The Portuguese School Calendar

The school year at a glance

The Portuguese school year runs from mid-September to mid-June, divided into three terms (períodos).

• Term 1: mid-September to mid-December (~13 weeks)
• Term 2: early January to late March (~11 weeks)
• Term 3: early April to mid-June (~10 weeks)

Main holidays

Plan trips and family visits around these — they are predictable but vary by 1–2 weeks year to year.

• Christmas: ~2 weeks, late December to early January
• Carnival: long weekend (Mon-Tue) in February or early March
• Easter: ~2 weeks around the Catholic Holy Week
• Summer: mid-June to mid-September (~12 weeks)
• Plus all national holidays (1 May, 10 June, 5 October, etc.)

Typical daily schedule

Public and private schools differ noticeably:

• Public primary: 9:00–15:30 with a long lunch (12:30–14:00)
• Public secondary: 8:30–17:30 in split shifts depending on year
• International schools: 8:30–15:30 with shorter (45–60 min) lunch
• ATL (after-school care) in public primary until 18:00 or 19:00 for ~€40–€80/month

Lunch at school

Hot lunch (almoço) is the default everywhere. Public schools serve from a state-set menu for €1.50–€2.50, free for ASE Escalão A/B (low income). International schools provide either a hot canteen (~€6–€9) or kids bring lunch.

Extracurriculars

AECs (Atividades de Enriquecimento Curricular) — sports, music, English, computing — are offered for free in public primary schools, usually 14:00–17:30. International schools charge separately, typically €30–€100/term per activity. Weekend club options are everywhere: futebol, swimming, judo, ballet, surf in the coastal cities.