UK School holidays & half-term dates 2026/27

If you fancy a family trip this year or next, you’ll need to know the UK school holiday dates for 2026/27.

The UK school holidays can vary depending on where you live, but the main summer break typically starts in June or July and runs until the start of the new school year in late August or early September.

To help you plan your next family escape, we’ve rounded up the key dates for schools across the UK. Plus, we’ll also let you in on a few secrets around how to get away for less during the main holidays.

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England 2026/27 School Holidays

Holiday	Start Date	End Date
Summer school holidays	20/07/2026	28/08/2026
October half term holidays	26/10/2026	30/10/2026
Christmas holidays	21/12/2026	04/01/2027
February half term holidays	15/02/2027	19/02/2027
Easter school holidays	26/03/2027	09/04/2027
May half term holidays	31/05/2027	04/06/2027

One to remember: These are the standard term dates for each country and may vary between local authorities and individual schools. Check your child’s school calendar for its exact dates, paying attention to INSET dates too.

Scotland 2026/27 School Holidays

Holiday	Start Date	End Date
Summer school holidays	29/06/2026	11/08/2026
October half term holidays	12/10/2026	16/10/2026
Christmas holidays	21/12/2026	04/01/2027
February half term holidays	15/02/2027	19/02/2027
Easter school holidays	05/04/2027	16/04/2027

Note: Schools in Scotland don’t have a May half term, but often take some days off in May in addition to the bank holidays.

Wales 2026/27 School Holidays

Holiday	Start Date	End Date
Summer school holidays	21/07/2026	31/08/2026
October half term holidays	26/10/2026	30/10/2026
Christmas holidays	18/12/2026	04/01/2027
February half term holiday	15/02/2027	19/02/2027
Easter school holidays	22/03/2027	02/04/2027
May half term holidays	31/05/2027	04/06/2027

Northern Ireland 2026/27 School Holidays

Holiday	Start Date	End Date
Summer school holidays	01/07/2026	01/09/2026
October half term holidays	26/10/2026	30/10/2026
Christmas holidays	21/12/2026	04/01/2027
February half term holidays	11/02/2027	12/02/2027
Easter school holidays	25/03/2027	02/04/2027

Note: Schools in Northern Ireland only take off the bank holidays in May – there is no May half term holiday.

Note for parents

While these dates represent the standard calendar set by local authorities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, they should only be used as a guide.

Different schools set their own term dates, which may differ from the council’s schedule.

To avoid booking errors, always check your specific school's calendar and INSET day schedule on their official website before finalising your holiday plans.

Half-term holidays

Summer

October half-term

Christmas

February half-term

Easter

May half-term

The other way you can enjoy a cheaper holiday with school-aged kids is by using an INSET day for a long weekend break. Schools typically have five of these “in-service education and training days” during the year, so find out when yours are as soon as possible.

If there’s one on a Friday or Monday, you have the perfect recipe for a cheap three-day holiday. Prices won’t spike to typical school holiday levels, as INSET days are different for different schools. Some are tagged on to school holidays, too, so a hack is to use this flexibility to travel on a cheaper departure day – a week’s holiday from a Monday to a Monday, for example.

In the UK, you can’t usually legally take your child out of school for a holiday during term time. If your child misses 10 sessions at school (five full days) for unauthorised reasons (holidays are not usually an authorised reason), you can be fined £80 by the local council. The fines are per child, per parent. This can rise to £160 if you don’t pay within 21 days.

Should you book a school holiday as soon as possible or leave it until the last minute? This depends on how flexible you are about where you all sleep. Let us explain.

Want to have your own space?

When you’re travelling as a family – especially families with more than one child – you’re probably better off booking well in advance to get the room type you want. This is because many hotels only have a limited number of larger family suites – and interconnecting rooms will be in demand.

The more of these rooms that get snapped up, the more the price will rise. And when they’re gone, they’re gone.

When you book early, you’re not only bagging the ideal room set-up for you and your kids, but you could also find early booking deals that include free kids’ places or discounts.

Happy to be flexible?

If you’re travelling with a smaller family group or are happy to be more flexible on room types, you may be able to get away with leaving it slightly later to book. Look for rooms with an extra single bed or double sofa bed.

But, if you want separate living and sleeping areas, so you don’t have to go to bed at the same time as your five-year-old, make your booking sooner rather than later.

You might think that having different school holiday dates across the UK is a bit confusing. But it’s actually very handy when it comes to looking for cheaper holiday deals. By taking advantage of these different dates, you can find some tempting school holiday deals.

Summer border hopping (England and Scotland)

One trick you can use to find cheaper deals is by ‘border hopping’ between England and Scotland. School terms in Scotland usually run from late June to mid-August. But, in England, they run from late July to early September.

This means, if you live near the border – or travelling to a different airport won’t cost a small fortune – you can take advantage of ‘off-peak’ prices in other places. For example, if you live in England, you can look for holidays from Scottish airports in late August when the school holidays are over in Scotland, but not for you in England. In the reverse situation, if you live in Scotland, you could look at deals from airports in northern England before English schools break up.

