No school in November? How school days off work in Poland and how to plan childcare

What we know about November 2025

All Saints' Day, 1 November, falls on a Saturday this year, so it does not shorten the school week. National Independence Day, 11 November, is a Tuesday. That leaves Monday 10 November squeezed between the weekend and the holiday, and that is the day most parents are asking about.

There is no nationwide day off school on 10 November. The Prime Minister made it a day off for members of the civil service, in exchange for the holiday that falls on Saturday, but that decision covers government officials, not schools. Whether pupils have lessons on Monday depends on the head of each school.

Who sets additional days off

The rules are in the regulation on the organisation of the school year (rozporządzenie w sprawie organizacji roku szkolnego). After consulting the school council — or, where there is none, the teachers' council, the parents' council and the student council — the headteacher may set additional days without teaching (dni wolne od zajęć dydaktyczno-wychowawczych). A primary school may have up to 8 such days per school year; a general secondary school (liceum), a technical school (technikum) or a vocational school (szkoła branżowa) up to 10.

These days are usually used for exam days (the eighth-grade exam, the matura, vocational exams), for religious holidays that are not public holidays, or for other days justified by how the school works or by local needs. A day between a weekend and a public holiday is a typical example of the last category.

• The school must tell teachers, pupils and parents about the days off set for the year by 30 September.
• Making up a day off on a Saturday is a separate procedure that needs the consent of the school's governing authority.

A day without lessons is not a day the school is closed

The key point for working parents: on days off set by the headteacher, the school must organise supervised care activities (zajęcia wychowawczo-opiekuńcze) and inform parents that children may attend. In practice this usually means the after-school club (świetlica) or activities run by teachers on duty.

There are no lessons and no new material, but children are not left without supervision. Schools often ask parents in advance how many children will come so they can plan staff. Answer such surveys on time.

How to check your school

The most reliable source is the school-year calendar or the headteacher's order, published on the school website or in the electronic gradebook (e-dziennik). Many schools also state there whether the świetlica is open that day and until what time.

• Look in the e-dziennik for a September message listing the days off.
• Check whether 10 November is marked with 'care activities' or 'świetlica'.
• If your children attend different schools, check each one — the decisions are independent.
• If in doubt, ask the class teacher (wychowawca) or the school office, preferably in writing.

If you work: a day off for the Saturday holiday

Under the Polish Labour Code, a public holiday that falls on a Saturday reduces working time, and employers should give staff another day off. Some will choose 10 November, others a different day in the settlement period. Ask your employer now and compare the answer with the school calendar.

People on civil-law contracts or working B2B do not have this entitlement, so for them the school's care activities may be the simplest solution.

A plan for the long weekend

If your child stays at home, the day off does not have to be about catching up. A short, calm plan is enough: a walk, reading together, sorting out the school bag before the rest of November. It is also a good moment to talk about how the first two months of school have gone.

Before going back after 11 November, check the e-dziennik for announced tests. They are easy to forget after a long weekend.