Languages
Ten minutes of English: make a tiny story together
One sheet of paper, three pictures and a few familiar words can turn language into a storytelling tool.
Parents & students
Learning & development
The electronic gradebook without stress: notifications, grades and talking to teachers
A few weeks into the school year the e-gradebook (e-dziennik) fills with grades, notes and messages. How to use it so it helps rather than feeds anxiety — and what rights parents have.
Learning & development
Before using a fact in a presentation: four questions about the source
A short method for learners who find answers in search, videos or AI tools and want to check them.
School & exams
14 October: National Education Day. Is there school, and how to thank teachers
On Wednesday Poland celebrates National Education Day. Under the Teachers' Charter it is free from lessons. What this means for parents, plus ideas for thanking teachers without expensive gifts.
Learning & development
Reading without negotiating over every page
A small family experiment that starts with your child’s interests and helps you find a suitable book.
School & exams
After-school activities: how to choose and how to tell when it's too much
September is sign-up month for sport, languages, music and clubs. How to choose activities, how much exercise children need according to WHO, how to fit in sleep and free time, and the signs that a schedule is overloaded.
School & exams
A teacher meeting that ends with a useful plan
How to prepare, ask practical questions and agree on next steps that support your child’s everyday learning.
Learning & development
Matura 2027: a study plan from September to May, month by month
The written matura starts on Tuesday 4 May 2027 and results come on 9 July. Eight months is plenty if well planned. A rhythm for the whole school year — from diagnosis in September to a calm April.
Learning & development
Less cramming, more remembering: a study plan for a normal week
Five practical steps to replace long evenings with a book with shorter sessions that have a clear purpose.
School & exams
First grade: getting through the first weeks without tears (the child's or yours)
Tomorrow is 1 September. For first-graders it's also the first year of the new core curriculum. What to expect, how the after-school club and grades work in grades 1–3, and how to support your child's adjustment.
Languages
Your first weeks in a Polish school: a family’s moving guide
Documents, school vocabulary, language support and everyday routines: where to begin without unnecessary confusion.
Languages
Ukrainian pupils in 2026/2027: the special act ends, general rules return
Special school rules for pupils from Ukraine applied until 31 August 2026. From September schools apply the general rules on educating foreigners from the Education Law. What this means: Polish lessons, preparatory classes, teaching assistants.
News
Poland’s 2027 eighth-grade exam dates are out. What should families plan?
CKE published the timetable on 20 August 2026. Save the three May dates and organise the coming months calmly.
News
From 1 September: phone ban in primary schools, new curriculum in grades 1 and 4, compulsory health education
The new school year brings several changes already published in the Journal of Laws. We gather them in one place: what applies, to whom, and what to expect in the first weeks.
Learning & development
Sleep before 1 September: getting back into the school rhythm in two weeks
In the holidays children go to bed and get up later. A sudden change on 1 September means tiredness in the first weeks of school. How much sleep children and teens need and how to shift the hours gradually.
School & exams
School supplies 2026: what you really need and how to apply for the PLN 300 'Good Start' benefit
Apply for the PLN 300 school supplies benefit by the end of August and ZUS will pay by 30 September. Plus a practical shopping list: what to buy before 1 September and what can wait until the first week of school.
News
Matura 2026: 81.1% of graduates passed. What next for resits
CKE has announced the matura results. 81.1% of this year's graduates passed all compulsory exams, and 12.3% may resit in August. Averages: Polish and maths 59% each, English 78%.
School & exams
Eighth-grade exam results are out. What to do next in admissions
Average 2026 eighth-grade exam results: Polish 65%, maths 55%, English 73%. Now the deadlines matter: delivering the certificate and results statement, possibly changing school choices, and confirming the place.
School & exams
Summer in the city: how to find cheap or free activities for your child in July and August
The holidays last until 31 August, parents' leave usually less. Using Warsaw's 'Summer in the City' as an example, we show how municipal day camps work and where else to look for activities and how to judge them.
News
The school year ends on 26 June. The 2026/2027 calendar is already known
On Friday 26 June pupils collect their reports, and the holidays last until 31 August. The ministry has also announced next year's calendar: start on 1 September, a new winter break split in 2027 and the end of classes on 25 June 2027.
Learning & development
Do children forget over the summer? What we really know about 'summer learning loss'
Before the holidays the question returns: do two months without school set children back? Research gives a less clear-cut answer than advice columns suggest. What is known, and a light summer rhythm without daily workbooks.
School & exams
Applying to secondary school: regional deadlines and how to get the application right
After the eighth-grade exam, applications to general secondary, technical and vocational schools are open. Deadlines vary by region — Mazowsze closes on 27 May, Wielkopolska on 29 May, Silesia on 22 June. A checklist so nothing is missed.
News
Eighth-grade exam 2026: three days, more than 393,000 registered pupils
Today at 9:00 eighth-graders start the exam with Polish. 393,338 pupils from 12,953 schools are registered. The plan for the three days, how long each paper lasts and the key dates afterwards.
