Northumberland school term dates & holidays 2026/27

Compiled from Northumberland County Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Northumberland County 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.

Northumberland 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 2027Wednesday, 21 July 202769 school days
May half term holidayTuesday, 1 June 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Easter holiday: Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027; bank holidays 3 May and 31 May 2027, with the June half term running Tuesday to Friday after the spring bank holiday.
  • The calendar shows 195 term days; each school sets 5 non-teaching days, so pupils attend 190 and dates vary slightly by school.
  • Foundation trust, academy and voluntary aided (church) schools are not obliged to follow these dates.
  • Schools reopen for 2027-28 on Monday 6 September 2027.
Source: these dates come from Northumberland County 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 Northumberland?

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

When do Northumberland schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Northumberland schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Wednesday, 21 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Yes. All 11 of the other North East councils we cover share the same October half term week as Northumberland in 2026/27, so crossing a council border won't change your dates.

Do all schools in Northumberland follow these dates?

No. These are Northumberland County 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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