YearMap helps schools understand and keep track of pupil days as part of proper academic year planning. Define term dates, mark holidays, INSET days and closures, and let YearMap structure the calendar so pupil days are always clear and accounted for.
A straightforward explanation for school staff and administrators
Pupil days are the days on which pupils are expected to attend school. They are the working days that fall within term time, once you have removed weekends, bank holidays, school holidays, INSET days and any other closures.
Schools need a reliable way to track pupil days because the number directly affects how the academic year is structured and communicated. When term dates shift or an extra closure is added, the pupil day count changes, and that needs to be visible at a glance.
YearMap helps schools structure their academic calendars so that pupil days are always calculated in context, based on the term dates, holidays and non-pupil-day events that have actually been planned.
Pupil Days = Term Days − Weekends − Bank Holidays − School Holidays − INSET Days − Closures
Always up to date: In YearMap, the pupil day count updates automatically whenever you change a term date, add a closure, or mark an INSET day. There is no separate total to maintain.
How pupil days are affected
Term start and end dates set the outer boundary of the school year
Bank holidays and school holidays remove days from the count
INSET days are in-school days but are not pupil days
Unexpected closures reduce the final total further
The remaining days are the pupil days for the academic year
100%
Free for UK schools
SSO
Google & Microsoft login
PDF+ICS
Two export formats
How YearMap Calculates Pupil Days
Structure your academic calendar properly and pupil days become easy to see
YearMap approaches pupil day tracking through proper academic calendar structure. Rather than asking you to enter numbers manually, it guides you through building the calendar itself, and the pupil day count emerges from that structure automatically.
You start by defining the academic year and setting term start and end dates for autumn, spring and summer. From there, you add holidays and closures, mark non-pupil-day events such as INSET days, and assign everything to clearly labelled categories. As the calendar fills out, pupil days are tracked based on what you have actually planned.
This means the calendar is always the source of truth. Any change to a closure date or INSET day is immediately reflected in the overall picture. There is no separate spreadsheet to maintain and no manual additions to worry about.
No number-crunching required: YearMap counts pupil days for you as a natural outcome of the calendar structure. You simply plan the year and the totals appear automatically.
How to Plan Pupil Days in YearMap
Five steps to a fully structured calendar where pupil days are always clear
1
Set the academic year
Choose the academic year and confirm the overall start and end dates. This gives the calendar a clear outer boundary before any events are added.
2
Add term dates
Enter the start and end date for each term: autumn, spring and summer. Term dates form the core structure that pupil days are counted within.
3
Mark holidays, closures and INSET days
Add school holidays, unexpected closures and INSET days to the calendar. Each type is categorised clearly so you can see at a glance how they affect the pupil day picture.
4
Review the calendar structure
Check the full calendar layout to make sure term dates, non-pupil days and closures are all correctly recorded before exporting or sharing.
5
Export and share the finished calendar
Export to PDF for printing and distribution, or generate an ICS file for digital calendars. Share access with staff directly from within YearMap.
For full step-by-step guidance on each stage of the wizard, see the YearMap documentation.
Features That Support Pupil Day Planning
Every tool you need to organise your school year and understand pupil days clearly
Academic year planning
Set the boundaries of the school year and build the full calendar structure from a single starting point.
Term date management
Define autumn, spring and summer term dates to form the structured backbone of the academic calendar.
Holiday & closure handling
Add school holidays and unexpected closures so they are accounted for within the pupil day total.
INSET day planning
Mark INSET days separately from teaching days so they are visible without affecting the pupil day count.
Bank holiday support
England & Wales bank holidays can be included automatically so they are part of the overall picture.
Sharing with staff
Share the finished calendar with colleagues using view-only or editable access so everyone works from the same source.
Share and Export Your School Calendar
Once your academic calendar is planned, get it into the hands of the people who need it
Export to PDF
Generate a professional PDF of your school calendar, including pupil day information, for printing, notice boards and parent communications.
Export to ICS
Download an ICS file and import your academic calendar into Outlook, Google Calendar or your school website, keeping term dates in sync.
Share with staff
Give colleagues access within YearMap using view-only or editable permissions. Everyone works from the same calendar and pupil day information.
Who This Is For
YearMap is designed for anyone responsible for academic calendar planning in a UK school
Primary schools
Secondary schools
Academies
Trusts
School administrators
Office teams
Need More Help?
Find detailed guidance, get in touch with our team or browse the support centre
Common questions about pupil day planning with YearMap
A pupil day is any day on which pupils are expected to attend school. It is a day that falls within term time, excluding weekends, bank holidays, school holidays, INSET days and any other closures. Schools use the total number of pupil days to plan and communicate the academic year.
In YearMap, you calculate pupil days by building the calendar properly rather than entering numbers manually. Set the academic year, add term dates, and mark all holidays, closures and INSET days. YearMap uses that structured calendar to show the pupil day total based on what you have actually planned. Any changes you make to the calendar are reflected immediately.
Yes. YearMap lets you add INSET days, school holidays, unexpected closures and other non-pupil-day events. Each type is assigned to a clearly labelled category so the calendar is easy to read and the distinction between pupil days and non-pupil days is always visible.
Yes. Once your calendar is complete, you can export it to PDF for printing and distribution, or to ICS for importing into Outlook, Google Calendar and other calendar platforms. The PDF includes the pupil day count and is formatted for professional use.
Yes. Calendars can be shared with other members of staff directly within YearMap. You control the access level for each person, either view-only or editable, so the right people can see or update the calendar without any risk of unwanted changes.
Start Planning Your Academic Year
Organise term dates, mark closures and INSET days, and keep all your pupil day planning in one structured, shareable place with YearMap.
