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School holidays in the United Kingdom vary according to the four different countries and regional local authorities. If you are a parent living in the UK, check with your child’s school or with your local authority so you know the exact dates to make plans. School calendars are split into three terms, with most schools having additional half-term breaks in the middle of each term, meaning that children generally get six breaks per school year.
To find out when your children are off school, read on to learn more about the following:
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School holidays in the UK
School holidays in the UK are set by the regional local authorities (also called local councils), who publish term dates on their websites.
Schools in England and Wales usually have two-week holidays for Christmas and Easter, a break of around six weeks for summer, and week-long breaks halfway through each of the three terms. These week-long holidays are often known as ‘half term.’
Scottish schools have the same number of breaks, with the half-term breaks often shorter or longer (ranging from a long weekend to two weeks). Schools in Northern Ireland have five annual holidays. They have shorter half-term breaks without a mid-term break in the summer term but they usually have an extra two weeks off during the summer.
In general, families in the UK spend school holiday time getting together to celebrate festive holidays such as Christmas, going on family vacations or day trips, or planning activities for kids. School holidays may also coincide with important UK festivals.
UK school holiday dates in 2024–2025
School holidays in England
| Occasion | Date(s) |
| First day of school | 2 September 2024 |
| Autumn break | 28 October – 1 November 2024 |
| Christmas break | 23 December 2024 – 3 January 2025 |
| February break | 17–21 February 2025 |
| Easter break | 7 April – 21 April 2025 |
| May break | 26–31 May 2025 |
| Summer break | 22 July – 31 August 2025 |
Dates might vary from council to council – check with your school.
Holiday periods in Wales
| Occasion | Date(s) |
| First day of school | 2 September 2024 |
| Half term | 28 October – 1 November 2024 |
| Christmas break | 20 December 2024 – 5 January 2025 |
| Half term | 24–28 February 2025 |
| Easter break | 12–27 April 2025 |
| Half term | 26–30 May 2025 |
| Summer break | 21 July – 1 September 2025 |
School holidays in Scotland
| Occasion | Date(s) |
| First day of school | 14 August 2024 |
| Mid-term holidays | 14–18 October 2024 |
| Christmas break | 21 December 2024 – 6 January 2025 |
| Mid-term holidays | 10–14 February 2025 |
| Easter break | 7 April – 21 April 2025 |
| Mid-term holidays | 5–7 May 2025 |
| Summer break | 26 June – 12 August 2025 |
Holiday periods in Northern Ireland
| Occasion | Date(s) |
| First day of school | 1 September 2024 |
| Autumn break | 28 October – 1 November 2024 |
| Christmas break | 23 December 2024 – 2 January 2025 |
| Mid-term break | 13–14 February 2025 |
| Easter break | 17–25 April 2025 |
| Summer break begins | 1 July |
UK school holiday dates in 2025–2026
School holidays in England
| Occasion | Date(s) |
| First day of school | 1 September 2025 |
| Autumn break | 27–31 October 2025 |
| Christmas break | 22 December 2025 – 2 January 2026 |
| February break | 16–20 February 2026 |
| Easter break | 30 March – 10 April 2026 |
| May break | 25–29 May 2026 |
| Summer holiday starts | 20 July 2026 |
Dates might vary from council to council – check with your school.
Holiday periods in Wales
| Occasion | Date(s) |
| First day of school | 1 September 2025 |
| Half term | 27–31 October 2025 |
| Christmas break | 19 December 2025 – 5 January 2026 |
| Half term | 16–20 February 2026 |
| Easter break | 27 March – 13 April 2026 |
| Half term | 25–29 May 2026 |
| Summer holiday starts | 20 July 2026 |
School holiday in Scotland
| Occasion | Date(s) |
| First day of school | 13 August 2025 |
| Mid-term holidays | 13–20 October 2025 |
| Christmas break | 22 December 2025 – 5 January 2026 |
| Mid-term holidays | 16–20 February 2026 |
| Easter break | 3–20 April 2026 |
| Mid-term holidays | 4–5 May 2026 |
| Summer holiday starts | 26 June 2025 |
Holiday periods in Northern Ireland
The term and holiday dates for Northern Ireland’s 2025–2026 school year are yet to be confirmed. Visit the Department of Education online to check the latest dates.
Additional holidays and days off
Schools in the UK also close for a number of public holidays and bank holidays throughout the year. Some of these apply to all four countries, while each country also has its own holiday dates. Each school may also have additional dates off for staff training or pupil book days and may grant days off for pupils of certain faiths to observe religious holidays.
In general, you can find out details of school-specific days off from your local school or by visiting the school website. Meanwhile, many primary and secondary schools in the UK publish calendars online to keep parents and students informed.
Childcare during school holidays in the UK
If you are a working parent during the UK school holidays, you may need to look into childcare provision if you don’t have relatives or friends to keep an eye on the kids. Most parts of the UK will have holiday schemes or a program of activities for various age groups, although public out-of-hours provision for both primary and secondary school children has been cut back over the last decade.
Provision varies across regions. The best place to start is by asking your school what is going on in your area, as most schools can provide information on clubs, holiday camps, or other activities. Some providers also run holiday activities out of hours.
Each council should have a Family Information Service that can tell you what’s available locally, a Youth Service that will normally run holiday activity programs, and a network of Children’s Centers that may have activities for primary school children.
Councils can often also provide information on what privately run provision is available in your area. You can also find details of all local councils in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland from the British government.
There are other useful resources regarding childcare during school holidays, such as:
- Childcare.co.uk: Allows you to search for childcare options in your area
- Family and Childcare Trust: Search for childcare services and find out information on help with costs
- Expatica directory: Search for privately-run facilities such as summer camps and summer schools
