Wiltshire school term dates & holidays 2026/27 and 2027/28

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

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

Wiltshire term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termTuesday, 1 September 2026Friday, 18 December 202672 school days
October half term holidayThursday, 22 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 2027Friday, 23 July 202770 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 31 May 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • Wiltshire runs a 6-term year: Term 1 ends Wednesday 21 October 2026, giving a longer October break (Thursday 22 October to Sunday 1 November).
  • Council term blocks: Term 1 (1 Sep to 21 Oct, 37 days), Term 2 (2 Nov to 18 Dec, 35), Term 3 (4 Jan to 12 Feb, 30), Term 4 (22 Feb to 25 Mar, 24), Term 5 (12 Apr to 28 May, 34), Term 6 (7 Jun to 23 Jul, 35).
  • All 5 staff development days are set at each school's discretion within the 195 published days; pupils attend 190.
  • Schools in the Mere and Tisbury area may follow Dorset dates instead.
  • Foundation, voluntary aided, academy and residential special schools set their own dates.

Wiltshire term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termWednesday, 1 September 2027Friday, 17 December 202771 school days
October half term holidayThursday, 21 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 2028Tuesday, 25 July 202866 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 29 May 2028Friday, 2 June 2028
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • Wiltshire runs a 6-term year: Term 1 ends Wednesday 20 October 2027, giving a longer October break (Thursday 21 October to Sunday 31 October).
  • Council term blocks: Term 1 (1 Sep to 20 Oct, 36 days), Term 2 (1 Nov to 17 Dec, 35), Term 3 (4 Jan to 11 Feb, 29), Term 4 (21 Feb to 31 Mar, 30), Term 5 (18 Apr to 26 May, 28), Term 6 (5 Jun to 25 Jul, 37).
  • All 5 staff development days are set at each school's discretion within the 195 published days; pupils attend 190.
  • Schools in the Mere and Tisbury area may follow Dorset dates instead.
  • Foundation, voluntary aided, academy and residential special schools set their own dates.
Source: these dates come from Wiltshire 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 Wiltshire?

October half term in Wiltshire runs from Thursday, 22 October 2026 to Friday, 30 October 2026. Pupils return the following school day.

When do Wiltshire schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do Wiltshire schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Friday, 23 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Partly. Of the 13 other South West councils we cover, 1 share Wiltshire's October half term week in 2026/27, while Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Plymouth, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Torbay differ. If your children attend schools under different councils, check both pages before booking.

Do all schools in Wiltshire follow these dates?

No. These are Wiltshire 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