- Council
- Essex County Council
- School years
- 2026/27, 2027/28
Essex term dates 2026/27 and 2027/28
School breaks in Essex
- October half term 2026: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026
- Christmas holidays 2026: last day of term Friday 18 December 2026, next term starts Monday 4 January 2027
- February half term 2027: Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027
- Easter holidays 2027: last day of term Thursday 25 March 2027, next term starts Monday 12 April 2027
- May half term 2027: Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027
- Summer holidays 2027: last day of term Wednesday 21 July 2027, next term starts Wednesday 1 September 2027
- October half term 2027: Monday 25 to Friday 29 October 2027
- Christmas holidays 2027: last day of term Friday 17 December 2027, next term starts Tuesday 4 January 2028
- February half term 2028: Monday 14 to Friday 18 February 2028
- Easter holidays 2028: last day of term Friday 31 March 2028, next term starts Tuesday 18 April 2028
- Summer holidays 2028: last day of term Friday 21 July 2028; the next term's start date is not available here
- No later school break dates are available here yet. Check your school's calendar for later term dates and holidays.
Dates for community and voluntary controlled schools, based on what Essex County Council publishes.
Essex term dates 2026/27
| Term | First day | Half term | Last day | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn term | October half term to 5 weekdays | 74 | ||
| Spring term | February half term to 5 weekdays | 54 | ||
| Summer term | May half term to 5 weekdays | 67 |
The term dates for Essex include 195 weekdays in 2026/27, excluding half terms and bank holidays. Whether staff training (INSET) days fall within these dates depends on the council and the school.
School holidays 2026/27
| Holiday | Last day of term | First day of next term | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas holidays | 16 | ||
| Easter holidays | 17 | ||
| Summer holidays | 41 |
71 other councils on this site have the same October half term (Mon 26 Oct to Fri 30 Oct). October half term 2026 by council
Essex term dates 2027/28
| Term | First day | Half term | Last day | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn term | October half term to 5 weekdays | 73 | ||
| Spring term | February half term to 5 weekdays | 59 | ||
| Summer term | May half termUntil ; start not given consistently by the council | not available |
For an explanation of calculated and missing date labels, see: How we check the dates
School holidays 2027/28
| Holiday | Last day of term | First day of next term | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas holidays | 17 | ||
| Easter holidays | 17 | ||
| Summer holidays | Next school year not on this site yet | not available |
67 other councils on this site have the same October half term (Mon 25 Oct to Fri 29 Oct). October half term 2027 by council
“Days off” counts every day between the last day of term and the first day of the next term, including weekends.
Term dates not available here. Term dates for Essex County Council for 2028 to 2029 are not available on this site. Check the council's website or your school's own information for the dates you need.
What is different about Essex
These details compare the term dates for Essex with other councils' dates and highlight local arrangements.
2026/27
- Essex starts the school year 2026 to 2027 on Tuesday 1 September 2026, as do 43 other councils on this site.
- 27 other councils on this site have exactly the same term dates for 2026 to 2027.
2027/28
- Essex starts the school year 2027 to 2028 on Wednesday 1 September 2027, as do 46 other councils on this site.
- This bank holiday falls during term time, outside the school holiday breaks: Spring bank holiday (Monday 29 May 2028).
Academies and other schools
Essex County Council says:
The above dates may vary for individual schools, especially Foundation, Voluntary Aided schools and Academies.
INSET days
Essex County Council says:
In addition, schools allocate five non-pupil days out of the school days indicated, or the equivalent in disaggregated twilight sessions.
Essex term dates: questions and answers
When is October half term 2026 in Essex?
October half term 2026 in Essex: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026.
When is February half term 2027 in Essex?
February half term 2027 in Essex: Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027.
When is May half term 2027 in Essex?
May half term 2027 in Essex: Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027.
When do schools in Essex break up for Christmas 2026?
Christmas holidays 2026 in Essex: last day of term Friday 18 December 2026, next term starts Monday 4 January 2027.
When do schools in Essex break up for summer 2027?
Summer holidays 2027 in Essex: last day of term Wednesday 21 July 2027, next term starts Wednesday 1 September 2027.
About these dates
The term dates for the school years on this page come from Essex County Council. To find out how dates are checked and what the labels mean, see How we check the dates.