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

Compiled from Hertfordshire County Council's published calendar · last checked 7 September 2026

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

Hertfordshire 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 2027Thursday 22 July 202769 school days
May half term holidayMonday 31 May 2027Friday 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Hertfordshire publishes only the start of term and the holiday dates, not explicit term-end dates. As stated: start of term 1 September 2026; half term holiday 26-30 October 2026; Christmas holiday 21 December 2026-1 January 2027; half term holiday 15-19 February 2027; Easter holiday 26 March-9 April 2027; half term holiday 31 May-4 June 2027; summer holiday 23 July-31 August 2027. Term start/end dates in this file are the school days either side of those stated holidays.
  • 'Community and voluntary-controlled schools must use the above term dates, adding 5 INSET days and 1 Occasional day where children don't need to go to school.'
  • 'Academies, voluntary-aided, foundation and free schools aren't required to follow the above term dates.'
  • Council states future term dates will be published by 31 January each year.

Hertfordshire 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 2028Monday 24 July 202865 school days
May half term holidayMonday 29 May 2028Friday 2 June 2028
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • As stated by the council: start of term 1 September 2027; half term holiday 25-29 October 2027; Christmas holiday 20 December 2027-3 January 2028; half term holiday 14-18 February 2028; Easter holiday 3-17 April 2028; half term holiday 29 May-2 June 2028; summer holiday 25 July-1 September 2028. Term start/end dates in this file are the school days either side of those stated holidays; note the summer term runs to Monday 24 July 2028 on that basis.
  • 'Community and voluntary-controlled schools must use the above term dates, adding 5 INSET days and 1 Occasional day where children don't need to go to school.'
  • 'Academies, voluntary-aided, foundation and free schools aren't required to follow the above term dates.'
Source: these dates come from Hertfordshire County 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 Hertfordshire?

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

When do Hertfordshire schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Hertfordshire schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Thursday 22 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Partly. Of the 10 other East of England councils we cover, 9 share Hertfordshire's October half term week in 2026/27, while Norfolk differs. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Hertfordshire follow these dates?

No. These are Hertfordshire County 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.

Nearby councils

All East of England councils' school holidays compared