TermbookSchool term dates by council
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Christmas holidays
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83

When do schools break up for Christmas 2026?

The most common combination is a term ending on Friday 18 December 2026 and the next term starting on Monday 4 January 2027, shared by 74 of the 79 councils with these dates available here. Check your school's own dates.

The gap between those terms lasts 16 days, from Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.

The dates councils have chosen

Last day of the autumn term

  1. 80 councils

First day of the spring term

  1. 77 councils
  2. 5 councils

Christmas holidays 2026: what differs

Christmas holidays 2026 council by council

Christmas holidays 2026 by councilThe last day of term and, where available, the start of the next term, based on council sources
CouncilLast day of the autumn termFirst day of the spring termDays off
Barking and DagenhamNot given consistently by the council
Barnet17
Birmingham16
Bolton16
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole16
Bradfordcalculated from the council's datescalculated from the council's dates16
Bristol16
Bromley16
Buckinghamshire16
Cambridgeshire16
Camden16
Cheshire East16
Cheshire West and Chester16
Cornwall16
Coventry16
Croydon16
Cumberland17
Derby16
Derbyshire16
Devon16
Dudley16
Durham16
Ealing16
East Sussex16
Enfield16
Essex16
Gloucestershire16
Greenwich16
Hackney16
Hampshire16
Haringey16
Harrow16
Havering16
Hertfordshire16
Hillingdon16
Hounslow16
Hull16
Islington16
Kent16
Kirklees16
Lambeth16
Lancashire16
Leeds16
Leicester16
Leicestershire16
Lincolnshire17
Liverpool16
Manchester16
Merton16
Milton Keynes16
North Northamptonshire16
North YorkshireNot given as a term date by the councilThe council lists this as a staff training (INSET) day, when pupils are not in school.
Nottingham16
Nottinghamshire16
Plymouth17
Portsmouth16
Redbridge16
Rotherham16
Salford16
Sandwell16
Sheffield16
Solihull16
Somerset16
SouthwarkNot given consistently by the council
Staffordshire16
Stockport16
Stoke-on-Trent16
SuffolkThe council recommends this as a staff training (INSET) day. At schools following this recommendation, pupils are not in school that day.16
Surrey16
Sutton16
Tower Hamlets16
WakefieldNot given as a term date by the council
Walsall16
Wandsworth16
WarwickshireThe council lists this as a staff training (INSET) day, when pupils are not in school.16
West Northamptonshire16
West Sussex16
Westmorland and Furness17
Wiltshire16
Wirral16
Wolverhampton16
Worcestershire16
York16

“Days off” counts every day between the last day of term and the first day of the next term, including weekends.

For an explanation of calculated and missing date labels, see: How we check the dates

Reading the Christmas holiday dates

For the Christmas holidays in 2026, these tables show each council's last day of the autumn term and first day of the spring term, based on council sources. The Christmas holidays fall between those terms. Dates worked out from the council's published information are marked "calculated from the council's dates". Source links and the dates they were read are listed under Sources and updates at the end of this page. Where the council marks a term boundary as an INSET day, a note explains that pupils are not in school. Your school's own dates may differ.

Other years: Christmas holidays 2027, Christmas holidays 2028.

School term dates 2026/27 · All councils from A to Z

Questions and answers

When do schools break up for Christmas 2026?

Term ends on Friday 18 December 2026 in all 80 councils with this date available here; the table lists the council dates. Check your school's calendar for pupils' last day.

When do schools go back after Christmas 2026?

The next term starts on Monday 4 January 2027 in 77 of the 82 councils with this date available here. Pupils may return later because of INSET days; check your school's calendar.

Christmas holidays 2026: how long is the break?

The holiday lasts 16 days for the most common dates, shared by 74 councils on this site; the table shows the lengths elsewhere.

Which dates are shown for the Christmas holidays?

The tables show the last day of the autumn term and the first day of the spring term. The Christmas holidays fall between them. Check any INSET notes before treating these as pupils' last and first days.

Do pupils always go back on the first day of the spring term?

Not always. A council may list the first day of term as an INSET day, when pupils are not in school. Where the council states this, a note explains it; you should also check your school's own dates.

Do these dates apply to academies?

Academies can set their own term dates, so their Christmas holidays may differ from the council's. Check your academy's dates to confirm the end of the autumn term and the start of the spring term.