Bank holidays 2026 to 2028 and schools

Every bank holiday from October 2026 to 2028

The list comes from the official GOV.UK bank holiday data, read on 12 October 2026, which the government publishes under the Open Government Licence. Dates further ahead can still be changed by royal proclamation, as happened in 2022 and 2023.

Which ones close schools in term time

For a school calendar in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a bank holiday is either inside a break, where it changes nothing, or inside a term, where it closes the school for the day. In 2026-27 the pattern is the usual one for an early Easter: Good Friday on 26 March and Easter Monday on 29 March 2027 open the Easter holidays, and the early May bank holiday on 3 May sits in the summer term. The checker on this site applies the GOV.UK list to every English, Welsh and Northern Irish council calendar automatically, so a bank holiday in term time always shows as "no school".

Scotland: council holidays, not bank holidays

Scottish bank holidays mainly govern banks and some public offices. Schools follow the holiday list of their council, which usually includes Good Friday and a May Day holiday, may or may not include Easter Monday, St Andrew's Day and the summer bank holiday in early August, and adds local holidays such as a September weekend Monday. That is why the checker uses only the council's own list for Scottish councils.

Northern Ireland: two extra days

Northern Ireland adds St Patrick's Day on 17 March and the Battle of the Boyne on 12 July. In 2027 St Patrick's Day is a Wednesday in term time, and it is on the list of common closure dates agreed by all school sectors. The Twelfth falls in the summer holiday, which starts on 1 July.

Royal events and one-off holidays

Extra bank holidays have been declared for coronations and jubilees. When that happens the GOV.UK list is updated and councils announce whether the extra day closes schools. We re-read the feed with each update of the site.