UK school holidays 2026/27
Every main break in the 2026/27 school year for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — when schools break up, the days off, and the first day back. Pick a break to plan how it splits between two homes, then download it to your calendar.
Most state schools in England follow these weeks. Academies, free schools and independent schools set their own dates and some take longer breaks, so check your school's calendar.
| Break | Breaks up | Days off | Back at school | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October half term 2026Next up | 23 Oct 2026 | 26 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 | 2 Nov 2026 | 5 days |
| Christmas holidays 2026 | 18 Dec 2026 | 21 Dec 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 | 4 Jan 2027 | 12 days |
| February break 2027 | 12 Feb 2027 | 15 Feb 2027 – 19 Feb 2027 | 22 Feb 2027 | 5 days |
| Easter holidays 2027 | 25 Mar 2027 | 26 Mar 2027 – 9 Apr 2027 | 12 Apr 2027 | 15 days |
| May half term 2027 | 28 May 2027 | 31 May 2027 – 4 Jun 2027 | 7 Jun 2027 | 5 days |
| Summer holidays 2027 | 23 Jul 2027 | 26 Jul 2027 – 3 Sept 2027 | 6 Sept 2027 | 40 days |
Nation-level patterns last reviewed Wednesday, 19 August 2026. Always check your own school or council calendar before agreeing dates.
Plan the next break
October half term 2026 in England runs 26 Oct 2026 to 30 Oct 2026. The planner suggests handovers for a half-and-half split, alternating weeks or week-by-week blocks, and exports to your calendar.
Splitting holidays across two homes
- Short breaks: one mid-week handover, or alternate the whole week each year.
- Christmas: split around Christmas Day and swap the halves next year.
- Summer: blocks of one or two weeks, agreed before school breaks up.
- Write the agreed dates down somewhere both homes can see them.
Common questions
When do schools break up for Christmas 2026?
Most schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland finish on Friday 18 December 2026 and return in the first week of January 2027. Scottish councils usually break up a few days earlier, around 22 December, and go back on 5 or 6 January.
When is the summer holiday in 2027?
England, Wales and Northern Ireland usually break up in late July 2027 for around six weeks. Scotland breaks up at the end of June and returns in mid-August, so the Scottish summer holiday starts roughly four weeks earlier.
How many school holidays are there in a UK school year?
Six main breaks: autumn half term, Christmas, February half term (or the February break in Scotland), Easter or spring, the late-May half term and the summer holiday, plus a handful of inset and bank holiday days set locally.
Are these dates the same for every school?
No. They are the standard nation-level weeks. Councils, academies, free schools and independent schools set their own calendars — Scotland varies most — so confirm with your school and adjust the dates in the planner if yours differ.
How do separated parents usually split school holidays?
Shorter breaks are commonly split down the middle with one handover, or alternated year by year so each home gets a whole break. Longer breaks such as summer are often divided into blocks of one or two weeks each. The planner shows the real dates for whichever approach you pick.
Can I put an agreed split into a shared calendar?
Yes. Every break in the planner can be downloaded as a calendar file without signing up, and inside Co-Parenting Harmony both households see the same schedule, with private entries shown to others only as “Busy”.
Dates are nation-level guidance, not legal or school-specific advice.
Try it in a real shared calendar
Set up your family in about a minute, add your pattern and invite the other household when you are ready. Every family starts with a free 14-day trial of the whole app.
No card needed. Private events are only ever shown to others as “Busy”.