North Lanarkshire school term dates & holidays 2026/27
Compiled from North Lanarkshire Council's published calendar · last checked 7 September 2026
These are the official school term dates and holidays set by North Lanarkshire 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.
North Lanarkshire term dates 2026/27
| Period | Starts | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn term 2026 term | Wednesday, 12 August 2026 | Friday, 18 December 2026 | 88 school days |
| October half term holiday | Monday, 12 October 2026 | Friday, 16 October 2026 | |
| Christmas holiday holiday | Saturday, 19 December 2026 | Monday, 4 January 2027 | |
| Spring term 2027 term | Tuesday, 5 January 2027 | Friday, 2 April 2027 | 62 school days |
| February half term holiday | Monday, 15 February 2027 | Tuesday, 16 February 2027 | |
| Easter holiday holiday | Saturday, 3 April 2027 | Sunday, 18 April 2027 | |
| Summer term 2027 term | Monday, 19 April 2027 | Friday, 25 June 2027 | 50 school days |
- In-service day: Monday 10 August 2026 (return date for teachers)
- In-service day: Tuesday 11 August 2026
- Pupils return Wednesday 12 August 2026
- September weekend: Friday 25 September and Monday 28 September 2026
- In-service day: Monday 16 November 2026
- Schools close at 2.30pm on Friday 18 December 2026; Christmas holidays Monday 21 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027 inclusive; schools return Tuesday 5 January 2027
- Mid-term break: Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 February 2027; in-service day Wednesday 17 February 2027
- Good Friday: Friday 26 March 2027; Easter Monday: Monday 29 March 2027
- Schools close at 2.30pm on Friday 2 April 2027; Spring break Monday 5 April to Friday 16 April 2027; schools return Monday 19 April 2027
- May Public Holiday: Monday 3 May 2027
- In-service day: Thursday 6 May 2027 (Scottish Government elections)
- May Weekend: Friday 28 May and Monday 31 May 2027
- Schools close at 1pm on Friday 25 June 2027
- 2027/28 dates not published on the council page at time of checking
Common questions
When is October half term in North Lanarkshire?
October half term in North Lanarkshire runs from Monday, 12 October 2026 to Friday, 16 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.
When do North Lanarkshire schools break up for Christmas?
The autumn term in North Lanarkshire ends on Friday, 18 December 2026, so that is the last day of school before the Christmas holiday.
When do North Lanarkshire schools break up for summer?
The summer term ends on Friday, 25 June 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.
Is North Lanarkshire's October half term the same as neighbouring councils?
Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 5 share North Lanarkshire's October half term week in 2026/27, while Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, Stirling, West Lothian, Western Isles differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.
Do all schools in North Lanarkshire follow these dates?
No. These are North Lanarkshire 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.