South East · Isle of Wight Council
Isle of Wight term dates 2026-27
Isle of Wight Council calendar for 2026-27: October half term 19 to 30 October 2026, then Christmas holidays from 21 December 2026.
Isle of Wight schools go back on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and the 2026-27 school year ends on Wednesday 28 July 2027, according to the calendar published by Isle of Wight Council. The October break lasts two full weeks, from 19 to 30 October 2026, twice the usual half term in most of England. Christmas holidays run from 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027, with pupils back on Monday 4 January 2027. February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027. The Easter holidays cover 26 March to 9 April 2027, taking in Good Friday and Easter Monday. May half term is 31 May to 4 June 2027. That leaves 195 weekdays in school after bank holidays, and each school then takes some of them as its own INSET days. Isle of Wight Council had not published 2027-28 dates when we last checked. Dates read on Isle of Wight Council's own web page on 12 October 2026.
Dates read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the dates are checked
What is particular about Isle of Wight
Island schools take a two-week October half term: 19 October to 30 October 2026, as in 2025 (20 to 31 October 2025).
The summer term runs late to make up for the longer October break: it ends on Wednesday 28 July 2027 (27 July 2026 the year before).
Schools can take up to five development day closures during an academic year, which may change the start or end date of any school term.
The council publishes each school's development day closures on its term dates page, including academies' dates where known.
For 2025-26 the council listed some schools taking a one-week October half term and finishing for the summer a week earlier.
Each school is responsible for telling parents, meal providers and transport about its development day closures.
We will continue to set term and holiday dates for community and voluntary controlled schools.
Academies, private and independent schools have the freedom to determine and set their own term dates/holidays and inset days.
Isle of Wight term dates 2026-27
| Period | Dates | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn term (first half) | Tuesday 1 September 2026 to Friday 16 October 2026 | 34 |
| October half term | 19 to 30 October 2026 | 10 |
| Autumn term (second half) | Monday 2 November 2026 to Friday 18 December 2026 | 35 |
| Christmas holidays | 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 | 10 |
| Spring term (first half) | Monday 4 January 2027 to Friday 12 February 2027 | 30 |
| February half term | 15 to 19 February 2027 | 5 |
| Spring term (second half) | Monday 22 February 2027 to Thursday 25 March 2027 | 24 |
| Easter holidays | 26 March to 9 April 2027 | 11 |
| Summer term (first half) | Monday 12 April 2027 to Friday 28 May 2027 | 35 |
| May half term | 31 May to 4 June 2027 | 5 |
| Summer term (second half) | Monday 7 June 2027 to Wednesday 28 July 2027 | 38 |
Bank holidays inside term time, with no school: Early May bank holiday (3 May 2027).
Schools can take up to five development day closures during an academic year; the council publishes them school by school.
Isle of Wight term dates 2027-28
Not read: the live iow.gov.uk page returns 403 and the latest Wayback copy (19 January 2026) lists term dates only for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027. To be checked again.
How Isle of Wight compares
Isle of Wight keeps the most common English dates for its february half term, easter holidays and may half term.
It moves away from the usual pattern for its october half term (19 to 30 October 2026, where 95 of the 105 English calendars on this site have 26 to 30 October 2026). A family with children in two areas should check these weeks first.
In the South East region, Brighton and Hove, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Kent, Medway, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Surrey, West Sussex and Wokingham share the same Easter break.