Essex schools break up on Friday 18 December and half term is 26 to 30 October. KEGS, County High and Great Baddow High add their own INSET days; all listed here.

Chelmsford’s state schools follow the Essex County Council calendar for 2026/27. Autumn term runs to Friday 18 December, October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, and schools go back on Monday 4 January 2027. The catch is the five staff training days each school sets for itself, which is where the big Chelmsford schools part company with each other.

The quick answer

  • October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026.
  • Christmas: last day Friday 18 December 2026, back Monday 4 January 2027.
  • Easter: last day Thursday 25 March, back Monday 12 April 2027. Summer term ends Wednesday 21 July 2027, but several schools finish their pupils earlier. Check your school’s INSET days below.

Essex County Council dates for 2026/27

These are the dates Essex sets for its community and voluntary controlled schools (Essex County Council term dates 2026 to 2027). Academies, foundation and voluntary aided schools can set their own, and the county’s own document warns that dates may vary for them.

Term Starts Half term Ends School days
Autumn 2026 Tue 1 Sep Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec 74
Spring 2027 Mon 4 Jan Mon 15 to Fri 19 Feb Thu 25 Mar 54
Summer 2027 Mon 12 Apr Mon 31 May to Fri 4 Jun Wed 21 Jul 67

That is 195 days in all. Schools then take five non-pupil days out of those 195, and each one chooses its own. Bank holidays fall on Friday 26 March (Good Friday), Monday 29 March (Easter Monday) and Monday 3 May 2027 (GOV.UK).

How the big Chelmsford schools differ

All three secondary schools below keep the county’s holiday weeks. What differs is the INSET days, and those decide the real first and last days for pupils.

School Pupils start Extra days off in term Pupils’ last day of the year
Essex LA calendar Tue 1 Sep Five, set by each school Wed 21 Jul
King Edward VI Grammar (KEGS) Fri 4 Sep (Years 7 and 12 on Thu 3 Sep) Tue 29 Sep, Thu 12 Nov, Mon 12 Apr, Fri 11 Jun Fri 16 Jul
Chelmsford County High for Girls Mon 7 Sep (Years 7 and 12 on Fri 4 Sep) Fri 2 Oct, Mon 8 Feb, Wed 30 Jun Fri 16 Jul
Great Baddow High Fri 4 Sep (Years 7 and 12 on Thu 3 Sep) Wed 23 Sep, Fri 23 Oct, Fri 27 Nov, Mon 4 Jan Wed 21 Jul

Sources: KEGS term dates 2026-2027, CCHS term dates 2026-27, Great Baddow High School term dates.

What that means in practice:

  • At Great Baddow High, October half term starts a day early. Friday 23 October is an INSET day, so pupils finish on Thursday 22 October. Spring term also starts a day late for pupils, on Tuesday 5 January, because Monday 4 January is a training day.
  • KEGS and County High finish the summer term on Friday 16 July 2027. Both use Monday 19 to Wednesday 21 July as staff days, so pupils get three more days of summer holiday than the county calendar suggests. KEGS pupils also go back after Easter a day late, on Tuesday 13 April, because Monday 12 April is a staff day.
  • County High starts later than anyone. Most students begin on Monday 7 September; only Years 7 and 12 go in on Friday 4 September.
  • The KEGS calendar lists its September staff days as “Mon 1st Sept, Tue 2nd Sept”, but 1 September 2026 is a Tuesday. The colour-coded calendar on the same document shows them on Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September.

Independent schools set their own dates entirely. New Hall School in Boreham publishes its 2026-2027 calendar as an embedded document on its term dates page rather than as text, so check it there.

Planning ahead: 2027/28

Essex has already published next year’s calendar (Essex County Council term dates 2027 to 2028):

Term Starts Half term Ends
Autumn 2027 Wed 1 Sep Mon 25 to Fri 29 Oct Fri 17 Dec
Spring 2028 Tue 4 Jan Mon 14 to Fri 18 Feb Fri 31 Mar
Summer 2028 Tue 18 Apr Mon 29 May to Fri 2 Jun Fri 21 Jul

What is still to be confirmed

Nothing in the county calendar is outstanding. Schools can still move an INSET day, and academy trusts sometimes do, so check your school’s own calendar before booking a holiday. Taking a child out in term time needs the headteacher’s permission.

Also on The Chelmsford Times

Sources