When do the October half-term holidays start and end in England? Key dates for the rest of the school year
At long last, school is (almost) out for the spooky season 🎃
- The October half-term holiday is almost here for schoolchildren across England
- This will be about a week long for most pupils
- Term and holiday dates can differ slightly depending on where you live
- But they tend to follow a pretty consistent pattern nationwide - and across different types of schools
Across the country, most children will now be well settled into their school day routines.
We’re now about half-way through the first term of the 2025/26 school year, and young learners will soon be getting their first real taste of freedom since the summer holidays. The October half-term holiday is set to start soon, and will see out the rest of the month. Children will then return to class at the beginning of November, for the rest of the autumn term.
This certainly won’t be the last holiday or half-term break they get throughout the rest of the academic year either. Parents in particular will need to make note of these well in advance, with coordinating childcare and family holidays over the coming months likely to require some thought.
To make things even more confusing, exact term and holiday dates can differ depending on the local authority area you live in - or potentially even your child’s school. Luckily, however, they do tend to follow a pretty similar pattern.
We’ve taken a look at when the summer holidays are set to begin in some of the country’s largest local authorities - including Birmingham and Croydon - as well as when parents can expect other breaks to begin and end over the new school year. Here’s what you need to know:
When will the October half-term holiday start and end in 2025?
Classes are set to wrap up this week across most council areas. This means that the October half-term holiday period will start in earnest next week – beginning on Monday, October 27.
This break is about a week long. Children will have until Halloween (Friday, October 31) off, before going back to school after the weekend. This means that the exact date of return will be Monday, November 3.
Term and holiday dates for the rest of the school year
Autumn term 2025
- Monday, October 27 - Friday, October 31: Half-term holiday
- Monday, November 3: School resumes
- Monday, December 22 2025 - Friday, January 2 2026: Christmas and New Year holidays
Spring term 2026
- Monday, January 5: Spring term begins
- Monday, February 16 to Friday, February 20: Half-term holiday
- Monday, February 23: School resumes
- Monday, March 30 to Friday, April 10: Easter holidays
Summer term 2026
- Monday, April 13: Summer term begins
- Monday, May 4: May Day bank holiday
- Monday, May 25 to Friday, May 29: Half-term holiday
- Monday, June 1: School resumes
- Monday, July 20: Summer holidays begin
Each of England and Wales’ local authorities has the power to set its own term and school holiday dates. The government has an online tool you can use here to find the exact dates in your council’s area.