Brighton and Hove term dates 2026/27: half term 26 to 30 October, term ends Friday 18 December, back Monday 4 January, plus the schools that break early.
The Brighton & Hove council calendar for 2026/27 puts October half term at Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, ends the autumn term on Friday 18 December and brings pupils back on Monday 4 January 2027. Those dates apply to the community schools the council maintains. Most of the city’s secondaries follow them too, but Cardinal Newman takes a two-week October break, Brighton College and Roedean stop earlier still, and every school picks its own INSET days. All of it is below, from the schools’ own calendars.
The quick answer
- October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 at council schools, Varndean, Dorothy Stringer, Hove Park, PACA and Longhill. Blatchington Mill closes at 3pm on Friday 23 October.
- Christmas: term ends Friday 18 December 2026, back Monday 4 January 2027. Cardinal Newman, PACA and Roedean return on Tuesday 5 January; Brighton College on Wednesday 6 January.
- February half term: Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027. Easter break runs from Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027.
The council calendar, 2026/27
These are the dates Brighton & Hove City Council sets for community schools. The council notes they “may not apply to academies, free schools, sixth form colleges, further education colleges, or independent schools”, and that each school chooses five INSET days from within them. The full-year calendar PDF counts 195 days, INSET included.
| Term | Starts | Half term | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | Wednesday 2 September (Tuesday 1 September is usually an INSET day) | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October | Friday 18 December |
| Spring 2027 | Monday 4 January | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February | Thursday 25 March |
| Summer 2027 | Monday 12 April | Tuesday 1 to Friday 4 June | Wednesday 21 July |
Bank holidays inside the year: Christmas Day (Friday 25 December 2026), the Boxing Day substitute (Monday 28 December), New Year’s Day (Friday 1 January 2027), Good Friday (26 March), Easter Monday (29 March), Early May (Monday 3 May), Spring (Monday 31 May) and Summer (Monday 30 August 2027). Note that the summer half term is Tuesday to Friday because the Spring bank holiday falls on the Monday.
School by school
The council pattern holds at most of the big secondaries, but the start of September, the length of October half term and the January return all vary. Check the school’s own page before booking anything.
| School | First day for all pupils | October half term | Autumn term ends | Back in January | INSET days published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varndean School | Wed 2 September | 26 to 30 October | Fri 18 December | Mon 4 January | 1 Sept, 22 Jan, 19 to 21 July |
| Dorothy Stringer | Wed 2 September | 26 to 30 October | Fri 18 December | Mon 4 January | Follows the council calendar; INSET marked on its PDF |
| Blatchington Mill | Fri 4 September (Year 7 only on Thu 3) | Closes 3pm Fri 23 October | Not stated on the page | Mon 4 January | 1 and 2 Sept, 19 to 21 July |
| Hove Park | Thu 3 September | 26 to 30 October | Fri 18 December | Mon 4 January | 1 and 2 Sept, 19 to 21 July |
| PACA, Portslade | Thu 3 September (Years 7 and 11 on Wed 2) | 26 to 30 October | Fri 18 December, 1pm finish | Tue 5 January | 21 Sept, 2 Oct, 27 Nov, 12 Feb |
| Longhill, Rottingdean | Council calendar | 26 to 30 October | Fri 18 December | Mon 4 January | Marked on its PDF calendar |
| Cardinal Newman | Fri 4 September (Years 7 and 12 on Thu 3) | Two weeks: 19 to 30 October | Fri 18 December | Tue 5 January (Mon 4 is INSET) | 1 and 2 Sept, 4 Jan |
| Brighton College | Thu 3 September | 5pm Tue 20 October to Mon 2 November | Wed 9 December, 12.30pm | Wed 6 January | 28 Aug, 1 Sept, 21 and 22 Oct |
| Roedean | Wed 2 September | Fri 16 October to Sun 1 November | Fri 11 December, noon | Tue 5 January | Boarding exeats instead: 19 to 20 Sept, 14 to 15 Nov |
Two of those rows matter most for families with children at different schools. Cardinal Newman’s October half term starts a week before everyone else’s, on Monday 19 October, and runs the full fortnight to Friday 30 October. Brighton College breaks up for Christmas on Wednesday 9 December, nine days before the council schools, and Roedean on Friday 11 December.
Blatchington Mill also closes early for students at 12.20pm on Wednesday 16 September for its open evening, reopening at 9.40am the next day, and finishes the summer term at 12.20pm on Friday 16 July 2027. Varndean and Hove Park finish on Friday 16 July too, with their three July INSET days filling out the council’s 21 July end date.
Sixth form and college
BHASVIC publishes a Parents and Carers Calendar 2026/27 as a PDF on its calendars page rather than a dated web page; its term dates are not reproduced here because they are only in the download. Varndean College and Greater Brighton Met set their own dates too. Check the college directly.
What is coming next
The council has already published 2027/28 (calendar released 1 April 2026): autumn term Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027, half term 25 to 29 October 2027; spring Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028, half term 14 to 18 February; summer Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028, half term Tuesday 30 May to Friday 2 June.
If your child starts secondary school in September 2027, the application deadline and the offer day are on our secondary school places page. For what is actually on in the city during the October break, see October half term in Brighton.
Still to be confirmed
- Blatchington Mill’s page gives its half-term closing time but not the autumn term end date; it is assumed to match the council’s Friday 18 December.
- INSET days for Dorothy Stringer and Longhill are marked by colour on their PDF calendars, not listed as dates. Confirm with the school.
- BHASVIC’s term dates, once its calendar is checked.
Sources: Brighton & Hove City Council term and holiday dates and 2026/27 calendar PDF; Varndean; Dorothy Stringer; Blatchington Mill; Hove Park; PACA; Longhill; Cardinal Newman term dates PDF; Brighton College; Roedean.
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