The academic year 2026/27: a complete guide for educators and schools

The academic year 2026/27 began on 1 September 2026 for most state schools in England and runs through to late July 2027. Whether you're a supply educator planning your availability or a school leader forecasting cover needs, knowing the shape of the year. Not just the holiday dates. Makes a meaningful difference to how smoothly things run.

This guide maps out the full year: term dates, half-term breaks, bank holidays, and the staffing patterns that tend to emerge at each point. It is focused on England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own calendars set by their respective authorities, with dates that vary from those below.

How the academic year 2026/27 is structured

State schools in England must open for at least 190 pupil days across the academic year, with five additional INSET (staff training) days on top. That gives schools 195 days of opening, though pupils attend 190 of them. Most local authorities publish a standard calendar and expect community and voluntary-controlled schools to follow it. Academies, free schools and faith schools have more flexibility to set their own dates, which is why two schools on the same street can have slightly different half-terms.

The year divides into three terms. Autumn, spring and summer. And within each term there is a half-term break. The longer holidays fall at Christmas, Easter and the summer.

Autumn term 2026
The autumn term runs from Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 for most councils. There is a half-term break from Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026. Schools typically return on 2 November and close again for Christmas on 18 December. The Christmas and New Year holiday then runs from Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027.

Spring term 2027
The spring term starts on Monday 4 January 2027. There is a half-term from Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027. Schools then return on Monday 22 February and run through to Thursday 25 March 2027 for most. Though some London boroughs close a day earlier, on 24 March. The Easter holiday runs from Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027 (Good Friday falls on 26 March, Easter Monday on 29 March).

Summer term 2027
The summer term begins on Monday 12 April 2027. The May Day bank holiday falls on Monday 3 May 2027. There is a half-term from Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027. Schools return on Monday 7 June and most finish for the summer on Thursday 22 July or Friday 23 July 2027.

Key dates at a glance

Dates apply to most local authority-maintained schools in England. Always check with individual schools or your local authority for confirmed dates. Academies and free schools may vary.

When supply demand typically peaks

Understanding the academic year 2026/27 is useful beyond the holiday calendar. For educators working in supply, the busiest periods for bookings follow a predictable pattern, and knowing them helps you stay available at the right times.

September to mid-October is often quieter than people expect for day-to-day supply work. Schools are settling in new staff, NQTs are finding their feet and head teachers are cautious about pulling the trigger on external cover for early absences. Bookings build steadily through October as the term finds its rhythm.

November and the first half of December tend to be the busiest weeks of the year for supply. Staff illness rises as winter takes hold, the curriculum is in full swing, and schools have already identified their regular cover needs. If you're available and experienced, November is typically when your diary fills fastest.

January sees a brief lull in the first week as schools reassess staffing after Christmas, followed by a steady climb through February. Absence rates tend to rise again through the winter months.

March has a strong reputation in supply circles as one of the busiest months of the year. Schools approach the end of the spring term with depleted cover budgets, higher-than-average absence, and a push to deliver curriculum before Easter.

April and May offer solid but less intense demand, with the summer term bringing longer-term placements as schools manage planned absences, SATs season and exam leave in secondary settings.

Late June and July can see a drop-off as schools wind down, though the final weeks of term often bring spikes from leavers' events and staff absence.

Planning your availability as a supply educator

If you're working in supply through the academic year 2026/27, a few practical habits make a real difference to how much work you get.

Set your availability ahead of term breaks, not after. Schools start looking for cover in the week before half term ends, not on the morning they need someone. Keeping your availability updated on your booking platform. And being responsive when bookings come in. Puts you ahead of educators who treat availability as an afterthought.

Keep a note of INSET days at your regular schools. Ask the schools you work with which days they've designated for training. These are useful days to pick up work at other settings nearby.

Plan for the quiet spells. September and the first week after Christmas and Easter are predictably slower for supply bookings. If you're relying on supply income, having some savings or other income to bridge those weeks takes the pressure off your decisions about which bookings to accept.

Holiday pay is separate from your day rate. If you're paid via PAYE through a supply partner, you will be accruing holiday pay alongside your day rate. Ask whoever manages your pay how holiday pay is handled so there are no surprises during the longer school breaks.

Planning cover as a school leader or nursery manager

For school leaders and nursery managers, the academic year 2026/27 creates predictable pressure points. A few that are worth mapping now:

October half term follow-through. The weeks immediately after October half term are historically high-absence weeks as staff and pupils come back with whatever illness circulated during the break. Having a clear process for arranging cover. Ideally with a preferred pool of supply educators already familiar with your setting. Saves scrambling at short notice.

Pre-Christmas staffing. The weeks before Christmas are among the most demanding in the year. Absence rates rise, extracurricular commitments pull staff out of class, and schools often have whole-school events that need additional adult supervision. Planning cover resource in advance of December is consistently more cost-effective than reacting to it.

Post-Easter staffing in secondary schools. Year 11, 12 and 13 exam preparation pulls teachers into revision sessions, and some staff take planned absence around the Easter break. Long-term supply placements can bridge gaps that begin at Easter and run through to the end of May.

Nursery cover and EYFS ratios. Under the updated EYFS framework now in force from September 2026, staffing ratios are assessed across the whole setting rather than room by room. This means a single absence can affect your nursery's overall compliance. Not just the room where the gap appears. Having a reliable source of same-day cover is more important than it was under the previous rules.