Derby school term dates & holidays 2026/27

Compiled from Derby City Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Derby City Council for the 2026/27 academic year: 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.

Derby term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termFriday, 4 September 2026Friday, 18 December 202671 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 2027Monday, 26 July 202771 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 31 May 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • The council publishes term blocks with day counts: autumn term 71 days (Friday 4 September 2026 to Friday 23 October 2026, 36 days; Monday 2 November 2026 to Friday 18 December 2026, 35 days); spring term 54 days (Monday 4 January 2027 to Friday 12 February 2027, 30 days; Monday 22 February 2027 to Thursday 25 March 2027, 24 days); summer term 70 days (Monday 12 April 2027 to Friday 28 May 2027, 34 days; Monday 7 June 2027 to Monday 26 July 2027, 36 days). The half term weeks above are the closed weekdays between those blocks.
  • The 2026/27 school year has a total of 195 days.
  • The autumn term starts on Friday 4 September 2026.
  • Bank holidays listed include Friday 25 December 2026, Monday 28 December 2026, Friday 1 January 2027, Friday 26 March 2027 and Monday 29 March 2027.
  • The council also lists 2027 to 2028 dates, noted as the preferred option following consultation but subject to final agreement by Council Cabinet. Those dates conflict with the council's linked 2027-28 calendar PDF on the spring term start and the summer term end, so the 2027 to 2028 year is not included here.
Source: these dates come from Derby City Council'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 Derby?

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

When do Derby schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Derby schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Monday, 26 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

Is Derby's October half term the same as neighbouring councils?

Partly. Of the 9 other East Midlands councils we cover, 4 share Derby's October half term week in 2026/27, while Leicester, Leicestershire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Derby follow these dates?

No. These are Derby City Council'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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