Standardised School Year
The Department of Education and Science issued Circular 0016/2014 in late February 2014. The Circular sets out the standardised dates of the breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term in the first and second terms for the school years, 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017
Standardised School Year 2020-21
October 2020 mid-term break All schools will close from Monday 26th October 2020 to Friday 30th October 2020 inclusive. Christmas 2020 All schools will close on Tuesday 22nd December 2020, which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on Wednesday 6th January 2021. February 2021 mid-term break All primary schools will close on Thursday 18th February 2021 and Friday 19th February 2021. (Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5 day break for the period from Monday 15th February 2021 to Friday 19th February 2021 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.) Post-primary schools will close from Monday 15th February 2021 to Friday 19th February 2021 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the February mid-term break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 17th February 2021. Easter 2021 All schools will close on Friday 26th March 2021, which will be the final day of the school term, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the Easter break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 31st March 2021. All schools will re-open on Monday 12th April 2021.
Standardised School Year 2021-22
October 2021 mid-term break All schools will close from Monday 25th October 2021 to Friday 29th October 2021 inclusive. Christmas 2021 All schools will close on Wednesday 22nd December 2021, which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on Thursday 6th January 2022. February 2022 mid-term break All primary schools will close on Thursday 24th February 2022 and Friday 25th February 2022. (Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5 day break for the period from Monday 21st February 2022 to Friday 25th February 2022 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.) Post-primary schools will close from Monday 21st February 2022 to Friday 25th February 2022 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the February mid-term break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 23rd February 2022. Easter 2022 All schools will close on Friday 8 th April 2022 which will be the final day of the school term, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the Easter break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 13th April 2022. All schools will re-open on Monday 25th April 2022.
Standardised School Year 2022-23
October 2022 mid-term break All schools will close from Monday 31st October 2022 to Friday 4th November 2022 inclusive. Christmas 2022 All schools will close on Wednesday 21st December 2022, which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on Thursday 5th January 2023. February 2023 mid-term break All primary schools will close on Thursday 16th February 2023 and Friday 17th February 2023 (Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5 day break for the period from Monday 13th February 2023 to Friday 17th February 2023 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.) Post-primary schools will close from Monday 13th February 2023 to Friday 17th February 2023 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the February mid-term break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 15th February 2023. Easter 2023 All schools will close on Friday 31st March 2023, which will be the final day of the school term, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the Easter break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 5th April 2023. All schools will re-open on Monday 17th April 2023.
Guidance for schools for making up for time lost due to unforeseen closures
1. The school authority should, in the first instance, quantify the number of
school closures that have occurred.
2. The school authority should, in consultation with the Principal and teachers, assess the effect of the loss of tuition and identify any shortfalls that have occurred as a result of the unforeseen closures.
3. The school authority should consult with the Principal and teachers with a view to ensuring that the curriculum for each class/year group can be completed before year end. Subject to consensus at local level, any changes to normal practice that can be made to facilitate such work should be put in
place. A non-exhaustive list of possible examples of how this might be achieved include:
4. If necessary, the school authority should review the school calendar with a view to identifying any available discretionary days that the school had planned to close that could be made available to make up the loss. In this regard, the school authority should take into account the need to provide
adequate notice of any changes to the school calendar to pupils, parents and staff.
5. In cases where a school has been affected by extensive or prolonged school closures (e.g. due to weather, etc.) and where the school authority considers that the above measures will not adequately address the loss in tuition involved, the school authority may, having established what arrangements for school transport may or may not be feasible if other schools are remaining closed, decide to implement either or both of the following contingency arrangements:
6. The school authority should consider the implications of any measures identified for pupils, teachers, parents and other staff and also other parties such as school transport, bus escorts, traffic wardens, visitors to the school, etc.
