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    Christmas 2026 dates

    When do schools break up for Christmas 2026?

    The Haevn team4 min readLast verified

    In every English and Welsh council we checked, schools break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December 2026 and go back on Monday 4 January 2027. Powys finishes on Tuesday 22 December, and Edinburgh returns on Wednesday 6 January. Academies, free schools and faith schools can set their own dates, so your school's letter is final.

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    Every other Christmas date, from Royal Mail posting days to supermarket order deadlines, is on our Christmas 2026 dates page.

    Contents
    1. When do schools break up for Christmas 2026?
    2. When do children go back to school after Christmas?
    3. Do academies and faith schools break up on different days?
    4. Is the last day of term a half day?
    5. What about Scotland and Northern Ireland?
    6. What else happens in the last week of term?
    7. How do we keep term dates in one family calendar?
    8. Questions parents ask

    When do schools break up for Christmas 2026?

    Council term dates for the 2026 to 2027 school year, read on each council's own page on 9 November 2026.

    Kent

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Kent County Council, term dates 2026 to 2027

    Essex

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Essex County Council, school term dates 2026 to 2027

    Surrey

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Surrey County Council, school term changes for 2026 to 2027

    Leeds

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Leeds City Council, school holidays and term dates

    Manchester

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Manchester City Council, school holidays and term dates

    Stockport

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Stockport Council, 2026 to 2027 term dates

    Peterborough

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Peterborough City Council, term dates

    Wales: 21 of 22 councils, including Cardiff

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Welsh Government, approved school term dates 2026 to 2027; Cardiff Council

    Powys

    Last day of term:
    Tuesday 22 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Monday 4 January 2027
    Source:
    Welsh Government, approved school term dates 2026 to 2027

    Edinburgh

    Last day of term:
    Friday 18 December 2026
    Back to school:
    Wednesday 6 January 2027
    Source:
    City of Edinburgh Council, school term dates

    Northern Ireland

    Last day of term:
    Holiday listed as 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027
    Back to school:
    Set by each school
    Source:
    Department of Education (NI), school holidays

    Not your council? GOV.UK's advice is to "Find your child's school term, half term and holiday dates on your local council's website."

    When do children go back to school after Christmas?

    In England and Wales, every council we checked goes back on Monday 4 January 2027. New Year's Day, Friday 1 January, is a bank holiday. In Edinburgh, the spring term starts on Wednesday 6 January 2027. Scotland also has a bank holiday on Monday 4 January 2027, as the substitute day for 2 January (GOV.UK bank holidays).

    Do academies and faith schools break up on different days?

    They can. The councils above set dates for the schools they run. Essex, Surrey, Leeds, Stockport and Peterborough all say that academies, free schools, foundation or voluntary aided schools may set their own. Many follow the council, but not all. If your children are at two schools, check both letters: one finishing a day later changes childcare, travel and handovers.

    Is the last day of term a half day?

    It depends on the school. The City of Edinburgh Council puts it plainly: "Schools set their own start and finish times. Contact your school to find out what time the school day finishes on the last day of term." The same goes everywhere else. The school newsletter or app usually says in early December.

    What about Scotland and Northern Ireland?

    Each Scottish council sets its own dates, so Glasgow, Fife or Highland can differ from Edinburgh. mygov.scot links to every council's page. In Northern Ireland, the Department of Education lists Christmas and New Year as 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027, and adds: "schools can operate on these dates at their own discretion to suit their individual circumstances." Your school's calendar is the one to follow.

    What else happens in the last week of term?

    Quite a lot lands in the same few days. Christmas Jumper Day is Thursday 10 December. Friday 18 December, the day most schools break up, is also Royal Mail's last recommended posting day for 2nd Class. 1st Class is Monday 21 December. Every date, with its source, is on our Christmas 2026 dates page, and the week-by-week jobs are in the Christmas planning checklist.

    How do we keep term dates in one family calendar?

    Add them once and let everyone see them. Put the last day of term, the inset days and the first day back into Plan, the shared family calendar, so whoever is doing pick-up knows the time without asking. If your children live across two homes, the shared calendar for two homes keeps both households on the same dates, and the free Christmas plan for two homes helps you agree who has which days. Our guide to splitting Christmas between two homes covers the conversation itself. For the rest of the school year, the half-term planner does the same job.

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    Questions parents ask

    Do all schools break up on Friday 18 December 2026?

    Most of the councils we checked do, across England and Wales. Powys finishes on Tuesday 22 December, and academies and faith schools can choose their own dates. Your school's letter or website is final.

    When do schools go back after Christmas in 2027?

    Monday 4 January 2027 in every English and Welsh council we checked. Edinburgh goes back on Wednesday 6 January 2027. Other Scottish councils and Northern Irish schools set their own days.

    Is Monday 4 January 2027 a bank holiday?

    Only in Scotland, where it is the substitute day for 2 January. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the New Year bank holiday is Friday 1 January 2027. Source: GOV.UK bank holidays.

    Where do I find my own school's Christmas dates?

    On your local council's term dates page, which GOV.UK will find from your postcode. If your child is at an academy or faith school, check the school's own website as well.

    Sources