Orkney Islands school term dates 2026/27

October holidays is underway — through Tue 27 Oct 2026

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Verified against www.orkney.gov.uk on Sat 5 Sep 2026. Cross-checked against the recorded source Where these dates come from

Check your school's calendar.

2026/27

Terms 2026/27

School holidays, public holidays and recorded training days are excluded. Your school may set more training days, so pupils may attend fewer days. Check your school's calendar.

Orkney Islands terms 2026/27
TermStartsEndsWeekdays in term
Term 1 Tue 18 Aug 2026 Fri 9 Oct 2026 39
Term 2 Wed 28 Oct 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 37
Spring term Tue 5 Jan 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 54
Summer term Mon 12 Apr 2027 Fri 2 Jul 2027 58

Holidays 2026/27

Orkney Islands holidays 2026/27
HolidayFirst day offLast day off
October holidays Mon 12 Oct 2026 Tue 27 Oct 2026
Christmas holiday Mon 21 Dec 2026 Mon 4 Jan 2027
February school closure Thu 11 Feb 2027 Tue 16 Feb 2027
Easter holiday Mon 29 Mar 2027 Fri 9 Apr 2027
May Day holiday Mon 3 May 2027 Mon 3 May 2027
May holiday Mon 31 May 2027 Mon 31 May 2027
Summer holiday computed tbc
return date not yet published (usually published in September)		 Mon 5 Jul 2027 —

INSET and closure days 2026/27

Orkney Islands pupil-free days 2026/27, as listed by the source
TermStartsEnds
INSET day per school Mon 17 Aug 2026 Mon 17 Aug 2026
INSET day per school Mon 26 Oct 2026 Mon 26 Oct 2026
INSET day per school Tue 27 Oct 2026 Tue 27 Oct 2026
INSET day per school Tue 16 Feb 2027 Tue 16 Feb 2027
INSET day per school Mon 31 May 2027 Mon 31 May 2027

School admissions in Orkney Islands

Last distances offered, Ofsted and results for every school in Orkney Islands, on Schools in Reach.

What's different about Orkney Islands

  • Term 1 in Orkney Islands has 39 weekdays in term. Dates: Tue 18 Aug 2026 – Fri 9 Oct 2026. School training days may reduce pupil attendance. Across the 144 covered calendars in United Kingdom, the median is 73 weekdays in term.
  • Orkney Islands schools break up for summer on Fri 2 Jul 2027, 26 days before the latest (Surrey, Wed 28 Jul 2027).
  • The source lists 5 pupil-free days (INSET day): Mon 17 Aug 2026, Mon 26 Oct 2026, Tue 27 Oct 2026, Tue 16 Feb 2027, Mon 31 May 2027.
  • TermMinder first recorded the 2026/27 dates 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: Orkney Islands, official school term dates. www.orkney.gov.uk

Verified against www.orkney.gov.uk on Sat 5 Sep 2026. Cross-checked against the recorded source

Source text
School term dates - 2026 / 2027 (all dates are inclusive) Term 1 Tuesday 18 August – Friday 9 October. (39 days) October holidays Monday 12 October – Tuesday 27 October. Term 2 Wednesday 28 October – Friday 18 December. (38 days) Christmas holidays Monday 21 December – Monday 4 January. Term 3 Tuesday 5 January – Friday 26 March. (55 days) Schools closed Thursday 11 February – Tuesday 16 February. Spring holidays Monday 29 March – Friday 9 April. (Easter Monday 29 March). Term 4 Monday 12 April – Friday 2 July. (58 days) Schools closed Monday 3 May (May Day holiday). Schools closed Monday 31 May. Staff Only, In-service days are: • Monday 17 August. • Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October. • Tuesday 16 February. • Monday 31 May.

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Frequently asked questions

When do Orkney Islands schools go back for the term 2 in October 2026?
The term 2 in Orkney Islands starts on Wednesday 28 October 2026.
When does the term 2 end in Orkney Islands in 2026?
Pupils break up on Friday 18 December 2026.
When is the Christmas holiday 2026 in Orkney Islands?
The Christmas holiday in Orkney Islands runs from Monday 21 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027 inclusive.
When do Orkney Islands schools go back for the spring term in January 2027?
The spring term in Orkney Islands starts on Tuesday 5 January 2027.
When is the February school closure 2027 in Orkney Islands?
The February school closure in Orkney Islands runs from Thursday 11 February 2027 to Tuesday 16 February 2027 inclusive.

My school's dates are different