The 2026/27 school year began under Oxfordshire County Council’s calendar on Wednesday 2 September 2026. October half-term runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, the Christmas term ends on Friday 18 December and the academic year finishes on Wednesday 21 July 2027.
Information checked: 16 October 2026. Dates below follow the county calendar. Individual school term dates and INSET days can differ, so confirm with your child’s school before booking childcare or travel.
Oxfordshire County Council has published its term and holiday dates for the new academic year, giving families a framework for planning the months ahead.
The county calendar covers 190 pupil days and five teacher working or INSET days. Tuesday 1 September has been identified as the countywide INSET day, meaning the first scheduled pupil day is Wednesday 2 September.
Four further INSET days can be chosen by individual schools. Academies, foundation schools and voluntary-aided schools can also set their own term dates, so pupils at neighbouring schools may not always finish or return on the same day.
Oxfordshire school dates at a glance
| Event | Official county dates | Last school day and expected return |
|---|---|---|
| Start of the school year | Wednesday 2 September 2026 | Tuesday 1 September is the countywide INSET or teacher working day |
| October half-term | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 | Finish Friday 23 October; return Monday 2 November |
| Christmas holiday | Monday 21 to Thursday 31 December 2026 | Finish Friday 18 December; return Monday 4 January 2027 |
| February half-term | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027 | Finish Friday 12 February; return Monday 22 February |
| Easter holiday | Tuesday 30 March to Friday 9 April 2027 | Finish Thursday 25 March; return Monday 12 April |
| Late-spring half-term | Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 June 2027 | Finish Friday 28 May; return Monday 7 June |
| End of the school year | Wednesday 21 July 2027 | Summer holiday begins Thursday 22 July |
Important: check your school’s own calendar
Oxfordshire County Council’s dates are not guaranteed to apply unchanged to every school.
Academies, foundation schools and voluntary-aided schools can set their own term dates. Schools also choose four additional INSET days during the academic year, when teachers work but pupils do not attend.
Check the school website or contact the school office before arranging childcare, booking travel or paying for a family holiday.
Full Oxfordshire term dates for 2026/27
Autumn term 2026
The autumn term begins for pupils on Wednesday 2 September, following the countywide INSET day on Tuesday 1 September.
| Autumn period | Dates |
|---|---|
| First half of term | Wednesday 2 September to Friday 23 October 2026 |
| October half-term | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Second half of term | Monday 2 November to Friday 18 December 2026 |
| Official Christmas holiday dates | Monday 21 to Thursday 31 December 2026 |
Pupils following the county calendar finish for Christmas on Friday 18 December and return on Monday 4 January 2027.
The council’s published school holidays range ends on Thursday 31 December because New Year’s Day falls on Friday 1 January, followed by the weekend of 2 and 3 January. For practical planning, the full break runs from the end of school on Friday 18 December until pupils return on Monday 4 January.
Spring term 2027
The spring term begins on Monday 4 January 2027.
| Spring period | Dates |
|---|---|
| First half of term | Monday 4 January to Friday 12 February 2027 |
| February half-term | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Second half of term | Monday 22 February to Thursday 25 March 2027 |
| Official Easter holiday dates | Tuesday 30 March to Friday 9 April 2027 |
Children finish on Thursday 25 March and return on Monday 12 April.
The Easter holiday appears to begin on a Tuesday because the school term is followed immediately by the Easter bank holiday weekend. Good Friday falls on 26 March and Easter Monday on 29 March, before the council-listed holiday begins on Tuesday 30 March.
Summer term 2027
The summer term begins on Monday 12 April 2027.
| Summer period | Dates |
|---|---|
| First half of term | Monday 12 April to Friday 28 May 2027 |
| Late-spring half-term | Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 June 2027 |
| Second half of term | Monday 7 June to Wednesday 21 July 2027 |
Monday 3 May is the early-May bank holiday.
The council lists the late-spring half-term as beginning on Tuesday 1 June because Monday 31 May is the spring bank holiday. In practical terms, pupils finish on Friday 28 May and return on Monday 7 June.
The school year ends on Wednesday 21 July, with the summer holiday beginning on Thursday 22 July.
Download the official Oxfordshire school calendar
Parents and carers can download or bookmark the county’s published calendar:
- Download the official Oxfordshire 2026/27 term-date calendar as a PDF
- Download the council spreadsheet covering 2026/27 and 2027/28
- Visit Oxfordshire County Council’s term dates and holidays page
These documents show the county calendar. They will not necessarily include the four additional INSET days selected by an individual school or alternative dates adopted by an academy or other own-admission-authority school.
Is 1 September 2026 an INSET day?
