Barking and Dagenham school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by London Borough of Barking and Dagenham for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 academic years: term start and finish dates, half terms, and the Christmas, Easter and summer breaks. We take the dates straight from the council's own published calendar (linked below), convert them into one consistent format, and recheck them each academic year. School-day counts exclude weekends and half term but not inset days, which individual schools choose themselves.

Barking and Dagenham term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termTuesday, 1 September 2026Friday, 18 December 202674 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 26 October 2026Friday, 30 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 19 December 2026Sunday, 3 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termMonday, 4 January 2027Thursday, 25 March 202754 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 15 February 2027Friday, 19 February 2027
Easter holiday holidayFriday, 26 March 2027Sunday, 11 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 12 April 2027Thursday, 22 July 202769 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 31 May 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Schools are to ensure that there are 190 taught days. The calendar leaves 5 non-contact days and 1 day holiday to be chosen by individual schools with appropriate consultation, agreed and published on schools' websites by the end of the summer term 2025.
  • Term day counts: autumn 74 school days, spring 54 school days, summer 68 school days.
  • Easter break runs from Good Friday 26 March 2027 to Friday 9 April 2027.
  • The May Day bank holiday falls on Monday 3 May 2027 and half term starts on the spring bank holiday, Monday 31 May 2027.
  • Dates taken from the council's term dates calendar PDF for 2026-27, linked from the source page.

Barking and Dagenham term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termWednesday, 1 September 2027Friday, 17 December 202773 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 25 October 2027Friday, 29 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 18 December 2027Monday, 3 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termTuesday, 4 January 2028Monday, 3 April 202860 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 14 February 2028Friday, 18 February 2028
Easter holiday holidayTuesday, 4 April 2028Monday, 17 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termTuesday, 18 April 2028Friday, 21 July 202865 school days
May half term holidayTuesday, 30 May 2028Friday, 2 June 2028
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Term day counts: autumn 73 school days, spring 60 school days, summer 63 school days.
  • The spring term ends on Monday 3 April 2028. The Easter break runs from Tuesday 4 April 2028 to Monday 17 April 2028.
  • Christmas break runs from Monday 20 December 2027 to Monday 3 January 2028.
  • May bank holidays fall on Monday 1 May 2028 and Monday 29 May 2028; the council lists half term as Tuesday 30 May to Friday 2 June 2028.
  • Summer break starts from Monday 24 July 2028.
  • Dates taken from the council's term dates calendar PDF for 2027-28, linked from the source page.
Source: these dates come from London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's official term dates page, last checked by us on 12 September 2026. If the council amends its calendar mid-year, its page is the authority; tell us and we'll correct ours. Read how we compile term dates.

Common questions

When is October half term in Barking and Dagenham?

October half term in Barking and Dagenham runs from Monday, 26 October 2026 to Friday, 30 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Barking and Dagenham schools break up for Christmas?

The autumn term in Barking and Dagenham ends on Friday, 18 December 2026, so that is the last day of school before the Christmas holiday.

When do Barking and Dagenham schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Thursday, 22 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

Is Barking and Dagenham's October half term the same as neighbouring councils?

Partly. Of the 31 other London councils we cover, 30 share Barking and Dagenham's October half term week in 2026/27, while Bromley differs. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Barking and Dagenham follow these dates?

No. These are London Borough of Barking and Dagenham's published dates for community and voluntary-controlled schools. Academies, free schools, foundation schools and private schools set their own calendars, and every school adds its own inset days. Check with your school before booking anything you can't refund.

Tempted by term-time prices? Taking children out of school during term can mean a penalty notice, and the rules differ across the UK. How school fines work, nation by nation.

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