Dear Parent/Carer/Learner
Consistent Timetable Structure Across Secondary Schools
At the Dumfries and Galloway Council Education, Skills and Community Wellbeing Committee meeting held on Friday 8 November, members agreed with the officer recommendations not to move to a 4½ day week for primary and secondary schools in Dumfries and Galloway.
Elected members had previously agreed at Education and Learning Committee on 14 September 2023, that officers should work with Headteachers of secondary schools to move to a timetable structure in order to allow all our learners to have the widest course choice possible.
From June 2025, all secondary schools will adopt a standardised timetable structure. This will promote an increase in the range of subjects offered and an increase in equity of the offer in all schools. Young people in S4, S5 and S6 will have the opportunity to study up to 7 subjects in S4 and for almost all young people in S5 and S6, 5 subjects. The number of courses selected by each young person will take into account their individual abilities, aspirations, and prior achievements, with decisions made on a personalised basis.
The School Day
The secondary school day will commence at 8:50am and conclude at 3:20pm.
Each day will consist of 7 periods of 45 minutes each, along with one 15-minute check in period, a 15-minute break, and a 45-minute lunch break.
The transition to a single timetable structure for the curriculum and the school day will ensure that every young person in Dumfries and Galloway has access to daily check-ins, and where appropriate, the ability to select the most suitable study pathway from a range of courses across schools, in collaboration with Dumfries and Galloway College and other educational providers.
Officers will continue to collaborate with secondary school Headteachers to prepare for the implementation of the new timetable, beginning in June next year.
Jim Brown
Assistant Director Schools (Chief Education Officer)
