Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry began functioning on September 1 every year with the arrival of its students by Hogwarts Express and the Sorting Ceremony. The school was similar to most British schools in terms of schedule as it had a three-term system with holidays in between during Christmas and Easter. The school year ended with the End of Term examinations and a long drawn-out summer vacation followed for nine weeks before the new academic year started.