Parents and families can now plan ahead after South Lanarkshire Council approved school holiday dates for the 2027/28 academic session. The dates were rubber-stamped at the council’s recent education committee, following a consultation exercise last month involving parents and carers.
Consultation Results
A survey drew 519 responses from parents, carers and other stakeholders, and just over two-thirds — 68 percent — supported the proposed calendar. Councillors agreed that pupils will return to school on Tuesday, August 17, 2027, with teachers back two in-service days earlier on Friday, August 13.
Key Dates for 2027/28
Term one ends Tuesday, December 21. Term two begins Wednesday, January 5, 2028, with a two-day February break on February 14 and 15, an in-service day on Wednesday, February 16, and pupils returning Thursday, February 17. Term ends Friday, March 31, at 2.30pm. Spring break runs from Monday, April 3, to Monday, April 17. Term three begins Tuesday, April 18, following Easter Monday, with the last day of school on Tuesday, June 27, at 1pm. The proposed restart date for 2028/29 is Monday, August 14, 2028.
Variations for Lanark Schools
Schools in Lanark have a slight variation — instead of closing on the May weekend dates of Friday, May 26, and Monday, May 29, they will be closed on Thursday, June 8, and Friday, June 9, 2028.
Factors Considered
Lynn Sherry, the council’s head of education, told the committee that three main factors had been considered when drawing up the dates. She said: “We’ve considered our legal requirements under the Education Scotland Act that we must have 190 days of learning per year, trying to look at the benefits for parents in being as close as we can to holiday arrangements at other neighbouring authorities, and then the views of our parents on the dates proposed.” She highlighted that while the council’s education system currently has more than 40,000 children, the consultation had generated around 520 responses – with the majority in support.
Minority Concerns
Among the minority who did not support the calendar, the most common themes were a preference for a longer October break, a desire for a more even spread of holidays across the year and concerns about the positioning of in-service days. However, the education officer confirmed these views would not change the 2027/28 dates, though they would be considered in future planning cycles.
Future Adjustments
Lynn Sherry told the committee: “There’s the possibility of a further two in-service days coming up in 2027/28 and that’s connected nationally to the allowance of teachers to have some further time to review the new national curriculum improvement agenda. It’s also worth noting that that might be implemented in 2026/27 as well. So if we receive information from the Scottish Government, our timetable will be adjusted accordingly.” The holiday dates will now be published on the council website, school websites and school handbooks.
