School opening hours
The start and end times of the compulsory school day and the total time this amounts to in a typical week, including breaks but not after-school activities. Maintained schools and academies should both publish them.
Check this on my websiteWho it applies to
- Published on
- The school's own website
- School type
- Academies and maintained schools
- School stage
- All stages, from early years to sixth form
- Does not apply to
- No school types are excluded
When is it due?
- Renewal
- No fixed date
The official sources set no renewal date. Keep it accurate whenever it changes.
What's needed
Publish the school's opening and closing times and the total hours in a typical week, on the about-us or contact page (guidance says schools should).
What it must contain
3 parts- States the total weekly opening hours, including breaks but not after-school activitiesShould
- Gives the official start time of the compulsory school dayShould
- Gives the official end time of the compulsory school dayShould
What the official sources say
Set out in 2 official sources:
What maintained schools must or should publish online
Schools should publish the: – official start time of the compulsory school day – official end time of the compulsory school day – total time this amounts to in a typical week, including breaks but not after-school activities
Should§ School opening hours > What schools should publish
What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
Academies should publish the: – official start time of the compulsory school day – official end time of the compulsory school day – total time this amounts to in a typical week, including breaks but not after-school activities
Should§ School opening hours > What academies should publish
Questions schools ask
Does every school have to publish the school opening hours?
Academies and maintained schools should publish it.
When does the school opening hours need to be published?
Renewal: No fixed date. The official sources set no renewal date. Keep it accurate whenever it changes.
What must the school opening hours include?
States the total weekly opening hours, including breaks but not after-school activities; Gives the official start time of the compulsory school day; Gives the official end time of the compulsory school day.
Where does the requirement for the school opening hours come from?
It is set out in What maintained schools must or should publish online and What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online.
Changes to the official sources
Dated change notes published by the Department for Education on the sources above.
5 September 2022 · What academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish online
Page updated to show what academies, free schools and colleges must or should publish in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Includes new sections on ‘School uniforms’ and ‘School opening hours’, and changes elsewhere.
5 September 2022 · What maintained schools must or should publish online
Page updated to show what maintained schools must or should publish in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Includes new sections on ‘School uniforms’ and ‘School opening hours’, and changes elsewhere.
We last checked these sources on 21 September 2026.
Is this on your school's website?
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Official sources last checked 21 September 2026 · register version 1.0.4