- Break
- October half term
- School year
- 2026/27
When is October half term 2026?
October half term 2026 runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 in 72 of the 81 councils with dates available here.
9 councils have different dates, listed below by the week their break starts.
For the most common dates, including the weekends either side gives 9 days in a row without school, from Saturday 24 October 2026 to Sunday 1 November 2026.
October half term 2026 council by council
Week commencing 7 councils
| Council | Half term | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| Bromley | to | 10 |
| Leicester | to | 5 |
| Leicestershire | to | 5 |
| Nottingham | to | 10 |
| Nottinghamshire | to | 10 |
| Surrey | to | 10 |
| Wiltshire | to calculated from the council's dates | 7 |
Week commencing 74 councils
| Council | Half term | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | to | 5 |
| Barnet | to | 5 |
| Birmingham | to | 5 |
| Bolton | to | 5 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | to | 5 |
| Bradford | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Bristol | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Buckinghamshire | to | 5 |
| Cambridgeshire | to | 5 |
| Camden | to | 5 |
| Cheshire East | to | 5 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | to | 5 |
| Cornwall | to | 5 |
| Coventry | to | 5 |
| Croydon | to | 5 |
| Cumberland | to | 5 |
| Derby | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Derbyshire | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Devon | to | 5 |
| Dudley | to | 5 |
| Durham | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Ealing | to | 5 |
| East Sussex | to | 5 |
| Enfield | to | 5 |
| Essex | to | 5 |
| Gloucestershire | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Greenwich | to | 5 |
| Hackney | to | 5 |
| Hampshire | to | 5 |
| Haringey | to | 5 |
| Harrow | to | 5 |
| Hertfordshire | to | 5 |
| Hillingdon | to | 5 |
| Hounslow | to | 5 |
| Hull | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Islington | to | 5 |
| Kent | to | 5 |
| Kirklees | to | 5 |
| Lambeth | to | 5 |
| Lancashire | to | 5 |
| Leeds | to | 5 |
| Lincolnshire | to | 5 |
| Liverpool | to | 5 |
| Manchester | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Merton | to | 5 |
| Milton Keynes | to | 5 |
| North Northamptonshire | to | 5 |
| North Yorkshire | to | 5 |
| Plymouth | to | 5 |
| Portsmouth | to | 5 |
| Redbridge | to | 5 |
| Rotherham | to | 5 |
| Salford | to | 5 |
| Sandwell | to | 5 |
| Sheffield | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Solihull | to | 5 |
| Southwark | to | 5 |
| Staffordshire | to | 5 |
| Stockport | to | 5 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | to | 5 |
| Suffolk | to | 5 |
| Sutton | to | 5 |
| Tower Hamlets | to | 5 |
| Wakefield | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| Walsall | to | 5 |
| Wandsworth | to | 5 |
| Warwickshire | to | 5 |
| West Northamptonshire | to | 5 |
| West Sussex | to | 5 |
| Westmorland and Furness | to | 5 |
| Wirral | to | 5 |
| Wolverhampton | to | 5 |
| Worcestershire | to calculated from the council's dates | 5 |
| York | to | 5 |
When a council publishes a half term starting on a Saturday or Sunday, it appears under the week beginning the following Monday.
For an explanation of calculated and missing date labels, see: How we check the dates
What differs between councils
- These 5 councils have a longer break, with up to 10 weekdays compared with 5 for the most common dates: Bromley, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Surrey and Wiltshire.
- Lincolnshire and Plymouth publish the break with weekends included, from a Saturday to a Sunday.
- North Yorkshire lists Friday 23 October 2026, the weekday before the break, as a staff training (INSET) day.
- Suffolk recommends Friday 23 October 2026, the weekday before the break, as a staff training (INSET) day.
- For comparison, October half term 2027 runs from Monday 25 to Friday 29 October 2027 in 68 of the 75 councils with dates available here.
More half term dates
Questions and answers
When is October half term 2026?
October half term 2026 runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 in 72 of the 81 councils with dates available here. 9 councils have different dates, which are listed on this page.
Is October half term 2026 the same everywhere in England?
No, the councils on this site use 2 different weeks, with the most common break starting on Monday 26 October 2026.
How long is October half term 2026?
For the most common dates, the break lasts 9 days in a row without school, including the weekends, from Saturday 24 October 2026 to Sunday 1 November 2026.