The school holidays are structured at the end and half way through each of the three school terms, known as Autumn Term, Spring Term and Summer Term.
Term 1 Autumn Term
Start: September
End: Mid December
Half term is midway between September and mid December
Term 2 – Spring Term
Start: January
End: Easter
Half term is mid way between January and Easter.
Term 3 – Summer Term
Start: The end of the Easter Holidays.
End mid July.
The half term is mid way between Easter and July.
Additional information
The end of Term 2 – Spring Term is different each year.
Easter is known as a “movable feast” and it is determined by the lunar cycle based around the spring equinox. This means the end of the Spring Term is different each year, which also effects the start date of Term 3 – Summer Term.
How and who sets the term dates?
If you would like to know more about this, visit our page about Term Dates, click here.
Why is there no Winter Term in the UK?
The three terms are based on the rural season of harvest when people were able to break from their toil.
The spring term goes up to the Easter harvest and the summer holiday is over the longest period of growing, with a larger break at Christmas and half term holidays in-between.