In this article
UK bank holidays in London 2026
| Bank holiday | Date 2026 |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April |
| Early May bank holiday | Monday 4 May |
| Spring bank holiday | Monday 25 May |
| Summer bank holiday | Monday 31 August |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December |
| Boxing Day (observed) | Monday 28 December |
State school term dates 2025-26 and 2026-27
State schools in London are run by 32 boroughs plus the City of London Corporation, each setting its own calendar. The dates below are the consensus pattern across the boroughs for 2026; check your specific borough for two- to three-day variation.
| Term | Dates |
|---|---|
| Spring term 2026 | Mon 5 January to Fri 27 March |
| February half term | Mon 16 February to Fri 20 February |
| Easter holiday | Mon 30 March to Fri 10 April |
| Summer term 2026 | Mon 13 April to Tue 21 July |
| May half term | Mon 25 May to Fri 29 May |
| Summer holiday | Wed 22 July to Tue 1 September |
| Autumn term 2026 | Wed 2 September to Fri 18 December |
| October half term | Mon 19 October to Fri 23 October |
| Christmas holiday | Mon 21 December to Sun 3 January 2027 |
State schools deliver 190 days of instruction across the year, with five INSET (in-service training) days bringing the total working days to 195. INSET days are scheduled by individual schools and announced in their published calendar at the start of the year. They often sit at the start of term or attached to a half-term break.
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Private school term dates
Private schools (independent schools and prep schools) follow their own house calendar, which tends to differ from state dates in three ways: terms start a week later and finish a week earlier than the state pattern, half terms run a full week, and the summer holiday is around eight to nine weeks rather than six. The headline 2026 calendar for most central London private schools:
| Term | Dates |
|---|---|
| Lent term 2026 | Tue 6 January to Fri 20 March |
| February half term (full week) | Mon 16 February to Fri 20 February |
| Easter holiday | Sat 21 March to Sun 19 April |
| Summer term 2026 | Mon 20 April to Fri 26 June |
| May half term (full week) | Mon 25 May to Fri 29 May |
| Summer holiday | Sat 27 June to Wed 2 September |
| Michaelmas term 2026 | Thu 3 September to Fri 11 December |
| October half term | Mon 19 October to Fri 30 October (often two weeks) |
| Christmas holiday | Sat 12 December to Mon 4 January 2027 |
For boarding schools, the calendar is similar with the addition of half-term exeats (two- to three-day breaks) and parents' weekends. For broader context on London private schools see our London zones and international schools guide.
International school term dates
London's international schools (American School in London, International School of London, Lycee Francais Charles de Gaulle, German School London, ICS London, ASL, Halcyon London International, North London Collegiate and others) each follow a calendar aligned to their parent country tradition. The American School in London follows a US semester model with breaks at Thanksgiving and around Memorial Day. The Lycee Francais follows the French national calendar. The German School follows the Berlin or NRW calendar. The International School of London follows an IB-aligned calendar similar to the private school pattern.
This pattern matters most for families with siblings in different schools, where one child might be in a US-aligned international school and another in an English private school. Expect at least one or two weeks of misaligned breaks across the year. Travel planning around it normally means picking either the longer or the shorter break to anchor the family holiday. For families using London as a stopping point between postings see our moving New York to London piece. For an overall view of the London international school market see our best London schools for American families piece.
Planning the year
Three observations for London families. First, the February half term in 2026 (Mon 16 to Fri 20) lines up with the European school half-term, making continental ski trips well-stocked but expensive; book by October. Second, the May half term (25 to 29) combines with the Spring bank holiday for a near-week off; flights to the Mediterranean spike. Third, August in London is genuinely quiet because the private school summer break runs from late June; if your child is in a state school, the central London cultural calendar (Proms, festivals) is busiest right when other families have already left town. For the broader cultural reference see our London city guide.