- England has a dominant 26–30 October pattern, but several councils begin earlier or run a two-week break.
- Wales uses 26–30 October across all 22 local authorities; Scotland varies widely by council.
- Northern Ireland lists 29–30 October, but individual schools can add development days or use discretion.
- Confirm the school’s own calendar before comparing flights, accommodation or leave dates.
October half term 2026 dates at a glance
The earliest council breaks begin on Monday 5 October in parts of Scotland. The widest cross-nation calendar overlap is in the final week of October, when the main England and Wales pattern overlaps with Northern Ireland’s Halloween break.
England October half term 2026 by council
English council dates generally apply to community and voluntary-controlled schools where the council sets the calendar. Academies, free schools, foundation schools, trust schools and voluntary-aided schools may set different dates, and schools can add INSET days. Always confirm the individual school calendar before booking.
The verified council calendars below show four recurring patterns. Authorities in the final ‘confirm directly’ group remain searchable here, but no date is stated for them because a final 2026/27 calendar could not be independently confirmed from the official page at the time of checking.
Norfolk’s council-listed half-term holiday is Friday 23 to Friday 30 October. The council also suggests Friday 23 October as a staff-training day and notes that dates can differ by school.
Wales half term October 2026 by local authority
All 22 Welsh local authorities use Monday 26 to Friday 30 October in the Welsh Government’s 2026/27 term-date schedule. Schools can still add training days, so the exact pupil-free window should be checked locally.
Scotland October school holidays 2026 by council
Scottish council breaks run from early to late October, with the longest pupil-free windows in island authorities. The dates below show weekdays when pupils are off, including a directly adjacent in-service day where the council calendar states one.
Some councils label an adjoining Friday or Monday separately as an in-service day rather than part of the October holiday. Confirm the return date with the school because local calendars and special schools can differ.
Northern Ireland Halloween school holidays 2026
Northern Ireland’s Department of Education lists Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026 as the Halloween school holiday. Schools may operate at their discretion and can schedule additional staff-training or development days.
There is no council-by-council split equivalent to England’s local-authority list. Check the individual school calendar for the complete pupil-free period.
How to plan October half-term flights on Wego
The useful travel decision is not simply which week looks cheapest; it is which departure and return dates fit the days your child is officially off. Start with the council date, then narrow it using the school’s own calendar and any adjacent INSET days.
Do not assume that leaving before the final school day is allowed. Confirm the school dates first, then compare the exact break and adjacent permitted travel dates on Wego.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is October half term 2026 in England?
Most English councils list Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 for community and voluntary-controlled schools where the council sets dates. Academies, free schools, foundation schools, trust schools and voluntary-aided schools can use a different calendar.
Are October half-term dates the same across Wales?
The Welsh Government’s 2026/27 schedule gives Monday 26 to Friday 30 October for all 22 local authorities. A school’s training days can still extend the pupil-free window.
Why do Scotland October school holidays vary so much?
Scotland’s 32 councils publish their own school calendars, creating different start dates and break lengths. In-service days next to the holiday also change the day pupils return.
When is the Northern Ireland Halloween school holiday in 2026?
The Department of Education lists Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October 2026. Individual schools may add development days or make changes under the discretion allowed by the department.
Can I book a trip using only the council date?
Use the council date as a guide, not the final confirmation. Check the school’s calendar for academy-set dates, INSET days and any local variation before paying for travel.
Confirm the school dates before booking
October half term 2026 stretches across nearly the whole month when UK council patterns are considered. A quick school-calendar check can prevent a trip from overlapping a teaching or compulsory attendance day.
Once the dates are confirmed, compare the exact break and any school-approved Tuesday or Wednesday alternatives on Wego. That sequence keeps the planning flexible without guessing which days a family can travel.
