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

Compiled from Gateshead Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

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

Gateshead 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 2027Friday, 16 July 202766 school days
May half term holidayTuesday, 1 June 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Dates are set by the council for Local Authority maintained schools. Voluntary Aided (church) schools and Academies can set their own dates.
  • The council lists the summer half term as 1 to 4 June 2027, with the bank holiday on Monday 31 May 2027.
  • Two days within the terms are to be used for professional development for school staff, determined and agreed by individual school governing bodies.
  • For schools used as a polling station, one day is used for professional development and one occasional day within the Summer Term 2027 is set aside for closure for possible election purposes.
  • The proposed return date after the summer holiday is Monday 6 September 2027. All dates are inclusive.

Gateshead term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termMonday, 6 September 2027Friday, 17 December 202770 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, 14 February 2028Friday, 18 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 8 April 2028Sunday, 23 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termMonday, 24 April 2028Friday, 21 July 202861 school days
May half term holidayTuesday, 30 May 2028Friday, 2 June 2028
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Dates are set by the council for Local Authority maintained schools. Voluntary Aided (church) schools and Academies can set their own dates.
  • The council lists the summer half term as 30 May to 2 June 2028, with the bank holiday on Monday 29 May 2028.
  • Three days within the terms are to be used for professional development for school staff, determined and agreed by individual school governing bodies.
  • The proposed return date for the start of the Autumn term 2028 is Monday 4 September 2028. All dates are inclusive.
Source: these dates come from Gateshead 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 Gateshead?

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

When do Gateshead schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Gateshead schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Friday, 16 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Yes. All 11 of the other North East councils we cover share the same October half term week as Gateshead in 2026/27, so crossing a council border won't change your dates.

Do all schools in Gateshead follow these dates?

No. These are Gateshead 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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