Yes. Oxfordshire County Council has identified Tuesday 1 September 2026 as the countywide “available for work” or INSET day.
The first scheduled pupil day under the county calendar is therefore Wednesday 2 September.
The county calendar is designed to provide 190 pupil days and five teacher working or INSET days during the academic year. The county calendar identifies the September date, while four further training days can be selected locally.
Those extra days may be attached to a weekend, half-term or longer holiday. They can also fall during a period shown as term time on the county calendar.
This means two nearby schools may have different return dates, even if both broadly follow the Oxfordshire pattern.
Do academies follow Oxfordshire’s term dates?
Not necessarily.
Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for setting the calendar for community and voluntary-controlled schools.
Academies, foundation schools and voluntary-aided schools are responsible for their own dates and can decide to use a different pattern. The county calendar is recommended to those schools, and many adopt it closely, but they are not required to use every date.
An academy trust might change the beginning or end of a term, schedule a different half-term or place its INSET days on different dates.
Parents with children attending more than one school should check each calendar separately rather than assuming the holidays and training days will match.
Bank holidays during the 2026/27 school year
| Bank holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December 2026 |
| Boxing Day substitute day | Monday 28 December 2026 |
| New Year’s Day | Friday 1 January 2027 |
| Good Friday | Friday 26 March 2027 |
| Easter Monday | Monday 29 March 2027 |
| Early-May bank holiday | Monday 3 May 2027 |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 31 May 2027 |
These public holidays explain why the practical Christmas, Easter and late-spring breaks are longer than the weekday holiday ranges shown in the council’s term-date table.
Current and future public holiday dates are available through the GOV.UK bank holiday calendar.
Can parents take children on holiday during term time?
Parents should arrange family holidays during the published school breaks wherever possible.
Headteachers can authorise leave during term time only where they consider the circumstances exceptional. A lower holiday price or more convenient travel date is not normally treated as an exceptional reason.
If permission is refused and a child is taken out of school, the absence can be recorded as unauthorised.
For unauthorised absence by a child of compulsory school age, a first penalty notice is £80 per parent, per child, if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 if paid within 28 days. A second notice for the same parent and child within three years is £160, with no early-payment discount. Unpaid notices can lead to prosecution.
A maximum of two notices can be issued to the same parent for the same child within a rolling three-year period. Further unauthorised absence may lead to court action rather than another fine. A penalty is not automatic, and paying one does not authorise the absence. See GOV.UK’s attendance enforcement guidance.
Submit a leave request to the school in advance and wait for its decision.
Further information is available through Oxfordshire County Council’s school attendance guidance.
Frequently asked questions
When do Oxfordshire schools return in September 2026?
The first scheduled pupil day on the county calendar is Wednesday 2 September 2026.
Tuesday 1 September is the countywide INSET or teacher working day. Some schools may use additional INSET days or set their own term dates, so confirm the return date directly.
When is October half-term in Oxfordshire?
October half-term runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026.
Pupils following the county calendar finish on Friday 23 October and return on Monday 2 November.
When are the Oxfordshire Christmas holidays?
The last scheduled school day is Friday 18 December 2026.
The council lists the Christmas holiday as Monday 21 to Thursday 31 December, with pupils returning after New Year’s Day and the weekend on Monday 4 January 2027.
When is February half-term?
February half-term runs from Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027.
Pupils finish on Friday 12 February and return on Monday 22 February.
When are the Easter holidays?
The spring term ends on Thursday 25 March 2027.
Good Friday and Easter Monday fall on 26 and 29 March. The council-listed Easter holiday then runs from Tuesday 30 March to Friday 9 April, with pupils returning on Monday 12 April.
Why does the late-spring half-term begin on a Tuesday?
The council lists half-term as Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 June because Monday 31 May is the spring bank holiday.
Pupils finish on Friday 28 May and return on Monday 7 June.
When does the 2026/27 school year end?
The final scheduled pupil day is Wednesday 21 July 2027. The summer holiday begins on Thursday 22 July.
When does the 2027/28 school year begin?
Oxfordshire County Council’s next calendar identifies Friday 3 September 2027 as the countywide INSET or available-for-work day.
The first scheduled pupil day for the 2027/28 county calendar is Monday 6 September, although individual schools may use different dates.
How many INSET days are there?
The county calendar includes five teacher working or INSET days: 1 September and four further days selected by each school. Check the school’s own published arrangements.
Where can I find my child’s exact dates?
Check the school’s own website, newsletter or parent communication system. The school office can confirm term dates, INSET days and any local closures.
More information for Oxfordshire parents
For school-specific dates and support, use your school’s own calendar and Oxfordshire County Council’s schools information.
