- Holiday
- Christmas holidays
- Councils
- 22
When do schools break up for Christmas 2028?
The most common combination is a term ending on Friday 15 December 2028 and the next term starting on Tuesday 2 January 2029, shared by 10 of the 22 councils with these dates available here. Check your school's own dates.
The gap between those terms lasts 17 days, from Saturday 16 December 2028 to Monday 1 January 2029.
The dates councils have chosen
Last day of the autumn term
- 10 councils
- 4 councils
- 4 councils
- 4 councils
First day of the spring term
- 10 councils
- 8 councils
- 4 councils
Christmas holidays 2028: what differs
- The earliest last day of term is Friday 15 December 2028, in 10 councils.
- The latest last day of term is Friday 22 December 2028, in Bolton, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester and Derbyshire.
- Counting every day between the last day of term and the first day back, the holiday lasts from 14 days (Cumberland, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Westmorland and Furness) to 17 days (14 councils).
- Christmas Day on Monday 25 December 2028 falls within the holiday in every council with both term dates available here.
- Boxing Day on Tuesday 26 December 2028 falls within the holiday in every council with both term dates available here.
Christmas holidays 2028 council by council
| Council | Last day of the autumn term | First day of the spring term | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 17 | ||
| Bolton | 16 | ||
| Cheshire East | 16 | ||
| Cheshire West and Chester | 16 | ||
| Croydon | 17 | ||
| Cumberland | 14 | ||
| Derbyshire | 16 | ||
| Greenwich | 17 | ||
| Haringey | 17 | ||
| Harrow | 17 | ||
| Hillingdon | 17 | ||
| Hounslow | 17 | ||
| Islington | 17 | ||
| Leicester | 17 | ||
| Nottingham | 14 | ||
| Nottinghamshire | 14 | ||
| Salford | 17 | ||
| Staffordshire | 17 | ||
| Stoke-on-Trent | 17 | ||
| Sutton | 17 | ||
| Walsall | 17 | ||
| Westmorland and Furness | 14 |
“Days off” counts every day between the last day of term and the first day of the next term, including weekends.
Reading the Christmas holiday dates
For the Christmas holidays in 2028, 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 2026, Christmas holidays 2027.
Questions and answers
When do schools break up for Christmas 2028?
Term ends on Friday 15 December 2028 in 10 of the 22 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 2028?
The next term starts on Tuesday 2 January 2029 in 10 of the 22 councils with this date available here. Pupils may return later because of INSET days; check your school's calendar.
Christmas holidays 2028: how long is the break?
The holiday lasts 17 days for the most common dates, shared by 10 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.