St Helens school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from St Helens Borough Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by St Helens Borough Council 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.

St Helens 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 202768 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 31 May 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • The council says it follows a standard school term and holiday pattern with the Greater Merseyside authorities.
  • The page publishes closing and opening dates: schools open Tuesday 1 September 2026, close Friday 23 October 2026 and reopen Monday 2 November 2026, close Friday 18 December 2026, reopen Monday 4 January 2027, close Friday 12 February 2027 and reopen Monday 22 February 2027, close Thursday 25 March 2027, reopen Monday 12 April 2027, close Friday 28 May 2027 and reopen Monday 7 June 2027, close Wednesday 21 July 2027. Term spans and half term weeks above are taken from those dates.
  • May Day bank holiday Monday 3 May 2027 falls within the summer term.
  • A PDF of individual school holiday dates for 2026-2027 is linked from the page.

St Helens 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 2028Friday, 7 April 202864 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 21 February 2028Friday, 25 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 8 April 2028Sunday, 23 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termMonday, 24 April 2028Thursday, 20 July 202859 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 29 May 2028Friday, 2 June 2028
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • The council marks the 2027/28 dates: Please note these are subject to change.
  • The page publishes closing and opening dates: schools open Wednesday 1 September 2027, close Friday 22 October 2027 and reopen Monday 1 November 2027, close Friday 17 December 2027, reopen Tuesday 4 January 2028, close Friday 18 February 2028 and reopen Monday 28 February 2028, close Friday 7 April 2028 and reopen Monday 24 April 2028, close Friday 26 May 2028 and reopen Monday 5 June 2028, close Thursday 20 July 2028. Term spans and half term weeks above are taken from those dates.
  • May Day bank holiday Monday 1 May 2028 falls within the summer term.
Source: these dates come from St Helens Borough 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 St Helens?

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

When do St Helens schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do St Helens schools break up for summer?

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

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

Yes. All 22 of the other North West councils we cover share the same October half term week as St Helens in 2026/27, so crossing a council border won't change your dates.

Do all schools in St Helens follow these dates?

No. These are St Helens Borough 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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