Cambridgeshire's October half term is 26 to 30 October, but Hills Road breaks from 19 October and the Perse, Leys and King's College School finish on 11 December.

Cambridgeshire County Council sets one calendar for the schools it maintains, and in Cambridge most secondary schools and colleges are academies or independents that set their own. We read the county’s schedule and nine Cambridge schools’ own published calendars on 25 September 2026. Only one of the nine matches the county’s October half term to the day and has no extra closures around it, and five of them send pupils home for Christmas a full week early, on Friday 11 December.

The quick answer

The county’s October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and its Christmas holiday runs Monday 21 December to Friday 1 January, with schools back on Monday 4 January 2027. But Hills Road Sixth Form College breaks for two weeks from 19 October, Chesterton, Long Road and King’s College School finish on Wednesday 21 October, and the Perse, Stephen Perse, the Leys, King’s College School and Chesterton all end the autumn term on Friday 11 December.

Cambridgeshire’s term dates for 2026/27

These are the dates the county has determined for its maintained schools, from Cambridgeshire County Council’s term dates page. They add up to 195 days, and each school takes five of those as staff training days, so its own calendar will be a few days shorter.

Cambridgeshire County Council term dates 2026/27
TermDatesDaysHoliday that follows
Autumn, first halfTuesday 1 September to Friday 23 October 202639Half term, Mon 26 to Fri 30 October
Autumn, second halfMonday 2 November to Friday 18 December 202635Christmas, Mon 21 December to Fri 1 January
Spring, first halfMonday 4 January to Friday 12 February 202730Half term, Mon 15 to Fri 19 February
Spring, second halfMonday 22 February to Thursday 25 March 202724Easter, Fri 26 March to Fri 9 April
Summer, first halfMonday 12 April to Friday 28 May 202734Half term, Mon 31 May to Fri 4 June
Summer, second halfMonday 7 June to Wednesday 21 July 202733Summer holiday from Thu 22 July

The county has also published 2027/28: the autumn term starts on Wednesday 1 September 2027, with half term from 25 to 29 October 2027 and the Christmas holiday from 20 to 31 December.

School by school: October and Christmas

Each row below comes from the school’s own term dates page, linked in the first column.

Autumn term 2026 at nine Cambridge schools, from each school's published calendar
SchoolLast day before October breakBackChristmas break-up
Parkside Community CollegeFriday 23 OctoberMonday 2 NovemberFriday 18 December
The Netherhall SchoolThursday 22 OctoberTuesday 3 NovemberFriday 18 December, 1pm
Chesterton Community CollegeWednesday 21 OctoberMonday 2 NovemberFriday 11 December
Hills Road Sixth Form CollegeFriday 16 OctoberMonday 2 NovemberFriday 18 December
Long Road Sixth Form CollegeWednesday 21 OctoberMonday 2 NovemberChristmas holiday from 21 December
The Perse SchoolThursday 22 OctoberTuesday 3 NovemberFriday 11 December
Stephen PerseThursday 22 OctoberHalf term ends Monday 2 NovemberFriday 11 December
The Leys SchoolFriday 16 October, 4.30pmMonday 2 NovemberFriday 11 December, after the carol service
King's College SchoolWednesday 21 OctoberMonday 2 NovemberFriday 11 December, 12 noon

A few of these need reading closely, so here is how each school describes its dates:

  • Hills Road publishes its autumn half term as “Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October (two weeks)”. It is the longest October break of the state-funded schools here.
  • Chesterton Community College lists its October half term as 22 to 30 October 2026, with all students back on 2 November. Its page gives the last day of the autumn term as 11 December 2026, a week before the county’s date; check with the school if you are planning around it.
  • Long Road lists half term as 22 October to 1 November, and its Christmas holiday as 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
  • The Netherhall School is closed on four more days this half of term: Friday 16 October (training day), Friday 23 October (consultation day), Monday 2 November (training day) and Monday 30 November (training day). It finishes at 1pm on 18 December.
  • The Perse says its half term runs from Friday 23 October to Monday 2 November “inclusive”, an 11-day break it says allows for school trips.
  • King’s College School notes that choristers stay on until Thursday 22 October, because the school’s dates follow the King’s College Chapel diary.

Training days still to come at Parkside and Netherhall

Two of the state schools publish their staff training days for the whole year, and these are days when the school is shut to pupils even though the county calendar counts them as term time.

Closure days to pupils in 2026/27, from each school's term dates page
SchoolAutumn 2026Spring 2027Summer 2027
Parkside Community CollegeFri 20 NovemberMon 1 February, Fri 12 MarchFri 25 and Mon 28 June
The Netherhall SchoolFri 16 October, Fri 23 October, Mon 2 November, Mon 30 NovemberFri 12 February, Mon 22 FebruaryMon 12 April, Fri 30 April

The rest of the year at the same schools

Spring term 2027 starts on Monday 4 January at Hills Road, Long Road, Chesterton and Netherhall, and on Tuesday 5 January at Parkside and Stephen Perse. King’s College School starts on Wednesday 6 January. Nearly everyone breaks up for Easter on Thursday 25 March, the same day as the county.

The summer term ends on Wednesday 21 July 2027 at Parkside and Netherhall (Netherhall at 1pm), on Tuesday 20 July at Hills Road, and on Friday 16 July at Chesterton and Long Road.

And the university

Cambridge’s other calendar changes the city’s traffic, parking and rents more than any school. The University of Cambridge’s published dates put Michaelmas Full Term from Tuesday 6 October to Friday 4 December 2026, Lent Full Term from 19 January to 19 March 2027, and Easter Full Term from 27 April to 18 June 2027.

What to check before you book

Schools add closure days for weather, polling stations and building work during the year, and the county lists those on its school closures page. Going away in term time without permission can lead to a fine; the county explains the rules on its term time leave page.

For what is on in the October break, see our Cambridge October half term page. For getting around the city in the school run weeks, see parking in Cambridge and Cambridge roadworks.