County Durham school term dates 2026/27

Half terms, Christmas, Easter and summer holidays for County Durham council schools (282 schools in the council area). England.

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2026/27 school holidays in County Durham

HolidayFirst day offLast day offBack to school
October half termFri, 23 Oct 2026Mon, 2 Nov 2026Tue, 3 Nov 2026
Christmas holidaysSat, 19 Dec 2026Sun, 3 Jan 2027Mon, 4 Jan 2027
February half termFri, 12 Feb 2027Mon, 22 Feb 2027Tue, 23 Feb 2027
Easter holidaysFri, 26 Mar 2027Sun, 11 Apr 2027Mon, 12 Apr 2027
Easter holidaysFri, 30 Apr 2027Tue, 4 May 2027Wed, 5 May 2027
May half termFri, 28 May 2027Mon, 7 Jun 2027Tue, 8 Jun 2027
Summer holidaysThu, 22 Jul 2027Tue, 31 Aug 2027Wed, 1 Sept 2027

INSET (teacher training) days are usually set by each school and are not in the council calendar.

2026/27 term periods (first and last day in school)
Term startsTerm ends
Tue, 1 Sept 2026Fri, 18 Dec 2026
Mon, 4 Jan 2027Thu, 25 Mar 2027
Mon, 12 Apr 2027Wed, 21 Jul 2027

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2027/28 school holidays in County Durham

HolidayFirst day offLast day offBack to school
October half termFri, 22 Oct 2027Mon, 1 Nov 2027Tue, 2 Nov 2027
Christmas holidaysSat, 18 Dec 2027Mon, 3 Jan 2028Tue, 4 Jan 2028
February half termFri, 11 Feb 2028Mon, 21 Feb 2028Tue, 22 Feb 2028
Easter holidaysSat, 8 Apr 2028Sun, 23 Apr 2028Mon, 24 Apr 2028
Easter holidaysFri, 28 Apr 2028Tue, 2 May 2028Wed, 3 May 2028
May half termFri, 26 May 2028Mon, 5 Jun 2028Tue, 6 Jun 2028
Summer holidaysFri, 21 Jul 2028Not yet published—

INSET (teacher training) days are usually set by each school and are not in the council calendar.

2027/28 term periods (first and last day in school)
Term startsTerm ends
Wed, 1 Sept 2027Fri, 17 Dec 2027
Tue, 4 Jan 2028Fri, 7 Apr 2028
Mon, 24 Apr 2028Thu, 20 Jul 2028

Common questions

When is October half term 2026 in County Durham?

School is off from Friday, 23 October 2026 to Monday, 2 November 2026. Pupils go back on Tuesday, 3 November 2026.

When do schools in County Durham break up for Christmas 2026?

The last day off before Christmas starts is Saturday, 19 December 2026, and schools return on Monday, 4 January 2027.

When do the summer holidays start in County Durham in 2027?

The summer holidays start on Thursday, 22 July 2027 and the new school year begins on Wednesday, 1 September 2027.

Do academies in County Durham follow these dates?

Not always. These are the council's dates for community and voluntary-controlled schools. Academies, free schools, foundation and voluntary-aided schools set their own dates, often within a day or two of these. Check your school's website before booking.

Where these dates come from

Published by County Durham council: official term dates page. Last checked against the source on Thu, 1 Oct 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report a wrong date.

Academy trusts with schools in County Durham

Academies can set their own dates. These large trusts run schools here: check whether yours follows the council's dates.

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Other councils in England