Durham School Holidays and Term Dates (2026/27)

Planning childcare, booking a break or simply working out when the summer holidays start, it all begins with the term dates. Durham County Council sets the holiday pattern for the community, voluntary controlled and special schools it maintains, and the tables below lay out the full 2026/27 year (and 2027/28) so you can see the whole thing at a glance. Every date here is taken from the council's published calendar; always double-check with your own school, as we explain below.

Please note: academies, free schools, foundation and voluntary aided (church) schools, and independent schools can and often do set their own dates. The council's calendar applies to the schools it maintains, so always confirm term and INSET dates with your individual school before booking anything.

2026/27 term dates

The dates below follow the council's "closes / reopens" calendar. The last day is the final day pupils attend before a break; the return day is when school reopens.

So the 2026/27 year runs from Tuesday 1 September 2026 to Tuesday 20 July 2027. The May Day break spans the early May bank holiday weekend, with schools closed for the bank holiday on Monday 3 May 2027.

2027/28 term dates

The council has also published the following year, useful if you are booking further ahead.

INSET and teacher training days

The school year is made up of 195 days, and up to five of these are used by schools for teacher training, commonly called INSET or PD (professional development) days. On these days pupils do not attend, but the days are decided by each school individually rather than set centrally by the council. That means one school's INSET day can fall on a completely ordinary day for the school down the road. Check your school's own calendar or newsletter for its five dates, as they are not shown in the council's holiday tables above.

A few planning tips

Booking a holiday around the school calendar takes a little care in Durham because breaks do not always start on a Monday. The October and Christmas breaks, for instance, begin after a Friday, while the Easter break in 2027 starts after a Thursday. If you are trying to avoid taking a child out of school, count back from the return day rather than assuming a full week.

Remember that term-time absence is only authorised in limited circumstances, and unauthorised absence can lead to a penalty notice, so it is worth building any trips around the published breaks. For the definitive, always-current list, and for any mid-year updates, refer to the council's official page: Durham County Council school holiday and term dates.

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