Leicestershire school term dates & holidays 2026/27

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

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by Leicestershire County Council for the 2026/27 academic year: 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.

Leicestershire term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termMonday, 24 August 2026Friday, 18 December 202680 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 19 October 2026Friday, 23 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 19 December 2026Sunday, 3 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termMonday, 4 January 2027Friday, 19 March 202750 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 15 February 2027Friday, 19 February 2027
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 20 March 2027Sunday, 4 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 5 April 2027Tuesday, 6 July 202762 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 31 May 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Leicestershire runs an early-start pattern: schools open Monday 24 August 2026 and the summer term ends Tuesday 6 July 2027.
  • August Bank Holiday Monday 31 August 2026 and May Day Bank Holiday Monday 3 May 2027 fall within term time as stated by the council.
  • The law requires local authority schools to have 190 school days; some schools follow a different term-time pattern. Check the school's website for its pattern and inset/teacher training days.
  • 2027/28 dates are not yet published: the council consulted on two options for autumn 2027 to summer 2032, with results due at Cabinet in September 2026.
Source: these dates come from Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire?

October half term in Leicestershire runs from Monday, 19 October 2026 to Friday, 23 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Leicestershire schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Leicestershire schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Tuesday, 6 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Partly. Of the 9 other East Midlands councils we cover, 1 share Leicestershire's October half term week in 2026/27, while Derby, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, West Northamptonshire differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Leicestershire follow these dates?

No. These are Leicestershire 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.
Student in the family? University terms run differently: Loughborough term dates

Nearby councils