Cheshire West and Chester school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from Cheshire West and Chester Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Cheshire West and Chester 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.

Cheshire West and Chester 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:
  • Spring break: Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027; May Day bank holiday Monday 3 May 2027.
  • Dates apply to community and voluntary controlled schools, community special schools and maintained nursery schools; voluntary aided and foundation school governors set their own.
  • Cheshire West and Chester and Cheshire East publish the same standardised dates for these years.

Cheshire West and Chester 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:
  • Spring break: Monday 3 April to Monday 17 April 2028; May Day bank holiday Monday 1 May 2028.
  • Dates apply to community and voluntary controlled schools, community special schools and maintained nursery schools; voluntary aided and foundation school governors set their own.
Source: these dates come from Cheshire West and Chester 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 Cheshire West and Chester?

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

When do Cheshire West and Chester schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Cheshire West and Chester schools break up for summer?

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

Is Cheshire West and Chester'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 Cheshire West and Chester in 2026/27, so crossing a council border won't change your dates.

Do all schools in Cheshire West and Chester follow these dates?

No. These are Cheshire West and Chester 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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