Westminster school term dates & holidays 2026/27

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

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

Westminster 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 202769 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 31 May 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Dates are the bi-borough (Kensington and Chelsea / Westminster) determined school term and holiday dates for nursery, primary and secondary schools.
  • Term day counts published in the document: 38 and 35 (autumn), 30 and 24 (spring), 34 and 34 (summer); total 195 days, from which five staff training dates are determined by the school governing body, possibly as twilight sessions.
  • Christmas holiday runs Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027; Easter holiday runs Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027 (Easter weekend 26 to 29 March).
  • The May Day Bank Holiday will be taken on 3 May 2027 and the Spring Bank Holiday on 31 May 2027.
  • Schools which close for local elections are required to extend the summer term or coincide it with an inset day.
  • Suggested common secondary transition day for pupils starting secondary school in September 2027: Wednesday 7 July 2027.
Source: these dates come from Westminster 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 Westminster?

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

When do Westminster schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Westminster schools break up for summer?

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

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

Partly. Of the 31 other London councils we cover, 30 share Westminster'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 Westminster follow these dates?

No. These are Westminster 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.
Student in the family? University terms run differently: King's College London term dates · LSE term dates

Nearby councils