Sunderland school term dates & holidays 2026/27

Compiled from Sunderland City Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

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

Sunderland 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:
  • The source is the council's PDF calendar 'Term Dates 2026/2027', served at the article URL. It gives half term day counts: Autumn 1 39 days, Autumn 2 35, Spring 1 30, Spring 2 24, Summer 1 34, Summer 2 33, total 195.
  • Start and end dates above follow from the calendar's per month day counts: September 22 days, October 17, November 21, December 14, January 20, February 10 then 5, March 19, April 15, May 19, June 18, July 15.
  • Schools must be open to pupils for 190 days; staff must be available for a further 5 days, or the equivalent, for in-service training. The council notes many INSET days fall at the start or end of term, so not all schools start and end their terms at the same time.
  • The calendar states schools will re-open on Monday 6th September 2027.
  • These are the council's recommended term dates, published after consultation with schools, union representatives and neighbouring local authorities; schools can set different dates.
  • The PDF heads its December 2026 column 'DECEMBER 2027', an apparent typo; the grid is for December 2026.
  • The council's 2027-2028 page publishes 'Proposal A' only, so that year is not included here.
Source: these dates come from Sunderland City 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 Sunderland?

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

When do Sunderland schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Sunderland schools break up for summer?

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

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

Yes. All 11 of the other North East councils we cover share the same October half term week as Sunderland in 2026/27, so crossing a council border won't change your dates.

Do all schools in Sunderland follow these dates?

No. These are Sunderland City 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 North East councils' school holidays compared