How it works
The calendar runs from September to July and is split into terms. The next day coming up is highlighted so you can find it quickly.
Each day comes with one idea that you can run in five minutes of form time. If you would rather run a whole assembly or a full week, the ready-made resource is linked wherever there is one.
There is one A4 page for each term, with a column where you can write in who is leading each day. It works well pinned on the staffroom wall or saved in the pastoral team’s shared drive.
There are 42 dates here, and 26 of them are United Nations international days. Those are on the UN’s own list, so they are marked around the world, which makes them a good fit for international schools as well as UK ones. The rest are UK campaigns, worldwide days and a few moments in the school year itself.
Autumn term
September
International Literacy DayUN day
Hand out the reading bookmarks, and ask the form what the last book they chose for themselves was.
International Day of PeaceUN day
Ask what one thing would make the form room a more peaceful place to start the day, and agree it together.
October
Black History MonthUK
Once a week in form time, students choose one person to talk about for a minute, covering what they did and why it took courage.
International Day of Non-ViolenceUN day
The day falls on Gandhi’s birthday. Talk with the form about the difference between standing up to something and hitting back.
World Teachers’ DayUN day
Students write a short thank-you to a teacher who made a difference, and hand it over that day.
World Mental Health DayUN day
It falls on a Saturday this year, so mark it on Friday 9 October with an assembly, followed by a week of activities.
International Day of the GirlUN day
This falls on a Sunday, so bring it into form time on the Monday. Ask the form who decides what girls are good at, and whether that changes what they try.
World Food DayUN day
Ask the form what they usually eat before school, without any judgement, and talk about why a good breakfast helps concentration.
International Day for the Eradication of PovertyUN day
This falls on a Saturday, so mark it on the Friday. Talk about what a month’s wage covers, and how quickly it goes.
November
Armistice DayUK
Mark the two-minute silence at 11am, and explain it to the form the day before so nobody is caught out. Remembrance Sunday is 8 November.
World Kindness DayWorldwide
Start with an assembly on the Monday, then use form time during the week for a compliment, a postcard and a shout-out.
Anti-Bullying WeekUK
This year’s theme is Break the Silence, and the week opens with Odd Socks Day on Monday 16 November.
International Day for ToleranceUN day
This falls on the same Monday that Anti-Bullying Week begins. Ask the form where a joke stops being a joke.
World Children’s DayUN day
This marks the day the UN agreed children’s rights. Ask the form which right they think is most important, and why.
December
International Day of Persons with DisabilitiesUN day
Pick one thing in school that is harder than it needs to be for someone, and talk about what the form could change.
International Volunteer DayUN day
This falls on a Saturday, so mark it on the Friday by planning one small thing the form could do for someone else before the holidays.
Human Rights DayUN day
Put up one statement about rights and ask students to stand on a line between agree and disagree, depending on what they think.
Spring term
January
The New Year Values WeekSchool
The week starts with an assembly, then looks at one value a day in form time, building up to a goal, a plan and an evidence tracker.
International Day of EducationUN day
This falls on a Sunday, so bring it in on the Monday. Ask each student to name one thing they want to be true by half term.
Holocaust Memorial DayUN day
Mark this day with a quiet, carefully prepared assembly. Before you plan it, check the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s theme for the year.
February
Children’s Mental Health WeekUK
This week is run by Place2Be, and the 2027 theme is Step into Our World. Start with an assembly, then run something different every lunchtime.
Time to Talk DayUK
This is usually the first Thursday of February, so check Mind’s site nearer the time. On the day, pair students up and give each pair a question to talk about.
Safer Internet DayWorldwide
Ask the form what they spend their time on online, and what they would change if they could.
Valentine’s DayWorldwide
This falls on a Sunday, so run a kindness fundraiser in the week before, where students write notes for their friends.
World Day of Social JusticeUN day
This falls on a Saturday close to February half term, so mark it the week after. Ask the form whether fair is the same as equal, and let them debate it.
International Mother Language DayUN day
This falls on a Sunday, so bring it in on the Monday. Find out how many languages are spoken at home across the form, and how to say hello in each one.
March
World Book DayUK
Ask each student to recommend one book to the form in a single sentence.
International Women’s DayUN day
Students choose a woman they admire, famous or not, and say what she did that took courage.
Neurodiversity Celebration WeekWorldwide
Start from the idea that everyone’s brain works differently. Ask each student what helps them concentrate, and notice together how different the answers are.
International Day of HappinessUN day
This falls on a Saturday, so mark it on the Friday by adding one small win from the week to the board.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial DiscriminationUN day
This falls on a Sunday, so bring it in on the Monday. Ask the form what they would do if they heard a racist comment passed off as a joke.
Summer term
April
Earth DayUN day
The UN calls it International Mother Earth Day. Plant something together as a form and look after it until the summer.
May
Mental Health Awareness WeekUK
This is usually in the second or third week of May. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet, so check the Mental Health Foundation’s site nearer the time.
GCSE and A level exams beginSchool
The exam season starts around the middle of May. Give Year 11 and Year 13 something they can say to themselves before they go into each exam.
International Day of Living Together in PeaceUN day
This falls on a Sunday, so bring it in on the Monday. Ask the form what it takes for thirty people to share one room every morning.
World Day for Cultural DiversityUN day
Pair each student with the person they know least in the form, and give them two minutes each to find out something new about each other.
June
Pride MonthWorldwide
Many schools mark it with a display or an assembly on belonging, and on everyone being able to be themselves at school.
World Environment DayUN day
This falls on a Saturday, so mark it on the Friday. Agree one thing the form could stop wasting this term, and decide who will keep an eye on it.
International Day of PlayUN day
This is the newest UN day. Give form time over to a team quiz and let students simply enjoy it.
Refugee WeekUK
The week ends on World Refugee Day, 20 June. Ask the form what it would take to start again somewhere new, and what would help most.
Year 11 and Year 13 leaveSchool
This is usually in late May or June, depending on the exam timetable. The ready-made resource has five short cards for the form’s last week together.
July
Nelson Mandela International DayUN day
This falls on a Sunday near the end of term. Mandela Day asks everyone to give 67 minutes of their time to someone else, so ask the form how they could spend those 67 minutes.
Dates were checked against each organiser’s own site in September 2026. A day that falls at a weekend is best marked on the Friday before or the Monday after. Mental Health Awareness Week, the start of exams and leaving day depend on the year, so check those nearer the time.
A look inside
Get the printable
The download is six A4 pages. The first three are the wall chart, one per term, with every date, its value and the ready-made resource if there is one, a blank column for who is leading it, and spare rows for your school’s own dates. The last three give the idea for each day, so you can use the file on its own.
The Assembly Calendar
A wall chart and a page of ideas for each term, September 2026 to July 2027.
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