7. The school authority should consult and communicate with the school community as early as possible on this matter.
http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0016_2014.pdf
Standardised School Year 2020-21
October 2020 mid-term break All schools will close from Monday 26th October 2020 to Friday 30th October 2020 inclusive. Christmas 2020 All schools will close on Tuesday 22nd December 2020, which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on Wednesday 6th January 2021. February 2021 mid-term break All primary schools will close on Thursday 18th February 2021 and Friday 19th February 2021. (Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5 day break for the period from Monday 15th February 2021 to Friday 19th February 2021 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.) Post-primary schools will close from Monday 15th February 2021 to Friday 19th February 2021 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the February mid-term break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 17th February 2021. Easter 2021 All schools will close on Friday 26th March 2021, which will be the final day of the school term, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the Easter break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 31st March 2021. All schools will re-open on Monday 12th April 2021.
Standardised School Year 2021-22
October 2021 mid-term break All schools will close from Monday 25th October 2021 to Friday 29th October 2021 inclusive. Christmas 2021 All schools will close on Wednesday 22nd December 2021, which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on Thursday 6th January 2022. February 2022 mid-term break All primary schools will close on Thursday 24th February 2022 and Friday 25th February 2022. (Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5 day break for the period from Monday 21st February 2022 to Friday 25th February 2022 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.) Post-primary schools will close from Monday 21st February 2022 to Friday 25th February 2022 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the February mid-term break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 23rd February 2022. Easter 2022 All schools will close on Friday 8 th April 2022 which will be the final day of the school term, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the Easter break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 13th April 2022. All schools will re-open on Monday 25th April 2022.
Standardised School Year 2022-23
October 2022 mid-term break All schools will close from Monday 31st October 2022 to Friday 4th November 2022 inclusive. Christmas 2022 All schools will close on Wednesday 21st December 2022, which will be the final day of the school term. All schools will re-open on Thursday 5th January 2023. February 2023 mid-term break All primary schools will close on Thursday 16th February 2023 and Friday 17th February 2023 (Primary schools may use 3 discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a 5 day break for the period from Monday 13th February 2023 to Friday 17th February 2023 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.) Post-primary schools will close from Monday 13th February 2023 to Friday 17th February 2023 inclusive unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the February mid-term break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 15th February 2023. Easter 2023 All schools will close on Friday 31st March 2023, which will be the final day of the school term, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures. Where contingency arrangements are required a school authority may reduce the length of the Easter break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 5th April 2023. All schools will re-open on Monday 17th April 2023.
Guidance for schools for making up for time lost due to unforeseen closures
1. The school authority should, in the first instance, quantify the number of
school closures that have occurred.
2. The school authority should, in consultation with the Principal and teachers, assess the effect of the loss of tuition and identify any shortfalls that have occurred as a result of the unforeseen closures.
3. The school authority should consult with the Principal and teachers with a view to ensuring that the curriculum for each class/year group can be completed before year end. Subject to consensus at local level, any changes to normal practice that can be made to facilitate such work should be put in
place. A non-exhaustive list of possible examples of how this might be achieved include:
- Prioritising tuition over other non-tuition activities
- Reducing where possible the length of mock/house examinations
- Consideration of whether learning in the classroom should be prioritised over school tours, etc.
- In the case of second level schools ensuring examination classes attend all classes to the end of May.
4. If necessary, the school authority should review the school calendar with a view to identifying any available discretionary days that the school had planned to close that could be made available to make up the loss. In this regard, the school authority should take into account the need to provide
adequate notice of any changes to the school calendar to pupils, parents and staff.
5. In cases where a school has been affected by extensive or prolonged school closures (e.g. due to weather, etc.) and where the school authority considers that the above measures will not adequately address the loss in tuition involved, the school authority may, having established what arrangements for school transport may or may not be feasible if other schools are remaining closed, decide to implement either or both of the following contingency arrangements:
- The February mid-term break may be reduced by up to three days subject to the requirement that all schools must be closed on the Thursday and Friday of the week in which this break falls
- The Easter break may be reduced by up to three days by the school remaining open up to and including the Wednesday immediately preceding the Easter weekend. All schools must be closed on the Thursday and Friday immediately preceding the Easter weekend and remain closed for the remainder of the Easter break as set out in Appendix A of this circular.
6. The school authority should consider the implications of any measures identified for pupils, teachers, parents and other staff and also other parties such as school transport, bus escorts, traffic wardens, visitors to the school, etc.
7. The school authority should consult and communicate with the school community as early as possible on this matter.
http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0016_2014.pdf