South East · Medway Council
Medway term dates 2026-27 and 2027-28
Medway Council calendar for 2026-27 and 2027-28: October half term 26 to 30 October 2026, then Christmas holidays from 21 December 2026.
Medway schools go back on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and the 2026-27 school year ends on Wednesday 21 July 2027, according to the calendar published by Medway Council. October half term is 26 to 30 October 2026. 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. The summer holidays start on Thursday 22 July 2027. That leaves 195 weekdays in school after bank holidays, and each school then takes some of them as its own INSET days. The 2027-28 calendar is already published: school starts on Monday 6 September 2027 and the October break is 25 to 29 October 2027. Dates read on Medway 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 Medway
Medway's term dates give a total of 195 days: maintained schools provide 190 teaching days and use the remaining 5 for staff development.
Each Medway school is free to decide when its 5 staff development days take place.
Medway numbers its year in six terms and calls its breaks the autumn, Christmas, February, Easter and late spring breaks.
In 2027-28 Term 1 starts on Monday 6 September 2027 and Term 6 runs to Wednesday 26 July 2028.
Medway already lists dates for September 2028 to July 2029, with Term 1 starting on Friday 1 September 2028.
Dates are set after public consultation; the council publishes the 2026 to 2027 consultation document and a joint 2027 to 2028 and 2028 to 2029 consultation document.
Most Medway schools have the same holiday dates, but some academy, voluntary-aided or foundation schools may differ. If in doubt, contact the individual school.
Academies have the authority to set their own term dates.
Medway term dates 2026-27
| Period | Dates | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 to Friday 23 October 2026 | 39 |
| October half term | 26 to 30 October 2026 | 5 |
| Term 2 | Monday 2 November 2026 to Friday 18 December 2026 | 35 |
| Christmas holidays | 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 | 10 |
| Term 3 | Monday 4 January 2027 to Friday 12 February 2027 | 30 |
| February half term | 15 to 19 February 2027 | 5 |
| Term 4 | Monday 22 February 2027 to Thursday 25 March 2027 | 24 |
| Easter holidays | 26 March to 9 April 2027 | 11 |
| Term 5 | Monday 12 April 2027 to Friday 28 May 2027 | 35 |
| May half term | 31 May to 4 June 2027 | 5 |
| Term 6 | Monday 7 June 2027 to Wednesday 21 July 2027 | 33 |
| Summer holidays | 22 July to 3 September 2027 | 32 |
Bank holidays inside term time, with no school: Early May bank holiday (3 May 2027).
Each school is free to decide when its 5 staff development days take place, within the 195 days.
Medway term dates 2027-28
| Period | Dates | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Monday 6 September 2027 to Friday 22 October 2027 | 35 |
| October half term | 25 to 29 October 2027 | 5 |
| Term 2 | Monday 1 November 2027 to Friday 17 December 2027 | 35 |
| Christmas holidays | 20 December 2027 to 3 January 2028 | 11 |
| Term 3 | Tuesday 4 January 2028 to Friday 11 February 2028 | 29 |
| February half term | 14 to 18 February 2028 | 5 |
| Term 4 | Monday 21 February 2028 to Friday 31 March 2028 | 30 |
| Easter holidays | 3 to 17 April 2028 | 11 |
| Term 5 | Tuesday 18 April 2028 to Friday 26 May 2028 | 29 |
| May half term | 29 May to 2 June 2028 | 5 |
| Term 6 | Monday 5 June 2028 to Wednesday 26 July 2028 | 38 |
| Summer holidays | 27 July to 31 August 2028 | 26 |
How Medway compares
Medway keeps the most common English dates for its october half term, february half term, easter holidays and may half term.
It moves away from the usual pattern for its summer holidays (22 July to 3 September 2027, where 32 of the 99 English calendars on this site have 22 July to 31 August 2027). A family with children in two areas should check these weeks first.
In the South East region, Brighton and Hove, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Isle of Wight, Kent, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Surrey, West Sussex and Wokingham share the same Easter break.