Reading term dates 2026/27: October half term 26 to 30 Oct, Christmas break 21 Dec to 1 Jan, last day 21 July. Plus Kendrick, Reading School and independents.
Reading’s council-maintained schools 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.
The quick answer
- October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. School returns Monday 2 November.
- Christmas holidays: Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027. Last day of term Friday 18 December.
- Easter: Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027. Several independent schools break up a week earlier.
The dates are set by Brighter Futures for Children, which runs children’s services for Reading Borough Council, and published on its term dates page with a downloadable calendar. They apply to schools under Reading local authority control. Academies, free schools and independent schools set their own, and many do differ.
Reading local authority term dates 2026/27
| Term | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn 1 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 (INSET day; pupils return Wednesday 2 September) | Friday 23 October 2026 |
| Autumn 2 | Monday 2 November 2026 | Friday 18 December 2026 |
| Spring 1 | Monday 4 January 2027 | Friday 12 February 2027 |
| Spring 2 | Monday 22 February 2027 | Thursday 25 March 2027 |
| Summer 1 | Monday 12 April 2027 | Friday 28 May 2027 |
| Summer 2 | Monday 7 June 2027 | Wednesday 21 July 2027 |
That leaves these holidays:
- October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026
- Christmas: Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027
- February half term: Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027
- Easter: Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027. Good Friday is 26 March and Easter Monday 29 March.
- May half term: Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027
- Summer: from Thursday 22 July 2027
The calendar counts 195 days, which includes the five training days. The council publishes only the 1 September INSET day; Brighter Futures says schools set the rest themselves and will tell parents in advance.
Schools that set their own dates
We checked the biggest schools in Reading that publish their own calendars. The October half term week is the same almost everywhere. The differences come at the edges of terms, and at the independent schools they are large.
| School | October break | Christmas: last day | Spring term starts | Summer: last day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading local authority | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Wed 21 Jul |
| Kendrick School | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Tue 5 Jan (4 Jan is INSET) | Thu 15 Jul |
| Reading School | 26 to 30 Oct | Wed 16 Dec (pm) | Mon 4 Jan | Wed 14 Jul (pm) |
| The Abbey (independent) | 19 Oct to 2 Nov | Fri 11 Dec (noon) | Tue 5 Jan | Fri 9 Jul (noon) |
| Leighton Park (independent) | 16 Oct (4.15pm) to 1 Nov | Wed 16 Dec (1pm) | Mon 11 Jan | Thu 8 Jul (1pm) |
Points worth knowing:
- Kendrick School starts pupils on Thursday 3 September, keeps Monday 4 January 2027 as an INSET day, makes Friday 28 May 2027 a curriculum day, and has a staff day on Friday 16 July. It says holidays in term time are coded as unauthorised absence.
- Reading School has staff days on 1 and 2 September, 12 February and 16 July. Its calendar also lists a “Reading Week” from Monday 19 to Friday 23 October, the week before half term; check with the school what that means for your child’s timetable.
- The Abbey has a two-week October half term, 19 October to 2 November inclusive, and breaks up for Easter on Friday 19 March.
- Leighton Park breaks up for Easter on Friday 19 March and does not start the spring term until Monday 11 January.
October half term in Reading
Half term is the week of 26 to 30 October at every school above except The Abbey and Leighton Park, which start their breaks a week earlier. What is on locally that week is on our Reading October half term page.
Next year: 2027/28
Brighter Futures has already published the following year. Pupils return on Friday 3 September 2027 after an INSET day on the 2nd, October half term is 25 to 29 October 2027, and the autumn term ends on Friday 17 December 2027. The spring term starts on Tuesday 4 January 2028 and the summer term ends on Friday 21 July 2028.
Still to confirm
- INSET days beyond 1 September at individual maintained schools and academies: each school publishes its own.
- Academy trust calendars, including the secondary academies in Reading, which may differ from the council’s dates at the start and end of terms.
For the school run over the holidays, see Reading Christmas trains and travel and Reading roadworks and travel.
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