Warwickshire half term is 26 to 30 October, but KES, Stratford Girls' Grammar and Alcester Grammar break from 19 October. Every 2026/27 date and INSET day.

Warwickshire’s October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and the Christmas holiday runs from 21 December to 1 January 2027. But if you have a child at one of the district’s three grammar schools, October is different: King Edward VI School, Stratford Girls’ Grammar and Alcester Grammar all break for two weeks, from Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October.

That matters for families with one child at a grammar and another at a county primary or at Stratford-upon-Avon School. The first week of the grammars’ break is a normal school week for everyone else.

The quick answer

  • October half term (county dates): 26 to 30 October 2026. The three grammars break a week earlier, from 19 October.
  • Christmas holiday: Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027. Term ends on Friday 18 December everywhere we checked.
  • February half term: 15 to 19 February 2027, the same at every school on this page.

Warwickshire County Council dates for 2026/27

The county sets these for community and voluntary controlled schools only. Academies, foundation and aided schools set their own, and the council says it works with them to keep dates similar (Warwickshire County Council, term and holiday dates).

Term Starts Half term Ends
Autumn 2026 Tuesday 1 September (training day) 26 to 30 October Friday 18 December
Spring 2027 Monday 4 January (training day) 15 to 19 February Thursday 25 March
Summer 2027 Monday 12 April 31 May to 4 June Wednesday 21 July

Holidays in between:

  • Christmas: 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027.
  • Easter: 29 March to 9 April 2027. Good Friday is 26 March, the day after term ends.

The county sets two of the five teacher training days: 1 September 2026 and 4 January 2027. Each school picks the other three, so ask your own school for those. The county induction day for children moving up is Wednesday 7 July 2027.

How Stratford’s secondary schools compare

Each school below publishes its own calendar. The grammar schools are academies and set their own dates.

School October half term Christmas: last day Back in January Summer term ends
Warwickshire (county dates) 26 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Tue 5 Jan (4 Jan training day) Wed 21 Jul
Stratford-upon-Avon School 26 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Tue 5 Jan Wed 21 Jul
King Edward VI School 19 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Tue 5 Jan Wed 21 Jul
Stratford Girls’ Grammar 19 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Tue 5 Jan Wed 21 Jul
Alcester Grammar 19 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Tue 5 Jan Wed 21 Jul

Sources: Stratford-upon-Avon School term dates, King Edward VI School 2026/27 dates (PDF), Stratford Girls’ Grammar term dates, Alcester Grammar 2026/27 dates (PDF).

The February half term (15 to 19 February) and summer half term (31 May to 4 June) are the same at all five.

INSET days, school by school

These are the days children stay at home that are not in the holiday table.

  • Stratford-upon-Avon School: 1 September, 2 October and 27 November 2026; 4 January and 29 January 2027. Year 7, 11, 12 and 13 started on 2 September and the rest on 3 September.
  • King Edward VI School: 1 and 2 September 2026; 4 January, 12 April and 25 June 2027. Summer term starts on Tuesday 13 April, a day after the county.
  • Stratford Girls’ Grammar: 19 November 2026, 4 January 2027 and 28 May 2027, plus the start-of-year day. Its list gives that as Monday 31 August, which is the bank holiday, while its term table gives Tuesday 1 September. Pupils started on 2 September either way.
  • Alcester Grammar: 1 September and 13 November 2026; 4 January, 5 February and 28 May 2027.

Primary schools set their own three training days too. If yours is an academy, its dates can differ from the county’s entirely, so check the school’s website or newsletter.

Stratford-upon-Avon College

The college’s term 1 half term is 23 October and 26 to 30 October, so it breaks on the Friday before the county week. Term 1 ends on 18 December and term 2 starts on 4 January 2027. Its spring half term runs 15 to 19 and 22 February, a day longer than the schools (Stratford-upon-Avon College term dates).

Planning around the holidays

Still to confirm

Nothing on this page is provisional: every school above has published its full 2026/27 calendar. The 2027/28 county dates are also out (autumn half term 25 to 29 October 2027). We will check the grammars’ 2027/28 calendars against the county in the spring, when families start booking summer holidays.