Scotland, Wales, NI
London term dates 2026-27, borough by borough
Thirty-two boroughs, one city, mostly one calendar. Here is where London agrees and where it does not.
Every London borough sets the term dates of its own community and voluntary controlled schools, but most follow the same pattern, which makes it possible for a child to live in one borough and go to school in another without a second calendar. Of the 17 boroughs on this site, 16 take October half term 26 to 30 October 2026 and 17 have the Easter holidays 26 March to 9 April 2027. The differences are at the edges: a borough that starts in late August, one that takes two weeks in October, others whose summer term runs a few days later into July. Wandsworth notes that its dates are based on those agreed by the London Inter Authority Admissions Group. Academies, which are numerous in London, can set their own. Pick a borough below for its Easter dates, or open its page for the full calendar.
Dates read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the dates are checked
The London pattern, break by break
Grouping the boroughs by their dates shows where London speaks with one voice. The first group of each break is the largest.
October half term 2026
26 to 30 October 2026: Barnet, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Royal Greenwich, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth. 19 to 30 October 2026: Bromley.
Christmas 2026
21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027: Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Royal Greenwich, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth. 21 December 2026 to 4 January 2027: Barnet.
February half term 2027
15 to 19 February 2027: Barnet, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Royal Greenwich, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth.
Easter 2027
26 March to 9 April 2027: Barnet, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Royal Greenwich, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth.
May half term 2027
31 May to 4 June 2027: Barnet, Brent, Bromley, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Haringey, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Royal Greenwich, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth.
Summer 2027
23 July to 31 August 2027: Croydon, Enfield, Haringey, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Royal Greenwich, Southwark, Waltham Forest. 23 July to 1 September 2027: Redbridge. 26 July to 25 August 2027: Bromley. 26 July to 31 August 2027: Tower Hamlets. 27 July to 31 August 2027: Brent. 28 July to 31 August 2027: Ealing.
First and last day of the year, by borough
| Borough | Term starts | Term ends | 2027-28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnet | 1 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | not yet |
| Brent | 1 September 2026 | 26 July 2027 | published |
| Bromley | 26 August 2026 | 23 July 2027 | published |
| Croydon | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Ealing | 2 September 2026 | 27 July 2027 | published |
| Enfield | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | provisional |
| Haringey | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Hillingdon | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Lambeth | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Lewisham | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Newham | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | provisional |
| Redbridge | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Royal Greenwich | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Southwark | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Tower Hamlets | 1 September 2026 | 23 July 2027 | published |
| Waltham Forest | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | published |
| Wandsworth | 2 September 2026 | 22 July 2027 | not yet |
Why London mostly agrees
London children cross borough lines to school more than anywhere else in the country, and secondary admissions are coordinated across the capital. A borough that set very different holidays would leave thousands of families with two calendars. The boroughs therefore tend to align, and the pan-London admissions arrangements give them a common reference, which Wandsworth's term dates page names as its basis.
Academies and church schools
Many London secondary schools are academies, and many primary schools are voluntary aided church schools. Both set their own term dates. Most follow their borough, but a trust with schools in several boroughs may use one calendar for all of them. Always check the school's own calendar for INSET days and for any difference from the borough.
Living in London, working outside it
The home counties do not always follow London. A parent working in Surrey or Kent whose children are at school in a London borough can compare the two calendars above: in 2026-27, Surrey's two-week October break is the main source of mismatched days.