October half term 2027
When schools break up for October half term 2027 and when they go back, for 100 councils in England, Wales and Scotland, from each council's own published term dates. In England, schools in 45 of the 49 councils we have break up on Friday 22 October 2027 and go back on Monday 1 November 2027; the last day of term ranges from Fri 15 Oct to Fri 22 Oct.
October half term 2027 at a glance
| Where | Last day of term | Back to school |
|---|---|---|
| England45 of 49 councils | Fri 22 Octall: Fri 15 Oct to Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov 2027 |
| Wales22 of 22 councils | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov 2027 |
| Scotland14 of 29 councils | Fri 8 Octall: Fri 1 Oct to Fri 15 Oct | Mon 25 Oct 2027 |
The most common dates in each nation: in most of England that's off school Sat 23 Oct to Sun 31 Oct 2027, weekends included. It's called the October holidays in Scotland. Find your council below; academies and independent schools can differ.
England: October half term 2027
In England, schools in 45 of the 49 councils we have break up on Friday 22 October 2027 and go back on Monday 1 November 2027; the last day of term ranges from Fri 15 Oct to Fri 22 Oct. Every English council's holidays side by side.
| Council, leave to cover it | Last day | Back |
|---|---|---|
| Birminghamone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Pooleone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Brentone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Bristolone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Buckinghamshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Cambridgeshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Cheshire Eastone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Cheshire West and Chesterone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Cornwallone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| County Durhamone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Coventryone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Croydonone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Derbyshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Devonone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Dorsetone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Ealingone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| East Riding of Yorkshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| East Sussexone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Essexone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Gloucestershireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Hampshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Hertfordshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Kentone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Lancashireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Leedsone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Leicesterone week off5 days' leave | Fri 15 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Leicestershireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 15 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Lincolnshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Liverpoolone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Manchesterone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Newhamone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Norfolkone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| North Northamptonshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| North Yorkshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Nottinghamshiretwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 15 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Oxfordshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Sandwellone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Sheffieldone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Shropshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Somersetone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Staffordshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Suffolkone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Surreyone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Wakefieldone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Warwickshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| West Northamptonshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Wiganone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Wiltshireone week and 2 days off7 days' leave | Wed 20 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Worcestershireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
Not published in a form we could check for 2027/28 yet: Northumberland and West Sussex.
Wales: October half term 2027
In Wales, schools in 22 of the 22 councils we have break up on Friday 22 October 2027 and go back on Monday 1 November 2027. Every Welsh council's holidays side by side.
| Council, leave to cover it | Last day | Back |
|---|---|---|
| Angleseyone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Blaenau Gwentone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Bridgendone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Caerphillyone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Cardiffone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Carmarthenshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Ceredigionone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Conwyone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Denbighshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Flintshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Gwyneddone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Merthyr Tydfilone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Monmouthshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Neath Port Talbotone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Newportone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Pembrokeshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Powysone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Rhondda Cynon Tafone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Swanseaone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Torfaenone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Vale of Glamorganone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
| Wrexhamone week off5 days' leave | Fri 22 Oct | Mon 1 Nov |
Scotland: October holidays 2027
In Scotland, schools in 14 of the 29 councils we have break up on Friday 8 October 2027 and go back on Monday 25 October 2027; the last day of term ranges from Fri 1 Oct to Fri 15 Oct. Every Scottish council's holidays side by side.
| Council, leave to cover it | Last day | Back |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeentwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Aberdeenshiretwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Angustwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 1 Oct | Mon 18 Oct |
| Argyll and Butetwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Clackmannanshiretwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Dumfries and Gallowaytwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Dundeetwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| East Ayrshiretwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 OctINSET |
| East Dunbartonshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 18 Oct |
| East Renfrewshireone week and 1 day off6 days' leave | Thu 7 Oct | Mon 18 Oct |
| Edinburghone week and 1 day off6 days' leave | Fri 15 Oct | Tue 26 Oct |
| Falkirktwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Fifetwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Glasgowone week off5 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 18 Oct |
| Highlandtwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Inverclydeone week off5 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 18 OctINSET |
| Midlothianone week and 1 day off6 days' leave | Fri 15 Oct | Tue 26 Oct |
| Moraytwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| North Ayrshiretwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 1 Oct | Mon 18 Oct |
| North Lanarkshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 18 Oct |
| Perth and Kinrosstwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| Renfrewshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 18 OctINSET |
| Scottish Bordersone week off5 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 18 OctINSET |
| Shetlandtwo weeks and 2 days off12 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Wed 27 Oct |
| South Ayrshiretwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| South Lanarkshireone week off5 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 18 Oct |
| Stirlingtwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 8 Oct | Mon 25 Oct |
| West Dunbartonshiretwo weeks off10 days' leave | Fri 1 Oct | Mon 18 Oct |
| West Lothianone week and 1 day off6 days' leave | Fri 15 Oct | Tue 26 Oct |
Not published in a form we could check for 2027/28 yet: East Lothian, Orkney and Western Isles.
Leave to cover October half term
On the most common English dates, Sat 23 Oct to Sun 31 Oct 2027, being off for every school day takes 5 days of leave for 9 days off.
October half term 2027: book 5 days, get 9 off
The tables above have the leave for each council's own dates. Open this break in the planner to see it in your year and get the message for your manager.
Which schools use these dates
These are each council's dates for its own schools: in England, community and voluntary controlled schools; in Wales, as approved by the Welsh Government; in Northern Ireland, the Department of Education's. Academies, free schools, foundation, voluntary aided and independent schools can set their own, and each school sets most of its training (INSET) days, so check with your school before you book.
Taking children out of school in term time has its own rules: can I take my child on holiday in term time?
Questions
When is October half term 2027?
In England, schools in 45 of the 49 councils we have break up on Friday 22 October 2027 and go back on Monday 1 November 2027; the last day of term ranges from Fri 15 Oct to Fri 22 Oct. In Wales, schools in 22 of the 22 councils we have break up on Friday 22 October 2027 and go back on Monday 1 November 2027. In Scotland, schools in 14 of the 29 councils we have break up on Friday 8 October 2027 and go back on Monday 25 October 2027; the last day of term ranges from Fri 1 Oct to Fri 15 Oct. Councils set their own dates, so check yours above.
When do schools go back after October half term 2027?
England: Monday 1 November 2027 (45 of 49 councils). Wales: Monday 1 November 2027 (22 of 22 councils). Scotland: Monday 25 October 2027 (14 of 29 councils).
How much annual leave do I need to cover October half term 2027?
5 days on the most common English dates, Sat 23 Oct to Sun 31 Oct 2027, working Monday to Friday. Each council's own dates are in the tables above, with the leave to cover them.
Do all schools break up for October half term on the same day?
No. Each council sets its own dates: in England the last day of term ranges from Friday 15 October 2027 to Friday 22 October 2027. Academies, free schools, voluntary aided and independent schools can set their own too.