Sources
- GOV.UK — School term and holiday date locator (general guidance)
- Welsh Government — School term dates 2026 to 2027
- Northern Ireland Department of Education — School holidays
- Barking and Dagenham — official 2026/27 calendar
- Barnet — official 2026/27 calendar
- Barnsley — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bath and North East Somerset — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bedford — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bexley — official 2026/27 calendar
- Birmingham — official 2026/27 calendar
- Blackburn with Darwen — official school-date page
- Blackpool — official school-date policy
- Bolton — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bracknell Forest — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bradford — official 2026/27 calendar
- Brent — official 2026/27 calendar
- Brighton and Hove — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bristol — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bromley — official 2026/27 calendar
- Buckinghamshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Bury — official 2026/27 calendar
- Calderdale — official 2026/27 calendar
- Cambridgeshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Camden — official 2026/27 calendar
- Central Bedfordshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Cheshire East — official 2026/27 calendar
- Cheshire West and Chester — official 2026/27 calendar
- City of London — official council school-date page
- City of London — official school calendar page
- Cornwall — official 2026/27 calendar
- County Durham (Durham County Council) — official 2026/27 calendar
- Coventry — official 2026/27 calendar
- Croydon — official 2026/27 calendar
- Cumberland — official 2026/27 calendar
- Darlington — official 2026/27 calendar
- Derby — official 2026/27 calendar
- Derbyshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Devon — official 2026/27 calendar
- Doncaster — official 2026/27 calendar
- Dorset — official 2026/27 calendar
- Dudley — official 2026/27 calendar
- Ealing — official 2026/27 calendar
- East Riding of Yorkshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- East Sussex — official 2026/27 calendar
- Enfield — official 2026/27 calendar
- Essex — official 2026/27 calendar
- Gateshead — official 2026/27 calendar (confirmed)
- Gloucestershire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Greenwich — official 2026/27 calendar
- Hackney — official 2026/27 calendar
- Halton — official 2026/27 calendar
- Hammersmith and Fulham — official school-date page
- Hampshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Haringey — official 2026/27 calendar
- Harrow — official 2026/27 calendar
- Hartlepool — official 2026/27 calendar
- Havering — official 2026/27 calendar
- Herefordshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Hertfordshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Hillingdon — official 2026/27 calendar
- Hounslow — official 2026/27 calendar
- Isle of Wight — official 2026/27 calendar
- Isles of Scilly — official school-date page
- Islington — official 2026/27 calendar
- Kensington and Chelsea — official 2026/27 calendar
- Kent — official 2026/27 calendar
- Kingston upon Hull — official 2026/27 calendar
- Kingston upon Thames — official school-date page
- Kirklees — official 2026/27 calendar
- Knowsley — official 2026/27 calendar
- Lambeth — official 2026/27 calendar
- Lancashire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Leeds — official 2026/27 calendar
- Leicester — official 2026/27 calendar
- Leicestershire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Lewisham — official school-date page
- Lincolnshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Liverpool — official 2026/27 calendar
- Luton — official 2026/27 calendar
- Manchester — official 2026/27 calendar
- Medway — official 2026/27 calendar
- Merton — official 2026/27 calendar
- Middlesbrough — official 2026/27 calendar
- Milton Keynes — official 2026/27 calendar
- Newcastle upon Tyne — official 2026/27 calendar
- Newham — official 2026/27 calendar
- Norfolk — official 2026/27 calendar
- North East Lincolnshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- North Lincolnshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- North Northamptonshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- North Somerset — official 2026/27 calendar
- North Tyneside — official 2026/27 calendar
- North Yorkshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Northumberland — official school-date page
- Nottingham — official 2026/27 calendar
- Nottinghamshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Oldham — official 2026/27 calendar
- Oxfordshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Peterborough — official 2026/27 calendar
- Plymouth — official 2026/27 calendar
- Portsmouth — official 2026/27 calendar
- Reading — official 2026/27 calendar
- Redbridge — official 2026/27 calendar
- Redcar and Cleveland — official 2026/27 calendar
- Richmond upon Thames — official school-date page
- Rochdale — official 2026/27 calendar
- Rotherham — official 2026/27 calendar
- Rutland — official 2026/27 calendar
- Salford — official 2026/27 calendar
- Sandwell — official 2026/27 calendar
- Sefton — official 2026/27 calendar
- Sheffield — official 2026/27 calendar
- Shropshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Slough — official 2026/27 calendar
- Solihull — official 2026/27 calendar
- Somerset — official 2026/27 calendar
- South Gloucestershire — official 2026/27 calendar
