South West · Wiltshire Council
Wiltshire term dates 2026-27 and 2027-28
Wiltshire Council calendar for 2026-27 and 2027-28: October half term 22 to 30 October 2026, then Christmas holidays from 21 December 2026.
Wiltshire schools go back on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and the 2026-27 school year ends on Friday 23 July 2027, according to the calendar published by Wiltshire Council. October half term is 22 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 Monday 26 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 Wednesday 1 September 2027 and the October break is 21 to 29 October 2027. Dates read on Wiltshire Council's own web page on 13 October 2026.
Dates read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the dates are checked
What is particular about Wiltshire
Wiltshire has a longer October break: term 1 ends on a Wednesday (21 October 2026, 20 October 2027) and term 2 starts on the Monday a week and a half later.
Schools in the Mere and Tisbury area may choose between Wiltshire and Dorset dates.
All five staff development days (or the equivalent of 30 hours) are set at each school's discretion and are taken within the 195 published term days.
The council publishes six terms with a day count for each: 37, 35, 30, 24, 34 and 35 days in 2026-27, a total of 195.
Dates are set in consultation with neighbouring authorities and groups representing school staff.
The 2026-27 year starts on Tuesday 1 September 2026, and the 2027-28 summer term runs to Tuesday 25 July 2028.
Term dates for community and voluntary controlled schools are set by the local authority in consultation with neighbouring authorities and groups representing school staff.
In foundation, voluntary aided, academies, and residential special schools, it is the governing body that decides the beginning and the end of school terms and holidays.
Wiltshire term dates 2026-27
| Period | Dates | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 to Wednesday 21 October 2026 | 37 |
| October half term | 22 to 30 October 2026 | 7 |
| 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 Friday 23 July 2027 | 35 |
| Summer holidays | 26 July to 31 August 2027 | 27 |
Bank holidays inside term time, with no school: Early May bank holiday (3 May 2027).
In Wiltshire, all five staff development days (or the equivalent of 30 hours) are set at the individual school's discretion. All days will be taken within the 195 published term days.
Wiltshire term dates 2027-28
| Period | Dates | Weekdays |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Wednesday 1 September 2027 to Wednesday 20 October 2027 | 36 |
| October half term | 21 to 29 October 2027 | 7 |
| 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 Tuesday 25 July 2028 | 37 |
How Wiltshire compares
Wiltshire 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 (22 to 30 October 2026, where 95 of the 105 English calendars on this site have 26 to 30 October 2026) and summer holidays (26 July to 31 August 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 West region, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Plymouth, Somerset and Swindon share the same Easter break.