Northern Ireland school term dates 2026/27
Next term date
Schools break up in 104 days — Fri 18 Dec 2026
Next holiday: Christmas holiday, Mon 21 Dec 2026 – Fri 1 Jan 2027
Verified from www.education-ni.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
| Term | Starts | Ends | School days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn term | Tue 1 Sep 2026 | Fri 18 Dec 2026 | 76 |
| Spring term | Mon 4 Jan 2027 | Wed 24 Mar 2027 | 54 |
| Summer term | Mon 5 Apr 2027 | Wed 30 Jun 2027 | 60 |
Holidays 2026/27
| Holiday | First day off | Last day off |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas holiday computed per school | Mon 21 Dec 2026 | Fri 1 Jan 2027 |
| Easter holiday computed per school | Thu 25 Mar 2027 | Fri 2 Apr 2027 |
| Summer holiday computed tbc return date not yet published (usually published in September) |
Thu 1 Jul 2027 | — |
INSET and closure days 2026/27
| Day | Date | Until |
|---|---|---|
| TransformED NI closure day per school | Fri 25 Sep 2026 | Fri 25 Sep 2026 |
| Halloween per school | Thu 29 Oct 2026 | Fri 30 Oct 2026 |
| Christmas and New Year per school | Mon 21 Dec 2026 | Fri 1 Jan 2027 |
| TransformED NI closure day per school | Mon 25 Jan 2027 | Mon 25 Jan 2027 |
| Mid-term per school | Thu 11 Feb 2027 | Fri 12 Feb 2027 |
| St Patrick's Day per school | Wed 17 Mar 2027 | Wed 17 Mar 2027 |
| Easter per school | Thu 25 Mar 2027 | Fri 2 Apr 2027 |
| May Day per school | Mon 3 May 2027 | Mon 3 May 2027 |
| TransformED NI closure day per school | Tue 4 May 2027 | Tue 4 May 2027 |
| Spring Bank Holiday per school | Mon 31 May 2027 | Mon 31 May 2027 |
| Staff training and school development days per school tbc set by your school |
Set by your school | Set by your school |
What's different about Northern Ireland
- The autumn term in Northern Ireland is 76 school days (Tue 1 Sep 2026 – Fri 18 Dec 2026), 3 days longer than the median across the 52 United Kingdom jurisdictions we cover.
- Northern Ireland schools break up for summer on Wed 30 Jun 2027, 28 days before the latest (Surrey, Wed 28 Jul 2027).
- The source lists 10 pupil-free days (Christmas and New Year, Easter, Halloween, May Day, Mid-term, Spring Bank Holiday, St Patrick's Day, TransformED NI closure day): Fri 25 Sep 2026, Thu 29 Oct 2026, Mon 21 Dec 2026, Mon 25 Jan 2027, Thu 11 Feb 2027, Wed 17 Mar 2027, Thu 25 Mar 2027, Mon 3 May 2027, Tue 4 May 2027, Mon 31 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
Northern Ireland publishes a common holiday framework, but each school sets development days and optional closures.
Where these dates come from
Source: Department of Education (Northern Ireland), School holidays. Crown copyright. www.education-ni.gov.uk
Verified from www.education-ni.gov.uk on Sat 5 Sep 2026. Cross-checked against an independent dataset
Source text
School holidays 2026/2027 The table below lists the non-operational dates for schools in the 2026/2027 academic year. It is worth noting that schools can operate on these dates at their own discretion to suit their individual circumstances. | Event | Dates (inclusive) | Schools resume after summer holiday | 1 September 2026 | Halloween | 29 & 30 October 2026 | Christmas and New Year | 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 | Mid-term | 11 & 12 February 2027 | St Patrick's Day | 17 March 2027 | Easter | 25 March to 2 April 2027 | May Day | 3 May 2027 | Spring Bank Holiday | 31 May 2027 | Summer holiday begins | 1 July 2027 Note: Schools also have the discretion to take a number of staff training and school development days. Pupils do not attend on these days and such days are likely to differ from school-to-school. Exceptionally, during the 2026/27 academic year, recognising the need for schools to engage with the significant TransformED NI programme of reform of teaching and learning, the Minister has granted three additional closure days, one per term. These have been specified as 25 September 2026, 25 January 2027 and 4 May 2027.
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Frequently asked questions
- When does the autumn term end in Northern Ireland in 2026?
- Pupils break up on Friday 18 December 2026.
- When is the Christmas holiday 2026 in Northern Ireland?
- The Christmas holiday in Northern Ireland runs from Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027 inclusive.
- When do Northern Ireland schools go back for the spring term in January 2027?
- The spring term in Northern Ireland starts on Monday 4 January 2027.
- When does the spring term end in Northern Ireland in 2027?
- Pupils break up on Wednesday 24 March 2027.
- When is the Easter holiday 2027 in Northern Ireland?
- The Easter holiday in Northern Ireland runs from Thursday 25 March 2027 to Friday 2 April 2027 inclusive.