Highland school term dates 2026/27

Schools break up in 34 days — Fri 9 Oct 2026

Next holiday: October half term, Mon 12 Oct 2026 – Fri 23 Oct 2026

Verified from www.highland.gov.uk on Sat 5 Sep 2026. Cross-checked against an independent dataset Where these dates come from

Check your school's calendar.

2026/27

Terms 2026/27

Highland terms 2026/27
TermStartsEndsSchool days
Term 1
start moved past an INSET day printed on the first day		 Wed 19 Aug 2026 Fri 9 Oct 2026 37
Term 2 Mon 26 Oct 2026 Tue 22 Dec 2026 41
Spring term Wed 6 Jan 2027 Thu 25 Mar 2027 54
Summer term Mon 12 Apr 2027 Thu 1 Jul 2027 56

Holidays 2026/27

Highland holidays 2026/27
HolidayFirst day offLast day off
October half term Mon 12 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026
Christmas holiday Wed 23 Dec 2026 Tue 5 Jan 2027
February break Mon 15 Feb 2027 Tue 16 Feb 2027
Easter holiday Fri 26 Mar 2027 Fri 9 Apr 2027
May Day Mon 3 May 2027 Mon 3 May 2027
Summer holiday computed Fri 2 Jul 2027 Tue 17 Aug 2027

INSET and closure days 2026/27

Highland pupil-free days 2026/27, as listed by the source
DayDateUntil
INSET day per school Mon 17 Aug 2026 Mon 17 Aug 2026
INSET day per school Tue 18 Aug 2026 Tue 18 Aug 2026
INSET day per school Mon 14 Sep 2026 Mon 14 Sep 2026
INSET day per school Wed 17 Feb 2027 Wed 17 Feb 2027
INSET day per school Thu 6 May 2027 Thu 6 May 2027

2027/28 — next year, already published

Terms 2027/28

Highland terms 2027/28
TermStartsEndsSchool days
Term 1 Wed 18 Aug 2027 Fri 8 Oct 2027 37
Term 2 Mon 25 Oct 2027 Tue 21 Dec 2027 41
Spring term Wed 5 Jan 2028 Fri 31 Mar 2028 60
Summer term Tue 18 Apr 2028 Thu 29 Jun 2028 50

Holidays 2027/28

Highland holidays 2027/28
HolidayFirst day offLast day off
October half term Mon 11 Oct 2027 Fri 22 Oct 2027
Christmas holiday Wed 22 Dec 2027 Tue 4 Jan 2028
February break Mon 14 Feb 2028 Tue 15 Feb 2028
Easter holiday Mon 3 Apr 2028 Mon 17 Apr 2028
May Day Mon 1 May 2028 Mon 1 May 2028
Summer holiday computed tbc
return date not yet published (usually published in September)		 Fri 30 Jun 2028 —

INSET and closure days 2027/28

Highland pupil-free days 2027/28, as listed by the source
DayDateUntil
INSET day per school Mon 16 Aug 2027 Mon 16 Aug 2027
INSET day per school Tue 17 Aug 2027 Tue 17 Aug 2027
INSET day per school Mon 13 Sep 2027 Mon 13 Sep 2027
INSET day per school Wed 16 Feb 2028 Wed 16 Feb 2028
INSET day per school Mon 5 Jun 2028 Mon 5 Jun 2028

What's different about Highland

  • The term 1 in Highland is 37 school days (Wed 19 Aug 2026 – Fri 9 Oct 2026), 36 days shorter than the median across the 52 United Kingdom jurisdictions we cover.
  • Highland schools break up for summer on Thu 1 Jul 2027, 27 days before the latest (Surrey, Wed 28 Jul 2027).
  • There are 1 half-term break in 2026/27: October half term.
  • The source lists 5 pupil-free days (INSET day): Mon 17 Aug 2026, Tue 18 Aug 2026, Mon 14 Sep 2026, Wed 17 Feb 2027, Thu 6 May 2027.
  • Good Friday (Fri 26 Mar 2027) falls inside the Easter holiday.
  • The 2026/27 dates were first published in September 2026.

Who these dates apply to

The council sets local term dates, but individual schools choose in-service days and may make small changes.

Where these dates come from

Source: Highland, official school term dates. www.highland.gov.uk

Verified from www.highland.gov.uk on Sat 5 Sep 2026. Cross-checked against an independent dataset

Source text
School term dates 2026/2027 Dates for holidays are inclusive. For example, for holidays from 14 to 21 October, pupils return on 22 October. Download a printable copy of the calendar or add these dates to your calendar Term 1 - August to October Starts Monday 17 August and ends Friday 9 October. In-service days: Monday 17 August and Tuesday 18 August In-service day: Monday 14 September October holidays: Monday 12 October to Friday 23 October Term 2 - October to December Starts Monday 26 October and ends Tuesday 22 December. Christmas and New Year holidays: Wednesday 23 December to Tuesday 5 January Term 3 - January to March Starts Wednesday 6 January and ends Thursday 25 March. February break: Monday 15 February and Tuesday 16 February In-service day: Wednesday 17 February Easter holidays: Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April Term 4 - April to July Starts Monday 12 April and ends Thursday 1 July. May Day: Monday 3 May In-service day: Thursday 6 May Summer holidays: starts Friday 2 July

Keep these dates

Frequently asked questions

When does the term 1 end in Highland in 2026?
Pupils break up on Friday 9 October 2026.
When is the October half term 2026 in Highland?
The October half term in Highland runs from Monday 12 October 2026 to Friday 23 October 2026 inclusive.
When do Highland schools go back for the term 2 in October 2026?
The term 2 in Highland starts on Monday 26 October 2026.
When does the term 2 end in Highland in 2026?
Pupils break up on Tuesday 22 December 2026.
When is the Christmas holiday 2026 in Highland?
The Christmas holiday in Highland runs from Wednesday 23 December 2026 to Tuesday 5 January 2027 inclusive.

My school's dates are different