Southend schools break up on Friday 18 December and return on 4 January 2027. Half terms, Easter, INSET days and which schools set their own dates.
Southend schools that follow the council’s calendar are off for October half term from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December and go back on Monday 4 January 2027. The summer term ends on Wednesday 21 July 2027.
These are the dates Southend-on-Sea City Council sets for its community schools. Most of the city’s academies and grammar schools use the same weeks, but each one places its own INSET days, and at least one grammar school adds days to half term.
The quick answer
- October half term: 26 to 30 October 2026. Christmas holidays: 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
- February half term: 15 to 19 February 2027. Easter holidays: 26 March to 9 April 2027. May half term: 31 May to 4 June 2027.
- Last day of the school year: Wednesday 21 July 2027. Check your own school for its five INSET days.
Southend term dates 2026/27
The council publishes these on its term dates page.
| Term | Dates | Half term |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October |
| Spring 2027 | Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February |
| Summer 2027 | Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July | Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June |
The council says schools take five non-pupil days out of these dates, or the equivalent in twilight sessions. That is why your child’s school may close on a day this table shows as a school day.
The bank holidays inside the school year are Good Friday on 26 March 2027, Easter Monday on 29 March, the early May bank holiday on Monday 3 May and the spring bank holiday on Monday 31 May, which falls in half term (GOV.UK).
Which schools the council’s dates cover
The council’s dates apply directly to its community schools. It names five: Chalkwell Hall Infant, Earls Hall Primary, Fairways Primary, Leigh North Street and West Leigh Infants.
Every other school, including academies, foundation schools and voluntary-aided church schools, sets its own. The council says most follow its dates, but it strongly advises parents to check with the school before booking a holiday.
How the big secondary schools compare
We checked the published 2026/27 calendars of four large Southend secondaries on 24 September 2026.
| School | Same holiday weeks as the council? | What is different |
|---|---|---|
| Southend High School for Girls | Yes | Term dates match. INSET days are marked on its calendar. |
| Westcliff High School for Girls | Yes | Term dates match. INSET days are marked on its calendar. |
| Westcliff High School for Boys | Mostly | Half term runs 26 October to 3 November, with a staff day on Monday 2 November. Staff days also on Monday 4 January, Monday 22 February and Monday 12 April, so pupils return a day later. |
| Cecil Jones Academy | Yes | INSET days on Friday 9 October and Friday 27 November 2026, and Monday 19 to Wednesday 21 July 2027. |
Sources: SHSG 2026/27 calendar (PDF), WHSG term dates, WHSB school year, Cecil Jones Academy term dates.
Two notes on those. Westcliff High School for Boys prints some of its 2026/27 dates with the wrong year, and its September start date does not match the 2026 calendar, so ask the school if you need its first day. Cecil Jones Academy’s last three days of the summer term are all INSET days, so its pupils finish on Friday 16 July 2027.
Next year, 2027/28
The council has already published the following year. The autumn term runs from 1 September to 17 December 2027, spring from 4 January to 31 March 2028 and summer from 18 April to 21 July 2028. Half terms fall in late October 2027, 14 to 18 February 2028 and 30 May to 2 June 2028.
The council’s page lists October half term 2027 as “22 October to 29 October”, which starts on a Friday. Treat that week as unconfirmed until your school’s own calendar shows it.
Related pages
- October half term in Southend: what is on locally that week.
- Southend Christmas bin collections and the Christmas train times for the holidays.
- Parking in Southend and Southend roadworks and travel.
Sources
- Term dates: Southend-on-Sea City Council
- Bank holidays: GOV.UK
- School calendars: SHSG, WHSG, WHSB, Cecil Jones Academy
Last checked 24 September 2026. The 2026/27 dates are confirmed. Your child’s school sets its own INSET days, so check its calendar before you book.
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