School holidays in England 2025/2026 and 2026/2027
English state schools follow a standard six-term structure with five breaks: October half-term (or "half term" without the hyphen — 1 week, the "Halloween break"), Christmas (about 2 weeks), February half term (1 week), Easter (about 2 weeks centred on Easter weekend), May half-term (1 week, often overlapping the Spring bank holiday), and the long summer holiday (about 6 weeks). Each of England’s 150-plus Local Education Authorities (LEAs) sets exact dates, but the resolution is week-aligned and most London/SE LEAs publish near-identical calendars. The dates on this page follow the Royal Borough of Greenwich (representative LEA) — check your local council for any one-day variation. Note that some LEAs (Greenwich included) start the Easter holiday on a Friday with INSET days falling either side; many other councils use a strict Mon-to-Fri pattern.
The Department for Education sets the legal expectation of 190 pupil days plus up to 5 INSET (in-service training) days per year. Academies and faith schools have additional flexibility. Wales follows a near-identical six-term structure but with dates set centrally by the Welsh Government rather than by LEAs — the weeks usually match within a day or two. Scotland operates a separate calendar entirely (start dates in mid-August). Always confirm with your school: half-term dates are the most likely point of variation.
Frequently asked questions — school holidays
Who sets school holidays in England? ▾
In England, each of the 150-plus Local Education Authorities (LEAs) sets the dates of school terms within Department for Education guidance (190 pupil days plus up to 5 INSET days per year). Academies and faith schools have additional flexibility. In practice London and South-East England LEAs publish very similar calendars (Greenwich, Hammersmith & Fulham, Camden, Hounslow, Tower Hamlets are typical). Elsewhere there can be 1–2 days of variation, especially at half-term boundaries. The dates on this page follow the Royal Borough of Greenwich as a representative LEA — check your local council for exact dates.
When is October half-term (also "half term") 2026? ▾
For most state schools in England, October half term 2026 (often written half-term with a hyphen — both forms are correct) is the week of Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October. Wales follows a near-identical pattern. Some northern LEAs may shift by one or two days. The week before runs to Friday 23 October; the week after starts Monday 2 November.
When is February half-term 2026? ▾
For most state schools in England, February half-term 2026 is the week of Monday 16 February to Friday 20 February — a full 5-day week. Some Welsh LEAs run the same week; others shift by one to two days. Year-11 GCSE and year-13 A-Level mock exams typically run in the weeks before or just after.
When are the Easter holidays 2026 for English schools? ▾
English schools typically close on Friday 27 March 2026 (last day of spring term) and return on Monday 13 April 2026 — about two weeks. Easter Sunday is 5 April 2026 (Good Friday Fri 3 Apr, Easter Monday Mon 6 Apr). The break therefore covers the full Easter weekend with a full week either side.
How long are the summer holidays in England? ▾
About 6 weeks. State schools in England typically close in the third week of July and return in the first week of September. Greenwich (representative London LEA) closes Tue 21 July 2026 and returns Tue 1 Sep 2026 (the start of 2026/27, with INSET days the Mon 31 Aug + Tue 1 Sep). Other LEAs may vary by 1–2 days. Scotland’s summer break is shorter (early July to mid-August) and starts and ends earlier.
Do Welsh schools follow the same calendar as English schools? ▾
Wales follows a near-identical six-term structure to England, but dates are set centrally by the Welsh Government (after a 2024 review) rather than by individual LEAs. Christmas, Easter and summer dates are usually the same week as English LEAs; half-terms (or "half term" without the hyphen) can shift by a day or two. Always check your school’s own calendar. The dates on this page are set for England (Greenwich representative); Welsh state-school dates will closely match. Welsh Government publishes the central calendar at gov.wales/school-term-dates.
Are these dates the same in Wales? ▾
Wales follows the same eight UK bank holidays as England under the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971. Welsh state-school terms run on a near-identical six-term calendar to England but are set centrally by the Welsh Government rather than by Local Education Authorities; the actual weeks usually match within a day or two. For Scottish bank holidays and Edinburgh + Glasgow school terms, see the dedicated Scotland page at scotlandholidays.co.uk — Scotland has 9 bank holidays and a markedly different summer-holiday window (late June to mid-August).
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