School HolidaysEngland School Holidays, Half Term & Term Dates

England School Holidays, Half Term & Term Dates 2026 - 2027

Stay ahead of the school calendar with this complete guide to England school holidays and term dates in 2026 and 2027. Whether you're a parent arranging time off, a teacher planning lessons, or a student counting down to summer, this page has everything you need.

School term dates in England can vary depending on the local authorities and the type of school; therefore, please verify the exact dates with your school.

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What's the next school holiday in England?

23 Jul - 31 Aug

Summer

Starts in 14 days

England School Holiday Dates Table 2026 - 2027

The next school holiday in England is the Summer holiday, running from 23 July to 31 August. After that, the Autumn Half Term holiday will take place from 26 October to 30 October.

TermHoliday Dates
Spring Half Term17 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2025
Easter7 Apr 2025 - 21 Apr 2025
Summer Half Term26 May 2025 - 30 May 2025
Summer23 Jul 2025 - 31 Aug 2025
Autumn Half Term27 Oct 2025 - 31 Oct 2025
Christmas22 Dec 2025 - 2 Jan 2026
Spring Half Term16 Feb 2026 - 20 Feb 2026
Easter30 Mar 2026 - 10 Apr 2026
Summer Half Term25 May 2026 - 29 May 2026
Summer23 Jul 2026 - 31 Aug 2026
Autumn Half Term26 Oct 2026 - 30 Oct 2026
Christmas21 Dec 2026 - 1 Jan 2027

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England School Term & Half Term Dates Table 2026 - 2027

The current school term in England is the Summer, running from 13 Apr 2026 to 22 Jul 2026.

TermTerm DatesHalf Term Dates
Spring6 Jan 2025 - 4 Apr 202517 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2025
Summer22 Apr 2025 - 22 Jul 202526 May 2025 - 30 May 2025
Autumn1 Sep 2025 - 19 Dec 202527 Oct 2025 - 31 Oct 2025
Spring5 Jan 2026 - 27 Mar 202616 Feb 2026 - 20 Feb 2026
Summer13 Apr 2026 - 22 Jul 202625 May 2026 - 29 May 2026
Autumn1 Sep 2026 - 18 Dec 202626 Oct 2026 - 30 Oct 2026

Differences in School Holiday Calendars Across the UK

School term dates and holidays aren't the same everywhere in the UK, they're managed differently depending on where you live. Here's how it breaks down by nation:

  • England & Wales: Term dates are usually set by local councils, but academies and free schools have the flexibility to create their own calendars. This means dates can vary even within the same area.
  • Scotland:Each local authority in Scotland sets its own dates. There's more regional variation here, even within the same term.
  • Northern Ireland: Term dates are more consistent across schools and are often set by the Education Authority. This means fewer differences between schools.

Always check directly with your local council or school website to confirm exact term dates.

