Termwise report
School holidays in England, 2026/27
When England's children are off school this year, how much the dates differ between areas, and how independent schools compare. From the term dates of every council we've checked.
Last day of school before each holiday
The most common last day, the share of pupils whose council uses it, and the earliest and latest last days anywhere in England.
| Holiday | Most common last day | Pupils | Earliest | Latest | Different dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October half term | Fri 23 Oct 2026 | 91% | Fri 16 Oct 2026 | Fri 23 Oct 2026 | 4 |
| Christmas holidays | Fri 18 Dec 2026 | 100% | Fri 18 Dec 2026 | Fri 18 Dec 2026 | 1 |
| February half term | Fri 12 Feb 2027 | 97% | Fri 5 Feb 2027 | Fri 12 Feb 2027 | 2 |
| Easter holidays | Thu 25 Mar 2027 | 91% | Fri 19 Mar 2027 | Fri 2 Apr 2027 | 4 |
| May half term | Fri 28 May 2027 | 100% | Fri 28 May 2027 | Fri 28 May 2027 | 1 |
| Summer holidays | Wed 21 Jul 2027 | 58% | Fri 9 Jul 2027 | Wed 28 Jul 2027 | 8 |
October half term is split
Of pupils at council schools: 7% in the week of Mon 19 Oct 2026, 93% in the week of Mon 26 Oct 2026. Families with children in two areas, and parents working across a boundary, can face two separate half terms.
When most children are off, outside summer
Weeks when at least half of pupils are on holiday.
- Week of Mon 26 Oct 2026: 99% of pupils off
- Week of Mon 21 Dec 2026: 100% of pupils off
- Week of Mon 28 Dec 2026: 100% of pupils off
- Week of Mon 15 Feb 2027: 97% of pupils off
- Week of Mon 29 Mar 2027: 96% of pupils off
- Week of Mon 5 Apr 2027: 96% of pupils off
- Week of Mon 31 May 2027: 100% of pupils off
See every week in the holiday demand index.
How long is the summer holiday?
Between the end of 2026/27 and the start of 2027/28, the typical council summer holiday is 28 weekdays. The shortest is 23 weekdays (Bromley) and the longest is 35 (Leicester).
Independent schools get longer holidays
A council school calendar has a median of 58 weekdays of holiday in 2026/27. At the 643 independent schools whose dates we've checked, the median is 85 weekdays, about 5.4 weeks more. Exeat weekends and long weekends add more.
About this report
Dates come from each council's published term dates, checked by Termwise against the council's own document. Pupil numbers come from the Department for Education's school register. Academies, free schools and independent schools can set their own dates, and INSET days are chosen by each school, so check your own school's dates with the school search.
Using these figures? You're welcome to quote them with a link to this page. Cite as: Termwise, School holidays in England 2026/27, https://termwise.vertova.co.uk/reports/school-holidays-2026-27/