancel lessons on the Saturday and offer a quiet weekend in school. Each school varies. Occasionally schools will have a. “fixed weekend” and this is when all boarders (full and flexi) will need to board.

If you want to find out more about how school holidays work in the UK and how to approach half term in a boarding school, please get in touch. We offer guardianship packages to help with your child’s education.