News
Matura 2026 begins: Polish today, maths and foreign languages this week
About 344,800 people are taking the matura. The first exam — basic-level Polish — starts at 9:00 and lasts 240 minutes. The first week's plan and the rules in the exam room.
Comparisons
Online or in-person tutoring? What research says and how to choose
Before exams many parents look for a tutor. We compare online and face-to-face sessions: what is known about the effectiveness of one-to-one help, when a screen works and when a shared table is better, and what to look for in a tutor.
School & exams
The oral Polish matura 2026: how the exam works and how to prepare in the final weeks
The oral Polish matura takes place in May on dates set by each school. How it runs — up to 15 minutes to prepare, a monologue of up to 10 minutes and a conversation of up to 5 — and how to use the list of 76 published questions.
Languages
English in the eighth-grade exam: a plan for the final month
The foreign language exam is on Wednesday 13 May. What the paper looks like, where the points are, and how best to use five weeks — from listening to a short email.
Learning & development
Maths in the kitchen, the shop and on a walk: simple ideas for families
The Easter break (2–7 April) is a good time to count together without workbooks. What research says about maths at home, which activities work at different ages and why a parent's own anxiety matters.
School & exams
Secondary school admissions 2026: how to count points and the key dates
There are 200 points to earn: 100 from the eighth-grade exam and 100 from the report card. How to count them, what grades and achievements are worth, and what the admissions calendar looks like, using Mazowsze as an example.
School & exams
Poland’s new curriculum: check the year group before buying resources
The Ministry announced signed regulations on 12 March 2026. Primary-school implementation follows a phased approach.
Learning & development
Two months to the eighth-grade exam: what really helps with stress and results
The eighth-grade exam is on 11–13 May. Rather than more hours over the textbook, focus on methods research rates as effective: recalling from memory, spacing study over time, and sleep.
School & exams
General secondary, technical or vocational school? How an eighth-grader can choose
Eighth-graders face a decision about secondary school. We compare the three main routes, explain how to read schools' offers and what to check at open days before recruitment starts in spring.
School & exams
Enrolment to preschool and grade 1 for 2026/2027: who, when and on what rules
In February and March municipalities run enrolment to preschools and first grades. Which children start school in September 2026, how registration differs from recruitment, and which criteria count for preschool places.
Learning & development
Mid-year grades: what they mean, what your rights are and how to talk to your child
In many schools the first semester has just ended. What mid-year classification is, what the law says about transparency and justifying grades, and how to turn the mid-year report into a plan for the rest of the year.
School & exams
The winter break begins: how to find affordable activities for your child and how to judge them
From 19 January pupils in Mazowieckie, Pomorskie, Podlaskie, Świętokrzyskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie are on winter break, with other regions following in February. Where to look for holiday activities, what they may cost and what to check.
Languages
A bilingual child in a Polish school: supporting Polish without losing the home language
Pupils with limited Polish are entitled to free additional Polish lessons. How to use them, how to keep the home language alive, and what to avoid so the child doesn't feel pressure from both sides.
School & exams
Matura 2026: the schedule, the final declaration by 9 February and what to do now
The written matura starts on 4 May and results come on 8 July. Before that, students submit their final declaration in the ZIU system by 9 February. The key dates and rules.
Learning & development
Holidays without homework, but not without learning: reading, games and conversation for the Christmas break
From 22 to 31 December children have their Christmas break. It is a time to rest — and for learning that does not feel like school. Simple ideas for reading, counting and talking around the family table.
School & exams
Winter break 2026: dates by region and how to plan the two weeks
In the 2025/2026 school year the winter break is held in three rounds between 19 January and 1 March. Check when it falls in your region and plan childcare in good time.
News
The 'Compass for Tomorrow' reform: new core curriculum drafts are under consultation. What is to change and when
Until 18 December anyone can comment on draft core curricula for preschool and primary school. Under the ministry's plan, from September 2026 the changes will cover preschools and grades 1 and 4. The timeline, and what is not yet settled.
Learning & development
Homework in Polish primary schools: what the rules say now and how to organise learning at home
Since April 2024, grades 1–3 get no homework and in grades 4–8 homework is optional and ungraded. An evaluation showed mixed effects and there is still no decision on changes. How can families keep learning regular?
News
Health education: about 30% of eligible pupils attend the new subject
The Ministry of Education has published the first figures on the new subject. About 921,000 pupils attend health education — roughly one in three of those eligible. What the numbers show and what they mean for families.
Learning & development
The trial eighth-grade exam in January: how to use it well
The Central Examination Board (CKE) has set the trial eighth-grade exam for 12–14 January 2026. It is a diagnosis, not a grade. Here is how to prepare without stress and turn the result into a spring plan.
School & exams
No school in November? How school days off work in Poland and how to plan childcare
1 November falls on a Saturday this year, 11 November on a Tuesday, and many schools have a headteacher's day off on 10 November. Who decides about days off, when must the school provide care, and how can parents prepare?