School holidays and term dates

INSET days

In addition to the dates listed below, each school will also close for five INSET days during the year. Please contact the school directly to find out when these INSET days will take place. 

View the rules on taking holidays during term time

Guidelines for setting school term dates

The council, along with neighbouring authorities, has set out the following principles for school term dates, please note that these are for guidance only and in a number of cases schools are responsible for setting their own dates:

• all terms start on a Monday (or Tuesday after a Bank Holiday)
• October half term is generally the last full week in October
• a break covering Christmas and New Year
• February half term will generally be the third full week in February
• Easter break is renamed the Spring Break and will always be the first two full weeks in April
• Easter will always be observed via the Bank Holidays for Good Friday and Easter Monday
• Whitsun half term break will be one week
• where a school is open for a part-week this will be for a minimum of three days to encourage attendance
• the five INSET days are to be designated by the individual School Governing Body, but there will be no more than two days in any one term set consecutively

It is advisable that individual schools are contacted for a definitive set of term dates for that particular school.