Essex school term dates 2025/26
Showing the 2025/26 calendar only. Current and next year
Next term date
Term dates for 2026/27 not yet published — usually published in September
Next holiday: Summer term 6 break from Tue 21 Jul 2026 — return date not yet published (usually published in September)
Verified from www.essex.gov.uk on Sat 5 Sep 2026. Cross-checked against an independent dataset Where these dates come from
Academies and some other schools can choose different dates, so check with your school.
These dates are shown but not yet fully verified (no exact boundary on or after today).
2025/26
Terms 2025/26
| Term | Starts | Ends | School days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn, term 1 | Mon 1 Sep 2025 | Fri 24 Oct 2025 | 40 |
| Autumn, term 2 | Mon 3 Nov 2025 | Fri 19 Dec 2025 | 35 |
| Spring, term 3 | Mon 5 Jan 2026 | Fri 13 Feb 2026 | 30 |
| Spring, term 4 | Mon 23 Feb 2026 | Fri 27 Mar 2026 | 25 |
| Summer, term 5 | Mon 13 Apr 2026 | Fri 22 May 2026 | 29 |
| Summer, term 6 | Mon 1 Jun 2026 | Mon 20 Jul 2026 | 36 |
Holidays 2025/26
| Holiday | First day off | Last day off |
|---|---|---|
| October half term | Mon 27 Oct 2025 | Fri 31 Oct 2025 |
| Christmas holiday | Mon 22 Dec 2025 | Fri 2 Jan 2026 |
| February half term | Mon 16 Feb 2026 | Fri 20 Feb 2026 |
| Easter holiday | Mon 30 Mar 2026 | Fri 10 Apr 2026 |
| Early May bank holiday | Mon 4 May 2026 | Mon 4 May 2026 |
| May half term | Mon 25 May 2026 | Fri 29 May 2026 |
| Summer term 6 break computed tbc return date not yet published (usually published in September) |
Tue 21 Jul 2026 | — |
What's different about Essex
- The autumn, term 1 in Essex is 40 school days (Mon 1 Sep 2025 – Fri 24 Oct 2025), 35 days shorter than the median across the 13 United Kingdom jurisdictions we cover.
- Essex schools break up for summer on Mon 20 Jul 2026, 3 days before the latest (Derbyshire, Thu 23 Jul 2026).
- There are 3 half-term breaks in 2025/26: October half term, February half term, May half term.
- Good Friday (Fri 3 Apr 2026) falls inside the Easter holiday.
- The 2025/26 dates were first published in September 2026.
Who these dates apply to
These council dates normally apply to community and voluntary controlled schools.
Where these dates come from
Source: Essex, official school term dates. www.essex.gov.uk
Verified from www.essex.gov.uk on Sat 5 Sep 2026. Cross-checked against an independent dataset
Source text
Academic year 2025 to 2026 | Essex County Council Skip to main content Enter the terms you wish to search for. Breadcrumbs Home Schools and learning Schools Essex school terms and holidays Academic year 2025 to 2026 Academic year 2025 to 2026 School term dates and holidays for academic year 2025 to 2026 for community and voluntary controlled schools in Essex These dates are for community and voluntary controlled schools in Essex. Term dates for foundation and voluntary-aided schools and academies may be different. Check with your child's school for their term dates. | Term | Starts | Ends | Autumn, term 1 | Monday 1 September 2025 | Friday 24 October 2025 | Autumn half term | Monday 27 October 2025 | Friday 31 October 2025 | Autumn, term 2 | Monday 3 November 2025 | Friday 19 December 2025 | Winter holiday (Christmas) | Monday 22 December 2025 | Friday 2 January 2026 | Spring, term 3 | Monday 5 January 2026 | Friday 13 February 2026 | Spring half term | Monday 16 February 2026 | Friday 20 February 2026 | Spring, term 4 | Monday 23 February 2026 | Friday 27 March 2026 | Spring holiday (Easter) | Monday 30 March 2026 | Friday 10 April 2026 | Summer, term 5 | Monday 13 April 2026 | Friday 22 May 2026 | Early May bank holiday | Monday 4 May 2026 | Monday 4 May 2026 | Summer half term | Monday 25 May 2026 | Friday 29 May 2026 | Summer, term 6 | Monday 1 June 2026 | Monday 20 July 2026 | Summer holiday | Tuesday 21 July 2026 | Monday 31 August 2026 There are 195 school days in a year. Schools also have 5 days out of the academic year for staff training. Contact your child’s school to find out when they will be. View the full 2025 to 2026 term date calendar (PDF, 161KB) You can find bank holidays dates on GOV.UK. You must get permission from the headteacher if you want to take your child out of school during term time. BETA Help us improve this site by giving feedback Footer Contact us Cookies Accessibility Privacy and data protection Modern slavery and human trafficking statement Terms and conditions Social Media Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Powered by LocalGov Drupal
Keep these dates
Get reminders
Email and web-push reminders before every break-up and return day are coming soon.
Frequently asked questions
- When do Essex schools go back for the autumn, term 1 in September 2025?
- The autumn, term 1 in Essex starts on Monday 1 September 2025.
- When does the autumn, term 1 end in Essex in 2025?
- Pupils break up on Friday 24 October 2025.
- When is the October half term 2025 in Essex?
- The October half term in Essex runs from Monday 27 October 2025 to Friday 31 October 2025 inclusive.