West Lothian pupils will enjoy a seven-week summer holiday in 2027/28 after councillors approved a new school calendar. The extra week before the start of the school year corrects a gradual creep backwards towards the start of August under the long-running holiday schedule.
Details of the New Calendar
The new calendar also shifts Easter holidays to the two weeks before Good Friday. In a report to the Education Executive, customer services manager Hannah Haywood told councillors that aligning holidays with neighbouring authorities was not possible, despite many requests from parents.
The report stated: “In October 2024 a survey was issued to pupils, teaching and non-teaching school staff, parents, and carers. The survey was about the options for breaks at Summer, October, and February. The most popular option from the survey was for 6 weeks in summer, one week in October and one week in February. This pattern of holidays has been used since, but with a six-week summer break each year the start of the session was gradually getting earlier, so the proposal for the 2027/28 session includes a 7-week summer break beforehand. This does not impact on the number of teaching days in the session.”
Reactions from Schools and Parents
Among the schools that responded to a new consultation, pupils at Harrysmuir Primary favoured the longer summer break to enjoy summer weather and the later start in August, allowing them to attend the Edinburgh Festival and Book Festival. However, the report highlighted concerns from Linlithgow Academy Parent Council that the longer break is not helpful for parents needing childcare or for children with additional support needs, as it can be difficult to re-establish routines after a long break.
The February week-long holiday has also been contentious since its introduction. Many parents find it difficult to take time off work, and few families can afford a holiday a month after Christmas expenses. The report added: “Those in favour felt that it was a tiring term for pupils and the week long holiday was needed, but those against cited the poor weather, impact on pupils undertaking exams, disruption to the routine for pupils with ASN.” For some senior students, the week break comes just before crucial exams.
Term Dates for 2027/28
The new term dates for 2027/28 are as follows: Resume: Wednesday 18 August. September weekend: Friday 17 – Monday 20 September. October week: Monday 18 October – Tuesday 26 October. Christmas Holidays: Wednesday 22 December – Wednesday 5 January 2028. February half term: Monday 14 February – Tuesday 22 February. Easter: Monday 3 April – Tuesday 18 April. May Day: Monday 1 May – Wednesday 3 May. Local holidays: Bathgate Academy and feeder primary schools plus St Mary’s, Bathgate & St Columba’s PS: Bathgate Procession Monday, 5 June 2028. Linlithgow Academy and feeder primary schools plus St Joseph’s Primary School, Linlithgow: Linlithgow Marches Tuesday, 13 June 2028.
