School holidays 2026 and term dates 2026/27 in England

School holidays 2026 fall across two different school years, which is the first thing to get straight. The spring and summer breaks in 2026 belong to the 2025/26 year, while the autumn term that starts in September 2026 begins the 2026/27 year. Across England, schools typically finish for summer in the second half of July 2026 and return at the start of September 2026, but the exact dates depend on your local council and the type of school your child attends. Below you will find the 2026 holiday windows and an example 2026/27 calendar from one council, plus the quickest way to confirm the exact dates for your own school.

When are the school holidays in 2026?

Summer is the break parents ask about most. There is no single London-wide calendar, because the capital has 32 boroughs that each set their own dates, so this guide uses one of them, the London Borough of Camden, as a worked example. For Camden community schools the summer term ends on 20 July 2026 and the summer holiday runs from 21 July 2026, with the autumn term starting on 2 September 2026. Individual schools can finish a little earlier because of their own training days. Because dates are set locally, treat any single council calendar as a guide and check your own. Across England the last day of the summer term usually lands in the second half of July 2026, with the new term beginning at the start of September 2026.

One detail catches families out. The first day of the autumn term is not always the first day pupils attend, because many schools hold a staff training day first. Always treat the published term start as the earliest possible date and check your school for its training days.

School holidays 2026 at a glance

The table below lists the main 2026 school holiday periods, using the London Borough of Camden community schools as the worked example. The first three breaks belong to the 2025/26 year and have passed by the time summer arrives, while the autumn half term and the Christmas break open the 2026/27 year.

Source: London Borough of Camden. The Easter or spring holiday usually falls in late March or April, but the exact pattern is set locally.

How the English school year works

Knowing the structure makes the dates easier to predict. The English school year runs from September to the following July and is built from three terms, each split in the middle by a half-term holiday of about a week. That gives six teaching blocks across the year:

• Autumn term, from early September to mid or late December.
• Spring term, from early January to late March or early April.
• Summer term, from mid April to mid or late July.

The longer holidays sit between the terms: around two weeks at Christmas, two weeks at Easter, and about six weeks in summer.

How many weeks and days are in a school year?

The length of the year is set in law and in teachers' national terms. Under the Education (School Day and School Year) (England) Regulations 1999, maintained schools must open for 190 days of teaching for pupils. Full-time teachers work five further days for training, known as INSET days, under the DfE School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document, which makes 195 days for teachers. So "how many days are in a school year" has two answers: pupils attend for 190 days, and full-time teachers for 195 days including the 5 INSET days. The school year is often described as about 39 weeks once the holidays are removed.

Academies, free schools, foundation schools, and voluntary-aided schools set their own term dates, but most publish a similar September-to-July calendar. Schools choose when to take their INSET days, and they often place one at the start of a term.

These figures apply to England. Wales uses the same GOV.UK council lookup, while Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own systems, which are linked from that page.

Term dates 2026/27 in England

There is no single national calendar, because dates are set locally. The table below is a worked example for the 2026/27 year, again using the London Borough of Camden community schools.

Source: London Borough of Camden. Dates are set locally, so treat any single council's calendar as a guide and confirm your own. In this example the 2026/27 autumn term starts on 2 September 2026, while differences between areas can affect the term start, the holiday edges, which week half term falls, and the INSET days.

Why term dates vary between schools

It is common for two families in the same area to have different first days back. The reason is who controls the calendar:

• Community and voluntary-controlled schools follow the dates set by their local council.
• Academies, free schools, foundation schools, and voluntary-aided schools can set their own term dates, although many choose to follow the local-authority calendar, so check the school's own website.
• Most schools also add their own training (INSET) days, which can fall on what would otherwise be the first day of a term.

If you have children at more than one school, or you are comparing schools during admissions, check each one separately rather than assuming they match. A common surprise is finding that a sibling at an academy down the road has different dates, including different INSET days, from a sibling at a council-run school.

How to check your school's exact dates

There are two reliable steps. Start with your council, then confirm with the school itself.

1. Look up your council's published calendar through the GOV.UK school term and holiday dates service, which sends you to the right local authority for your postcode.
2. Check the individual school's website or newsletter for its own term dates and INSET days, especially if it is a school that sets its own calendar, such as an academy, free school, foundation school, or voluntary-aided school.

If the two ever disagree, follow the school's own calendar, since that is where the INSET days and any local adjustments are confirmed.

How FindMySchool helps

Term dates matter most when you are choosing between schools or planning childcare around the year. On FindMySchool you can search for schools near you and open any school's profile to see its key details in one place, including our FMS Inspection score and catchment distance data. From there you can go to the school's own website to confirm its exact term dates. If you are weighing up a shortlist, compare schools side by side or let School Match find the best fit for your family. And if you are still working out which year group your child is in for September, our guide to what school year your child is in turns a date of birth into the exact year group and key stage.

Next steps for parents planning the 2026/27 year:

• Book term-time commitments around the fixed points first, such as the start of September 2026 and the following summer holiday.
• Check INSET days as soon as your school publishes them, since they often create a long weekend at the edge of a half term.
• If you are applying for a school place, note the admissions deadlines separately, because they do not move with the holidays.

Frequently asked questions

When do schools break up for summer 2026?

Most schools in England finish in the second half of July 2026 and return at the start of September. As an example, London Borough of Camden community schools end the summer term on 20 July 2026, with the summer holiday running from 21 July 2026, and the new term starts on 2 September 2026. Your exact dates depend on your council and school, so check your school's website.

When do schools go back in September 2026?

How many terms are there in a school year?

How many days and weeks are in a school year?

Why are term dates different at my child's school?