In-service training days are arranged at the discretion of the school governors but are usually held at the start and end of term, or appended to a half term holiday.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has set up a national project entitled ‘The Standard School Year’ which aims to standardise the school year into six equal terms. To date, 17 of the 33 London boroughs have agreed that they will introduce this model by 2005 -2006, Newham being the only London borough to have introduced it for 2004-5.

The academic school year is currently planned on a three-term model running from September - December, January - March, April - July.

A school year is made up of 195 days of which pupils have to attend for 190 days, with teachers receiving their entitlement of school based professional development for the other 5 days.

The governors of a school set the school calendar a year in advance, in accordance with the dates advised bythe DfES and their Local Education Authority (LEA).