- South Tyneside — official council school-date page
- South Tyneside — official school calendar page
- Southampton — official 2026/27 calendar
- Southend-on-Sea — official 2026/27 calendar
- Southwark — official 2026/27 calendar
- St Helens — official 2026/27 calendar
- Staffordshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- Stockport — official 2026/27 calendar
- Stockton-on-Tees — official 2026/27 calendar
- Stoke-on-Trent — official 2026/27 calendar
- Suffolk — official 2026/27 calendar
- Sunderland — official 2026/27 calendar
- Surrey — official 2026/27 calendar
- Sutton — official 2026/27 calendar
- Swindon — official 2026/27 calendar
- Tameside — official 2026/27 calendar
- Telford and Wrekin — official 2026/27 calendar
- Thurrock — official 2026/27 calendar
- Torbay — official 2026/27 calendar
- Tower Hamlets — official 2026/27 calendar
- Trafford — official school-date page
- Wakefield — official 2026/27 calendar
- Walsall — official 2026/27 calendar
- Waltham Forest — official 2026/27 calendar
- Wandsworth — official 2026/27 calendar
- Warrington — official 2026/27 calendar
- Warwickshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- West Berkshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- West Northamptonshire — official 2026/27 calendar
- West Sussex — official 2026/27 calendar
- Westminster — official school-date page
- Westmorland and Furness — official 2026/27 calendar
- Wigan — official 2026/27 calendar
- Wiltshire — official school-date page
- Windsor and Maidenhead — official 2026/27 calendar
- Wirral — official 2026/27 calendar
- Wokingham — official 2026/27 calendar
- Wolverhampton — official 2026/27 calendar
- Worcestershire — official 2026/27 calendar
- York — official 2026/27 calendar
- Aberdeen City — Approved decision, 20 Feb 2024
- Aberdeen City — current school-holidays portal
- Aberdeenshire — Council-wide school term-dates calendar planner
- Aberdeenshire — official planner PDF
- Angus — Angus school holidays
- Argyll and Bute — Argyll and Bute school holidays 2026–27
- Clackmannanshire — Clackmannanshire school term dates 2026–27
- Comhairle nan Eilean Siar — School holiday and term dates
- Comhairle nan Eilean Siar — official 2026–27 PDF
- Dumfries and Galloway — Dumfries and Galloway 2026–27 school year
- Dundee City — Approved scheme, report 187-2023
- Dundee City — committee approval minute
- East Ayrshire — East Ayrshire school holidays
- East Dunbartonshire — East Dunbartonshire school holidays
- East Lothian — East Lothian school term dates 2026–27
- East Renfrewshire — School holidays 2026–27 final PDF
- City of Edinburgh — Edinburgh 2026–27 term dates
- City of Edinburgh — printable school term dates PDF
- Falkirk — Falkirk school terms and holidays
- Fife — Fife school holidays, terms and closure dates
- Glasgow City — Glasgow City Council school term dates
- Glasgow City — current Glasgow council-school handbook reproducing the calendar
- Highland — Highland school term dates 2026–27
- Inverclyde — Inverclyde school holidays
- Inverclyde — official amended 2026–27 schedule
- Midlothian — Midlothian 2026–27 term dates
- Moray — Moray school term dates and holidays
- North Ayrshire — All schools except Arran final PDF
- North Ayrshire — Arran final PDF
- North Lanarkshire — North Lanarkshire school holidays and term dates
- Orkney Islands — Orkney schools calendar
- Orkney Islands — official 2026–27 PDF
- Perth and Kinross — Perth and Kinross school term and holiday dates
- Renfrewshire — Renfrewshire school term dates and holidays
- Scottish Borders — Scottish Borders 2026–27 term dates
- Scottish Borders — confirmation notice
- Shetland Islands — Shetland school term dates 2026–27
- South Ayrshire — South Ayrshire school and EYC term dates
- South Lanarkshire — South Lanarkshire school holidays 2026–27
- Stirling — Stirling school term dates and holidays
- West Dunbartonshire — West Dunbartonshire term dates 2026–27
- West Lothian — West Lothian school terms 2026–27
- West Lothian — dates-agreed notice
- Wego — Fare Calendar
[EDITOR: Could not independently verify Hartlepool’s official 2026/27 half-term date from an accessible council source as of 10 August 2026 (the official term-dates PDF/page did not render extractable text). A third-party aggregator supports the Monday 26–Friday 30 October 2026 date shown above. Recommend a manual check of hartlepool.gov.uk before relying on this date.]
[EDITOR: South Tyneside’s own official term-dates page had not yet published 2026/27 dates as of 10 August 2026 when checked; the Monday 26–Friday 30 October 2026 date shown above is supported only by a linked school’s own calendar. Recommend rechecking southtyneside.gov.uk closer to publication.]
[EDITOR: Hammersmith and Fulham is listed above as unconfirmed because lbhf.gov.uk was inaccessible during this check. A third-party aggregator (last checked June 2026) states LBHF has since published Monday 26–Friday 30 October 2026 for its 2026/27 calendar, but this could not be independently verified on the council’s own site. Recommend a manual check before moving this authority into the confirmed list.]
Disclaimer: We’ve worked hard to make sure the information in this article is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publishing. Travel details such as prices, schedules, visa rules, and entry requirements can change at short notice, so it remains your responsibility to verify the current details with official sources before you book or travel. Wego accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from the use of this content.