Easter and half-term timings

If you live in Wales, you can sometimes find cheaper holiday deals by taking advantage of different Easter term dates compared to those in England.

Check the Easter dates for Bristol. If you find that schools there break up a week later, the flight prices from Bristol airport could be significantly cheaper for the first week of your break than from Cardiff. In the opposite situation, if you live in Bristol, compare flight prices from Cardiff in your second week.

Similarly, many schools in Trafford, a borough in Greater Manchester, have a two-week May half-term holiday while most Manchester schools are just off for one week. This second week, when Manchester schools are back, is a prime time to look for a deal.

Getting away as a family during the holidays doesn’t have to break the bank. There are plenty of tricks you can try to find a holiday deal at a reasonable price. Here are some top tips when it comes to looking for holidays:

Compare and compare some more

You absolutely should shop around for holidays. Using a comparison site such as icelolly.com can save you hundreds – icelolly.com customers save an average of £350 per holiday.

Even if you have your heart set on certain dates or a specific hotel, you could find that exact same holiday at a cheaper price through a different company. You can compare millions of holidays from the UK’s leading travel companies in one place here to find the best possible deal. No multiple tabs, no endless scrolling – just the best deals in one place.

Consider travelling mid-week

Being flexible with your departure day is one of the best ways to save on breaks in the school holidays. If you can, avoid flying on a weekend, which is when prices tend to be higher. It’s generally cheaper midweek, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays often your best bet for a bargain trip. Compare prices on different departure days to find the lowest price.

Go late in the holidays

As we’ve mentioned, a bit of flexibility with your dates can help you to make significant savings in the school holidays. In summer, you’ll usually see prices drop during the final weeks of August when the ‘back to school’ countdown begins. It can be worth the wait if you can hold on that long!

Fork out now so you can eat what you like

You should also price up the cost of dining out or buying your own food while you’re away. For a self-catering family holiday, this can rack up quickly. You might find that paying a bit more upfront for an all-inclusive holiday may actually save you a lot in the long run. It’s always nice to have a bit of certainty over how much you’re going to spend on your holiday too.

Take advantage of where’s offering value for money

The destinations that are offering value can change from year to year and even month to month. If you remain flexible on your destination, you can take advantage of these trends, snapping up an all-inclusive bargain in Bulgaria or a stylish slice of self-catering sunshine in Sardinia.

Look for free child places

Big companies such as Jet2 and TUI offer free child places which can slash the cost of a family holiday significantly. Look out for these for a bargain break.

Printable and downloadable school holidays calendar

Dates are based on the icelolly.com school holiday tables and are provided as a planning guide. Please check local school or council dates before booking.

Frequently asked questions

Why do school holiday dates vary between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?

School holiday dates are different in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland because each country’s government can set their own term structure. In England and Wales, academies, free schools and independent (private) schools can legally set their own term dates too.

Can parents take children out of school during term time?

No, you can’t usually legally take your child out of school for a holiday during term time in the UK. Each parent can be fined £80 by the local council if your child misses 10 school sessions (five days) for unauthorised reasons. This can rise to £160 if you don’t pay within 21 days or get another fine within three years.

What are the UK school holidays for 2026/27?

The UK school holidays for 2026/27 vary by country (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), region and between individual schools. However, each region has Easter, Christmas and summer holidays as well as half terms. The summer holidays start in late July in England and Wales, running until early September, while they start slightly earlier in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

When is October half term in 2026?

The 2026 October half term generally runs from 26-30 October in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, it’s earlier, running from 12-16 October. However, always check the individual dates of your child’s school as they can vary.

When are the school summer holidays in 2026?

The school summer holidays in 2026 vary slightly by nation and across specific schools. In England and Wales, they typically run from 20 July to 31 August. In Scotland, they run from 29 June to 11 August and in Northern Ireland they’re from 1 July to 1 September.

When do schools go back in September 2026?

For schools in England and Wales, the first day back after the 2026 school summer holidays will generally be 1 September. For Northern Ireland, it’s a day later on 2 September. Schools in Scotland typically return earlier, on 12 August. Always check the exact dates of your child’s individual school.

When is February half term in 2027?

The 2027 February half term in England, Scotland and Wales will be either 8-12 February or 15-19 February, depending on your local council. In Northern Ireland, it’s a shorter break from 11-12 February.

What are the Easter 2027 school holiday dates?

In England and Wales, the Easter 2027 school holidays generally run from 26 March to 9 April. In Scotland, schools generally have Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Monday (29 March) off then a spring holiday from 5 April to 16 April. In Northern Ireland, the official 2027 Easter break is from 25 March to 2 April.

When is May half term in 2027?

The 2027 May half term generally runs from 31 May to 4 June in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland don’t have a week-long May half term, but have bank holidays off.

Why are holidays more expensive during half term?

Holidays are more expensive during half term – and other school holidays – because there’s a much higher demand. So many families are searching for holidays in the same, short period – usually one week for half terms – so prices reflect this surge in interest.

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