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

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

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

Kent 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:
  • Kent publishes six numbered terms (Term 1: 1 Sep-23 Oct 2026; Term 2: 2 Nov-18 Dec 2026; Term 3: 4 Jan-12 Feb 2027; Term 4: 22 Feb-25 Mar 2027; Term 5: 12 Apr-28 May 2027; Term 6: 7 Jun-21 Jul 2027). Half-term dates above are the school-week gaps between those terms; Kent does not label them as holidays on the page.
  • Standard school year 2026/27 based on 6 terms with additional INSET days. Pupils attend 190 days/380 sessions; teachers may be required for up to 195 days, with the additional days specified by individual schools as non-contact days (from the council's determined term dates PDF).
  • Bank holidays listed by the council: 31 August 2026, 25 December 2026, 28 December 2026 (in lieu of Boxing Day falling on a Saturday), 1 January 2027, 26 March 2027 (Good Friday), 29 March 2027 (Easter Monday), 3 May 2027 (May Day, falls within Term 5), 31 May 2027 (Late May), 30 August 2027.
  • Council caveat: 'Term dates for some schools may be different. Contact your child's school to check staff training days, individual half term breaks or if your child's school is private or independent.'

Kent 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:
  • From the council's 'Determined School Term dates for 2027-28' PDF, linked from the term dates page. Six terms: Term 1: 1 Sep-22 Oct 2027 (38 days); Term 2: 1 Nov-17 Dec 2027 (35 days); Term 3: 4 Jan-11 Feb 2028 (29 days); Term 4: 21 Feb-31 Mar 2028 (30 days); Term 5: 18 Apr-26 May 2028 (28 days, 1 May 2028 bank holiday falls within it); Term 6: 5 Jun-21 Jul 2028 (35 days). Half-term dates above are the school-week gaps between those terms.
  • Bank holidays listed by the council: 30 August 2027, 27 December 2027 (in lieu of Christmas Day), 28 December 2027 (in lieu of Boxing Day), 3 January 2028 (New Year's Day), 14 April 2028 (Good Friday), 17 April 2028 (Easter Monday), 1 May 2028 (May Day), 29 May 2028 (Late May), 28 August 2028.
  • Pupils attend 190 days/380 sessions; teachers may be required for up to 195 days, with additional days specified by individual schools as non-contact days.
Source: these dates come from Kent 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 Kent?

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

When do Kent schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Kent schools break up for summer?

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

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

Partly. Of the 18 other South East councils we cover, 15 share Kent's October half term week in 2026/27, while Isle of Wight, Surrey, West Berkshire differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Kent follow these dates?

No. These are Kent 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.
Colleges and independent schools set their own dates: Canterbury College term dates · MidKent College term dates

Nearby councils

All South East councils' school holidays compared