Basildon School Term Dates 2026/27: Essex County Council Calendar

What are the school term dates for 2026/27 in Basildon?

Basildon schools sit in the Essex County Council area, and the council publishes its calendar on its 2026 to 2027 term dates page. The dates below are the council's own. They apply to community and voluntary controlled schools, so they are the baseline rather than a promise for every school in Basildon, Pitsea, Laindon, Billericay or Wickford.

When does the autumn term run?

The autumn term is split into two parts. The first runs from Tuesday 1 September 2026 to Friday 23 October 2026. Autumn half term is the week of Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026. The second part then runs from Monday 2 November to Friday 18 December 2026. The Christmas holiday is Monday 21 December to Thursday 31 December 2026, with children returning in the new year.

What are the spring term dates?

The spring term starts on Monday 4 January 2027 and runs to Friday 12 February 2027. Spring half term is Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027. The second part of the term runs from Monday 22 February to Thursday 25 March 2027. The Easter bank holidays fall from Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March 2027, and the Easter holiday itself runs from Tuesday 30 March to Friday 9 April 2027.

What are the summer term dates?

The summer term starts on Monday 12 April 2027 and runs to Friday 28 May 2027. The early May bank holiday is Monday 3 May 2027, which falls inside this part of the term. Summer half term is Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027. The final part of the year runs from Monday 7 June to Wednesday 21 July 2027, and the summer holiday runs from Thursday 22 July to Tuesday 31 August 2027.

Do academies and other Basildon schools follow the same dates?

Not necessarily. Essex says its dates apply to community and voluntary controlled schools and that foundation schools, voluntary aided schools and academies may have different dates. That matters in Basildon, where the secondary schools named in the council's admissions directory include academies such as Basildon Lower Academy, Basildon Upper Academy, The James Hornsby School and Woodlands School, a voluntary aided school in De La Salle School and a foundation school in Beauchamps High School. The safest approach is to confirm with your own school before you book a holiday or childcare, rather than assuming the county dates apply. You can find our list of local secondary schools in the Basildon schools guide.

What about INSET days?

The council says schools also have five days in the academic year for staff training, often called INSET or training days, when pupils do not attend. These dates are set by each school and are not in the council calendar, so check your school's newsletter or website. The council also says the school year contains 195 teaching days for pupils. If you have children at two different schools, for example one primary and one secondary, compare both calendars side by side, because a training day at one school will not necessarily match the other.

How long are the holidays this year?

Reading the dates as a whole, the school year runs from 1 September 2026 to 21 July 2027, with a two week gap at Christmas that starts on 21 December, a two week Easter break from 30 March, and a summer holiday that starts on 22 July. Each half term is a single week, and the bank holidays at Easter and in early May are shown separately by the council. If you are planning childcare for the holidays, put the six half term and holiday blocks in your diary now, and check the calendar again if your child's school issues its own version.

Can I take my child out of school in term time?

The council's term dates page does not set out its rules on term time absence, so this guide does not attempt to summarise them. If you are thinking of a holiday during term time, speak to your child's school first, since it is the school that decides how an absence is recorded.

Quick answers

Autumn term began on Tuesday 1 September 2026 and ends on Friday 18 December 2026. Christmas holiday runs from 21 to 31 December 2026. Half terms are 26 to 30 October 2026, 15 to 19 February 2027 and 31 May to 4 June 2027. Easter holiday is 30 March to 9 April 2027 and the school year ends on Wednesday 21 July 2027. If you are still choosing a school, our guide to applications and deadlines explains the Essex process, and if you need ideas for the holidays see things to do with kids in Basildon.