West Dunbartonshire school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

Compiled from West Dunbartonshire Council's published calendar · last checked 12 September 2026

These are the official school term dates and holidays set by West Dunbartonshire 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.

West Dunbartonshire term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termMonday, 17 August 2026Friday, 18 December 202685 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 2027Friday, 2 April 202761 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 15 February 2027Wednesday, 17 February 2027
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 3 April 2027Sunday, 18 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 19 April 2027Wednesday, 30 June 202753 school days
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • In-service days (no pupils): Thursday 13 August 2026 (teachers return), Friday 14 August 2026, Monday 9 November 2026, Wednesday 17 February 2027 and Tuesday 4 May 2027.
  • September weekend: Friday 25 September and Monday 28 September 2026.
  • October break: Monday 12 October to Friday 16 October 2026 inclusive.
  • Schools close at 2.30pm on Friday 18 December 2026 for the Christmas and New Year break, Monday 21 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027 inclusive, and reopen Tuesday 5 January 2027.
  • February mid-term break: Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 February 2027, followed by an in-service day on Wednesday 17 February 2027.
  • Easter holiday within the spring term: Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March 2027.
  • Schools close at 2.30pm on Friday 2 April 2027 for the spring break, Monday 5 April to Friday 16 April 2027 inclusive, and resume Monday 19 April 2027.
  • May Day holiday Monday 3 May 2027, followed by an in-service day on Tuesday 4 May 2027. May weekend: Friday 28 May and Monday 31 May 2027.
  • Schools close at 1.00pm on Wednesday 30 June 2027.

West Dunbartonshire term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termTuesday, 17 August 2027Wednesday, 22 December 202782 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 4 October 2027Friday, 15 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidayThursday, 23 December 2027Tuesday, 4 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termWednesday, 5 January 2028Friday, 31 March 202860 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 14 February 2028Wednesday, 16 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 1 April 2028Monday, 17 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termTuesday, 18 April 2028Friday, 30 June 202854 school days
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • In-service days (no pupils): Friday 13 August 2027 (teachers return), Monday 16 August 2027, Monday 22 November 2027, Wednesday 16 February 2028 and Thursday 25 May 2028.
  • September weekend: Monday 27 September 2027.
  • October break: Monday 4 October to Friday 15 October 2027 inclusive, a two week break.
  • Christmas and New Year break: Thursday 23 December 2027 to Tuesday 4 January 2028 inclusive; schools reopen Wednesday 5 January 2028. The autumn term end of Wednesday 22 December 2027 is the last school day before that break.
  • February mid-term break: Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 February 2028, followed by an in-service day on Wednesday 16 February 2028.
  • Spring break: Monday 3 April to Monday 17 April 2028 inclusive. The spring term end of Friday 31 March 2028 and the summer term start of Tuesday 18 April 2028 are the school days either side of that break.
  • May Day holiday Monday 1 May 2028. In-service day Thursday 25 May 2028, then the May weekend on Friday 26 May and Monday 29 May 2028.
  • Schools close at 1.00pm on Friday 30 June 2028.
  • 2027/28 dates are published at https://www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/term-dates/term-dates-202728
Source: these dates come from West Dunbartonshire 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 West Dunbartonshire?

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

When do West Dunbartonshire schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do West Dunbartonshire schools break up for summer?

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

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

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

No. These are West Dunbartonshire 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.

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