How to plan 2027 as a family

Plan 2027 in four passes: fixed dates first, then birthdays and renewals, then annual leave, then a 20 minute family meeting to agree who covers what.

The free 2027 family year planner follows the same order. It takes about 20 minutes and nothing you type is sent to Haevn.

What goes in first?

Start with the dates you cannot move. They set the shape of the year.

• Bank holidays. 8 in England and Wales, 9 in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland.
• School holidays. Your council publishes them, and your school sets its own training days. Most English councils sampled break for Easter from 26 March to 9 April.
• Exam weeks. If you have a child in Year 6, Year 11 or Year 13, mark SATs week (10 to 13 May) or the GCSE and A level period (10 May to 22 June).

Once these are in, the busy weeks and the quiet weeks show up on their own.

What do only you know?

Next come the dates nobody else will put in for you.

• Birthdays. Everyone in the house, plus the grandparents and godchildren you send cards to.
• Renewals. MOT, car insurance, car tax, home insurance, passports and the TV licence.
• Bin days. Enter one collection date and how often it comes. The planner works out every 2027 collection and marks the weeks your council may change them.

When should you book leave?

Early, and around the bank holidays. In England and Wales, 19 days of leave gives 47 days off in five breaks. Our guide to 47 days off in 2027 has the dates for every nation. The Christmas break runs into the first days of January 2028.

Leave is agreed with your employer, so check before you book.

What should a family meeting cover?

Twenty minutes is enough. Print the planner, put it on the table and cover five things:

• The school holiday weeks, and who is around for each one.
• Who books what: leave, holidays, clubs and appointments.
• The months with the big costs, such as renewals, birthdays and Christmas.
• One thing each person wants in the year.
• Who owns each recurring job, from bins to the MOT.

How do separated parents plan the year?

The same passes work across two homes. The difference is that the school holiday weeks need agreeing early, and in writing, so both homes plan around the same dates.

Our free co-parenting schedule planner helps you set out a regular pattern and the holidays. There is more on our co-parenting page. Cafcass publishes a parenting plan that many parents use as a starting point.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, an app is not a safety plan. Free, confidential support is available 24 hours a day from the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247, and from Refuge at refuge.org.uk. In immediate danger, call 999. If you are worried someone can see your device, use a safer device to seek help.

What does each month need?

• January. Primary school applications close on the 15th. Self Assessment is due on the 31st.
• February. Half-term in most English schools is 15 to 19 February. Pancake Day is the 9th.
• March. Secondary offers on the 1st. Mother's Day on the 7th. Childcare codes for April by the 31st.
• April. Easter holidays for most schools. Primary offers on the 16th. New tax year on the 6th.
• May. Two bank holidays. SATs from the 10th. GCSE and A level exams begin.
• June. Half-term week starts on 31 May. Exams run to the 22nd. Father's Day on the 20th.
• July. Summer holidays start around the 22nd. Second payment on account on the 31st.
• August. A level results on the 12th, GCSE results on the 19th. Childcare codes by the 31st.
• September. New school year. Check training days with your school.
• October. Half-term from the 25th. Clocks go back on the 31st. Secondary applications close the same day.
• November. Bonfire Night on the 5th. Remembrance Sunday on the 14th.
• December. Christmas Day is a Saturday, so the bank holidays are the 27th and 28th. Childcare codes by the 31st.

The full list, with a source for each date, is on key UK dates 2027. The deadlines are also in order in the UK family admin calendar for 2027.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Every source checked 9 November 2026.

• GOV.UK, UK bank holidays
• GOV.UK, School admissions
• JCQ, Key dates and timetables
• Cafcass, Parenting plan

Keep planning 2027

• 47 days off in 2027 from 19 days of leave
• The UK family admin calendar for 2027
• Family year planner 2027