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

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

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

York term dates 2026/27

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2026 termMonday, 7 September 2026Friday, 18 December 202670 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 2027Friday, 19 March 202750 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 8 February 2027Friday, 12 February 2027
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 20 March 2027Sunday, 4 April 2027
Summer term 2027 termMonday, 5 April 2027Monday, 26 July 202776 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 31 May 2027Friday, 4 June 2027
Council notes for 2026/27:
  • These are recommended dates. Schools and academies may choose to adopt different term dates, and school training dates may vary, so always check with the school.
  • The council recommends that each school year starts on the first Monday in September and is 39 weeks long, giving 195 school days.
  • The spring term ends on Friday 19 March 2027 and the summer term starts on Monday 5 April 2027, so the Easter break runs from 22 March, with Good Friday 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March 2027 inside it.

York term dates 2027/28

PeriodStartsEndsLength
Autumn term 2027 termMonday, 6 September 2027Friday, 17 December 202770 school days
October half term holidayMonday, 25 October 2027Friday, 29 October 2027
Christmas holiday holidaySaturday, 18 December 2027Tuesday, 4 January 2028
Spring term 2028 termWednesday, 5 January 2028Friday, 7 April 202863 school days
February half term holidayMonday, 21 February 2028Friday, 25 February 2028
Easter holiday holidaySaturday, 8 April 2028Sunday, 23 April 2028
Summer term 2028 termMonday, 24 April 2028Wednesday, 26 July 202863 school days
May half term holidayMonday, 29 May 2028Friday, 2 June 2028
Council notes for 2027/28:
  • The 2027 to 2028 dates are published at https://www.york.gov.uk/attendance-truancy/school-term-dates/3.
  • These are recommended dates. Schools and academies may choose to adopt different term dates, and school training dates may vary, so always check with the school.
Source: these dates come from City of York 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 York?

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

When do York schools break up for Christmas?

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

When do York schools break up for summer?

The summer term ends on Monday, 26 July 2027. The summer holiday starts the next day.

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

Yes. All 14 of the other Yorkshire and the Humber councils we cover share the same October half term week as York in 2026/27, so crossing a council border won't change your dates.

Do all schools in York follow these dates?

No. These are City of York 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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