List of Local Authorities in England with Term Date Pages

Local AuthorityMore Information
Bedford Borough Councilhttps://www.bedford.gov.uk/
Central Bedfordshire Councilhttps://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/
Bracknell Forest Borough Councilhttps://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/
Reading Borough Councilhttps://www.reading.gov.uk/
Slough Borough Councilhttps://www.slough.gov.uk/
West Berkshire Councilhttps://www.westberks.gov.uk/
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenheadhttps://www.rbwm.gov.uk/
Wokingham Borough Councilhttps://www.wokingham.gov.uk/
Buckinghamshire Councilhttps://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/
Milton Keynes City Councilhttps://www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/
Cambridgeshire County Councilhttps://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/
Peterborough City Councilhttps://www.peterborough.gov.uk/
Cheshire East Councilhttps://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/
Cheshire West and Chester Councilhttps://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/
Halton Borough Councilhttps://www.halton.gov.uk/
Warrington Borough Councilhttps://www.warrington.gov.uk/
Cornwall Councilhttps://www.cornwall.gov.uk/
Bristol City Councilhttps://www.bristol.gov.uk/
Darlington Borough Councilhttps://www.darlington.gov.uk/
Durham County Councilhttps://www.durham.gov.uk/
Westmorland and Furness Councilhttps://www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/
Derby City Councilhttps://www.derby.gov.uk/
Plymouth City Councilhttps://www.plymouth.gov.uk/
Torbay Councilhttps://www.torbay.gov.uk/
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Councilhttps://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/
Dorset Councilhttps://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/
East Riding of Yorkshire Councilhttps://www.eastriding.gov.uk/
Kingston upon Hull City Councilhttps://www.hull.gov.uk/
Brighton and Hove City Councilhttps://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/
East Sussex County Councilhttps://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/
Essex County Councilhttps://www.essex.gov.uk/
Southend-on-Sea City Councilhttps://www.southend.gov.uk/
Gloucestershire County Councilhttps://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/
South Gloucestershire Councilhttps://www.southglos.gov.uk/
London Borough of Barking and Dagenhamhttps://www.lbbd.gov.uk/
London Borough of Barnethttps://www.barnet.gov.uk/
London Borough of Bexleyhttps://www.bexley.gov.uk/
London Borough of Brenthttps://www.brent.gov.uk/
London Borough of Bromleyhttps://www.bromley.gov.uk/
London Borough of Camdenhttps://www.camden.gov.uk/
London Borough of Ealinghttps://www.ealing.gov.uk/
London Borough of Enfieldhttps://www.enfield.gov.uk/
Royal Borough of Greenwichhttps://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/
London Borough of Hackneyhttps://www.hackney.gov.uk/
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulhamhttps://www.lbhf.gov.uk/
London Borough of Haringeyhttps://www.haringey.gov.uk/
London Borough of Haveringhttps://www.havering.gov.uk/
London Borough of Hillingdonhttps://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/
London Borough of Hounslowhttps://www.hounslow.gov.uk/
London Borough of Islingtonhttps://www.islington.gov.uk/
London Borough of Lewishamhttps://lewisham.gov.uk/
London Borough of Mertonhttps://www.merton.gov.uk/
London Borough of Redbridgehttps://www.redbridge.gov.uk/
London Borough of Suttonhttps://www.sutton.gov.uk/
London Borough of Tower Hamletshttps://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/
London Borough of Waltham Foresthttps://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/
London Borough of Wandsworthhttps://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/
Bolton Councilhttps://www.bolton.gov.uk/
Bury Councilhttps://www.bury.gov.uk/
Oldham Councilhttps://www.oldham.gov.uk/
Rochdale Borough Councilhttps://www.rochdale.gov.uk/
Stockport Councilhttps://www.stockport.gov.uk/
Tameside Councilhttps://www.tameside.gov.uk/
Trafford Councilhttps://www.trafford.gov.uk/
Wigan Councilhttps://www.wigan.gov.uk/
Portsmouth City Councilhttps://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/
Southampton City Councilhttps://www.southampton.gov.uk/
Herefordshire Councilhttps://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/
Isle of Wight Councilhttps://www.iow.gov.uk/
Isles of Scilly Councilhttps://www.scilly.gov.uk/
Kent County Councilhttps://www.kent.gov.uk/
Medway Councilhttps://www.medway.gov.uk/
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Councilhttps://www.blackburn.gov.uk/
Lancashire County Councilhttps://www.lancashire.gov.uk/
Leicestershire County Councilhttps://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/
Lincolnshire County Councilhttps://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/
North East Lincolnshire Councilhttps://www.nelincs.gov.uk/
North Lincolnshire Councilhttps://www.northlincs.gov.uk/
Knowsley Councilhttps://www.knowsley.gov.uk/
Liverpool City Councilhttps://www.liverpool.gov.uk/
Sefton Councilhttps://www.sefton.gov.uk/
St Helens Borough Councilhttps://www.sthelens.gov.uk/
Wirral Councilhttps://www.wirral.gov.uk/
Norfolk County Councilhttps://www.norfolk.gov.uk/
Middlesbrough Borough Councilhttps://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk/
North Yorkshire Councilhttps://www.northyorks.gov.uk/
North Northamptonshire Councilhttps://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/
West Northamptonshire Councilhttps://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/
Nottingham City Councilhttps://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/
Nottinghamshire County Councilhttps://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/
Oxfordshire County Councilhttps://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/
Shropshire Councilhttps://www.shropshire.gov.uk/
Telford and Wrekin Councilhttps://www.telford.gov.uk/
Bath and North East Somerset Councilhttps://www.bathnes.gov.uk/
North Somerset Councilhttps://www.n-somerset.gov.uk/
Somerset Councilhttps://www.somerset.gov.uk/
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Councilhttps://www.barnsley.gov.uk/
Doncaster Councilhttps://www.doncaster.gov.uk/
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Councilhttps://www.rotherham.gov.uk/
Sheffield City Councilhttps://www.sheffield.gov.uk/
Stoke-on-Trent City Councilhttps://www.stoke.gov.uk/
Suffolk County Councilhttps://www.suffolk.gov.uk/
Gateshead Councilhttps://www.gateshead.gov.uk/
Newcastle City Councilhttps://www.newcastle.gov.uk/
North Tyneside Councilhttps://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/
Sunderland City Councilhttps://www.sunderland.gov.uk/
Warwickshire County Councilhttps://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/
Birmingham City Councilhttps://www.birmingham.gov.uk/
Coventry City Councilhttps://www.coventry.gov.uk/
Dudley Councilhttps://www.dudley.gov.uk/
Solihull Councilhttps://www.solihull.gov.uk/
Walsall Councilhttps://www.walsall.gov.uk/
Wolverhampton City Councilhttps://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/
West Sussex County Councilhttps://www.westsussex.gov.uk/
Bradford Councilhttps://www.bradford.gov.uk/
Calderdale Councilhttps://www.calderdale.gov.uk/
Leeds City Councilhttps://www.leeds.gov.uk/
Wakefield Councilhttps://www.wakefield.gov.uk/
Swindon Borough Councilhttps://www.swindon.gov.uk/
Wiltshire Councilhttps://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/
Worcestershire County Councilhttps://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/

Find School Holiday Dates in England by Local Authority & City

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What’s the Difference Between a Term, a Half Term, and a Holiday?

Understanding the UK school calendar can be tricky — especially with terms, half-terms, and holidays all meaning different things. Here's how it breaks down:

  • Term: A block of time when schools are open, usually split into three per year — Autumn, Spring, and Summer.
  • Half Term: A short break in the middle of each term, typically lasting one week.
  • School Holidays: These are the longer school breaks between terms — such as Christmas, Easter, and the summer holidays. These can last two to six weeks, depending on the time of year.

While this structure is consistent across the UK, the exact dates can vary by region and school type, particularly in Scotland.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Not always. While local councils publish official dates, academies, independent schools, and free schools may diverge from these. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, councils often have more freedom.
No. Inset days are staff-only training days, and students don't attend - but they don't count as official holidays.
Most schools begin in late August or early September, but exact start dates differ by nation and local authority.
Typically 6-7 weeks, starting in late June (Scotland) or late July (England, Wales, NI). Exact dates vary
Bank holidays usually fall within school breaks. For example, the Early May Bank Holiday may align with the summer half term. Check the calendar above for details.
If you're a parent, taking your child out of school during term time is only permitted under exceptional circumstances and may result in a fine. Always check with your school first if you're considering travel outside of official holiday dates.