South Lanarkshire school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from South Lanarkshire Council's published calendar · last checked 7 September 2026

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

South Lanarkshire term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termThursday, 13 August 2026Tuesday, 22 December 202689 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 12 October 2026Friday, 16 October 2026
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 23 December 2026Tuesday, 5 January 2027
Spring term 2027 termWednesday, 6 January 2027Friday, 2 April 202761 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 15 February 2027Tuesday, 16 February 2027
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 3 April 2027Sunday, 18 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 19 April 2027Friday, 25 June 202750 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Teachers return Tuesday 11 August 2026
  • In-service days (all schools): Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 August 2026
  • Pupils return Thursday 13 August 2026
  • September weekend holiday: Friday 25 September and Monday 28 September 2026
  • In-service day: Monday 9 November 2026
  • Schools close at 2.30pm on Tuesday 22 December 2026; pupils return Wednesday 6 January 2027
  • February break: Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 February 2027; in-service day Wednesday 17 February 2027
  • Good Friday: Friday 26 March 2027; Easter Monday: Monday 29 March 2027
  • Schools close at 2.30pm on Friday 2 April 2027; Spring break Monday 5 April to Friday 16 April 2027; pupils return Monday 19 April 2027
  • May day: Monday 3 May 2027
  • In-service day (all schools): Thursday 6 May 2027
  • Local holiday: Friday 28 May and Monday 31 May 2027 (Lanark schools close Thursday 10 and Friday 11 June 2027 instead)
  • Schools close at 1pm on Friday 25 June 2027 for summer break
  • Pupils attend 190 days, teachers 195 days

South Lanarkshire term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termTuesday, 17 August 2027Tuesday, 21 December 202786 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 11 October 2027Friday, 15 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidayWednesday, 22 December 2027Tuesday, 4 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termWednesday, 5 January 2028Friday, 31 March 202861 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 14 February 2028Tuesday, 15 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 1 April 2028Monday, 17 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termTuesday, 18 April 2028Tuesday, 27 June 202851 school days
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Teachers return Friday 13 August 2027
  • In-service days (all schools): Friday 13 and Monday 16 August 2027
  • Pupils return Tuesday 17 August 2027
  • September weekend holiday: Friday 24 September and Monday 27 September 2027
  • October break: Monday 11 to Friday 15 October 2027; pupils return Monday 18 October 2027
  • In-service day: Monday 8 November 2027
  • Schools close at 2.30pm on Tuesday 21 December 2027; pupils return Wednesday 5 January 2028
  • February break: Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 February 2028; in-service day Wednesday 16 February 2028; pupils return Thursday 17 February 2028
  • Schools close at 2.30pm on Friday 31 March 2028; Spring break Monday 3 April to Friday 14 April 2028 (includes Good Friday); Easter Monday 17 April 2028; pupils return Tuesday 18 April 2028
  • May day: Monday 1 May 2028
  • In-service day (all schools): Thursday 25 May 2028
  • Local holiday: Friday 26 May and Monday 29 May 2028
  • Schools close at 1pm on Tuesday 27 June 2028 for summer break
  • Pupils attend 190 days, teachers 195 days
  • 2027/28 source: https://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/info/200188/secondary_school_information/82/school_holidays/2
Source: these dates come from South Lanarkshire 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 South Lanarkshire?

October half term in South Lanarkshire runs from Monday, 12 October 2026 to Friday, 16 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do South Lanarkshire schools break up for Christmas?

The autumn term in South Lanarkshire ends on Tuesday, 22 December 2026, so that is the last day of school before the Christmas holiday.

When do South Lanarkshire schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Friday, 25 June 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Partly. Of the 31 other Scotland councils we cover, 5 share South Lanarkshire'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 South Lanarkshire follow these dates?

No. These are South Lanarkshire 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