North Ayrshire school term dates & holidays 2026/27

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

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

North Ayrshire term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termThursday 20 August 2026Friday 18 December 202682 school days
October half term holidayMonday 12 October 2026Friday 16 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday 19 December 2026Monday 4 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termTuesday 5 January 2027Thursday 25 March 202756 school days
February half term holidayMonday 15 February 2027Tuesday 16 February 2027
Easter holiday holidayFriday 26 March 2027Sunday 11 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday 12 April 2027Wednesday 30 June 202758 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • These dates cover all North Ayrshire schools except those on Arran, which follow a separate calendar until 2027-28; from 2027-28 all schools share one calendar.
  • Pupils return Thursday 20 August 2026; staff in-service Wednesday 19 August 2026.
  • In-service days: 21 September 2026, 24 November 2026, 16 February 2027, 31 May 2027.
  • November break: Friday 20 to Monday 23 November 2026.
  • Easter holiday: Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027.
  • May Day holiday: Monday 3 May 2027.
  • Summer holiday starts Thursday 1 July 2027.
Source: these dates come from North Ayrshire 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 North Ayrshire?

October half term in North Ayrshire runs from Monday 12 October 2026 to Friday 16 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do North Ayrshire schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do North Ayrshire schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Wednesday 30 June 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 5 share North Ayrshire's October half term week in 2026/27, while Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, Stirling, West Lothian, Western Isles differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in North Ayrshire follow these dates?

No. These are North Ayrshire 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 Scotland councils' school holidays compared