Waltham Forest school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from London Borough of Waltham Forest's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by London Borough of Waltham Forest 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.

Waltham Forest term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termWednesday, 2 September 2026Friday, 18 December 202673 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 2027Thursday, 22 July 202770 school days
May half term holidayTuesday, 1 June 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • The council lists the summer half term break as Tuesday 1 June to Friday 4 June 2027.
  • Term day counts published by the council: autumn 73, spring 54, summer 68 days.
  • Christmas closure runs Monday 21 December 2026 to Thursday 31 December 2026.
  • Easter holiday runs Tuesday 30 March 2027 to Friday 9 April 2027.

Waltham Forest 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:
  • Source: council holiday pattern 2027/28 PDF at https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2025-10/Term%20Dates%202027-28.pdf, linked from the term dates page.
  • School days per half term published by the council: 38 and 35 (autumn), 29 and 30 (spring), 28 and 35 (summer); total 195 school days.
  • Monday 3 January 2028 is marked as a bank holiday; spring term starts Tuesday 4 January 2028.
  • The calendar marks spring closure from 3 to 14 April 2028 with Good Friday on 14 April and Easter Monday on 17 April 2028; summer term starts Tuesday 18 April 2028.
  • Monday 29 May 2028 is a bank holiday within the summer half term week.
Source: these dates come from London Borough of Waltham Forest'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 Waltham Forest?

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

When do Waltham Forest schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Waltham Forest schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Thursday, 22 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Partly. Of the 31 other London councils we cover, 30 share Waltham Forest's October half term week in 2026/27, while Bromley differs. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Waltham Forest follow these dates?

No. These are London Borough of Waltham Forest'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