2026-2027 Term Dates
| Term / Holiday | Starts | Ends | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Term | 1 September 2026 | 18 December 2026 | 15 weeks |
| Autumn Half Term | 26 October 2026 | 30 October 2026 | 1 week |
| Spring Term | 4 January 2027 | 25 March 2027 | 11 weeks |
| Spring Half Term | 15 February 2027 | 19 February 2027 | 1 week |
| Summer Term | 12 April 2027 | 23 July 2027 | 15 weeks |
| Summer Half Term | 31 May 2027 | 4 June 2027 | 1 week |
Term by Term
Source: dorsetcouncil.gov.uk. Last checked: .
Dorset Council sets term dates for the area’s maintained schools, published via its official term dates page. Dorset Council in its current form dates only from 2019, when the former county council and several districts were merged into a single unitary authority covering the rest of the county, separate from the newly created Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, which took over the more urbanised south-east corner of the old county in the same reorganisation. Department for Education data shows around 74% of Dorset’s schools are academies overall, rising to 72% at secondary level. As with most local authorities, these dates apply directly to the county’s remaining maintained schools; academies may set their own calendar, so it’s worth checking with your child’s school directly. See our guide to why academies and maintained schools have different dates for more.