Bristol school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from Bristol City Council's published calendar · last checked 7 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Bristol City 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.

Bristol term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termThursday, 3 September 2026Friday, 18 December 202672 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 2027Friday, 23 July 202770 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 31 May 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Bristol publishes six terms, not three: Term 1: 3 September to 23 October 2026; Term 2: 2 November to 18 December 2026; Term 3: 4 January to 12 February 2027; Term 4: 22 February to 25 March 2027; Term 5: 12 April to 28 May 2027; Term 6: 7 June to 23 July 2027.
  • Half-term entries above are the school-week gaps between the council's published term pairs (Terms 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6); the council does not label them as half terms itself.
  • The Easter holiday falls between Term 4 (ends 25 March 2027) and Term 5 (starts 12 April 2027).
  • The school year is 195 days; 5 days are used for staff training (inset days), so pupils attend 190 days. Each school chooses when its inset days take place.
  • Dates apply to most state schools in Bristol; academies and voluntary aided schools may differ.

Bristol 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, 31 March 202859 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 14 February 2028Friday, 18 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 1 April 2028Monday, 17 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termTuesday, 18 April 2028Friday, 21 July 202864 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 29 May 2028Friday, 2 June 2028
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Bristol publishes six terms, not three: Term 1: 1 September to 22 October 2027; Term 2: 1 November to 17 December 2027; Term 3: 4 January to 11 February 2028; Term 4: 21 February to 31 March 2028; Term 5: 18 April to 26 May 2028; Term 6: 5 June to 21 July 2028.
  • Half-term entries above are the school-week gaps between the council's published term pairs (Terms 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6); the council does not label them as half terms itself.
  • The Easter holiday falls between Term 4 (ends 31 March 2028) and Term 5 (starts 18 April 2028).
  • The school year is 195 days; 5 days are used for staff training (inset days), so pupils attend 190 days.
  • Dates apply to most state schools in Bristol; academies and voluntary aided schools may differ.
Source: these dates come from Bristol City Council's official term dates page, last checked by us on 7 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 Bristol?

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

When do Bristol schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Bristol schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Friday, 23 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Partly. Of the 13 other South West councils we cover, 11 share Bristol's October half term week in 2026/27, while Swindon, Wiltshire differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Bristol follow these dates?

No. These are Bristol City 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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