School term dates 2026 to 2027

In 2014, the Welsh Government made legislation with the aim of ensuring school term and holiday dates across Wales are the same or as similar as can be.

This consultation asks for your views on the term dates we are proposing for all maintained schools in Wales for the school year 2026 to 2027, and the related draft direction at Annex 1.

Local authorities and the governing bodies of maintained schools (“relevant governing bodies”) have the duty to set term dates for their schools. They are also under a duty to work together when setting term dates so that those dates are the same or as similar as possible. If, despite best efforts, term dates are not agreed then section 32B of the Education Act 2002 (“the 2002 Act”) gives Welsh Ministers the power to direct local authorities and relevant governing bodies on what their term dates must be, so that term date harmonisation across Wales is achieved. The power in that section is not limited to solely achieving dates that are the same or as similar as can be but is wide enough to permit that use of it.

The Education (Notification of School Term Dates) (Wales) Regulations 2014 provide that local authorities must inform Welsh Ministers of the term dates set for all maintained schools within their areas by the final working day in August two years prior to the school year to which they relate. 

The Welsh Ministers consider the term dates submitted for 2026 to 2027 are not the same or as similar as can be. Therefore, the Welsh Ministers wish to consider using their powers of direction under the 2002 Act to ensure that term dates are as similar as can be across Wales.

However, before they may use their power of direction the 2002 Act places the Welsh Ministers under a duty to carry out an appropriate consultation. In addition, the Education (Consultation on School Term Dates) (Wales) Regulations 2014 set out further requirements on the form and length of such a consultation.

Broadly speaking, local authorities have worked together with their neighbouring authorities and schools to coordinate their proposed term dates for 2026 to 2027. However, there remains a variation to dates for spring and summer terms in 2027 which splits the authorities’ dates into two groups.

Easter falls relatively early in 2027, and authorities have chosen to organise their spring term differently to accommodate the two bank holidays associated with Easter. 

In the past schools with a religious character have chosen different dates to their local authority and other schools without a religious character because their preference is for learners to be in school to take part in Easter observances during the week leading up to Good Friday. In terms of Holy Week for 2027 those voluntary aided or foundation schools which have a religious character in Group B have not cited Holy Week as a reason for having the later spring (Easter) break. The same is true for those local authorities who are in Group B. It is simply the case that as noted above all voluntary aided and foundation schools have aligned with their respective local authorities.

The two groups are shown in the table below along with the variations to their proposed dates.

Variations in term dates notified to the Welsh Ministers

Local authority groups

School term and holiday dates

Having considered all the information, the Welsh Ministers are minded to issue the direction subject to the results of this consultation. 

The policy behind sections 32A and 32B of the 2002 Act was to eliminate differences in dates which may cause hardship to parents and staff alike. We consider harmonised dates will also benefit the tourism sector. We consider that those policy imperatives outweigh the desire to have different spring breaks taking into account the reasons that were given by the local authorities.

Group A’s dates are preferred as there are more local authorities within that Group. Choosing Group A’s dates would mean that fewer local authorities would need to amend their proposals to comply with the draft direction.

Voluntary aided and foundation schools governing bodies are also required to set term dates and to advise Welsh Ministers of their proposed term dates. Notifications indicated these schools had aligned their proposed term dates with their respective local authorities.

Powys local authority has set dates which in the main align with Group A but there are 2 differences. One such difference is that Powys has opted to end the summer term on 16 July 2027, before the start of the Royal Welsh Show which runs from Monday 19 to Thursday 22 July 2027. To make up for finishing the summer term earlier, schools in Powys will finish the autumn term later than those in other areas. The rest of the local authorities in Group A end the summer term on 20 July whilst Group B local authorities end the summer term on 21 July. 

In terms of the authorities that directly border with Powys it is a mixed picture with 6 aligning with Group A and 5 with Group B. The dates proposed for the direction would mean that Powys will be allowed to end the summer term on 16 July. That means that children and school staff will be free to attend the Royal Welsh Show for the full week from Monday 19 July 2027. This decision reflects the Welsh Ministers’ very high regard for the significant cultural and economic value of the Royal Welsh Show.

The proposed dates will also avoid a split week at the end of the spring term.

School term dates set out for 2026 to 2027 

Welsh Ministers therefore propose the school term dates set out for 2026 to 2027:

Question 1

Do you agree that term dates which are as similar as possible across Wales will help parents, carers, families and businesses to plan? 

Question 2

Do you agree with our proposals for term dates for the school year 2026 to 2027 and the proposed draft direction?

Question 3

Do you have any views on the potential impact of our proposals on human rights and the protected characteristics:

1. age?
2. gender reassignment?
3. being married or in a civil partnership?
4. being pregnant or on maternity leave?
5. disability?
6. race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin?
7. religion or belief?
8. sex?
9. sexual orientation?

Question 4

Are there any other costs, benefits or risks associated with the proposal?

Question 5

What, in your opinion, would be the likely effects of the proposal on the Welsh language? We are particularly interested in any likely effects on opportunities to use the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English.

• Do you think that there are opportunities to promote any positive effects?
• Do you think that there are opportunities to mitigate any adverse effects?

Question 6

In your opinion, could the proposal be formulated or changed so as to:

• have positive effects or more positive effects on using the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English, or
• mitigate any negative effects on using the Welsh language and on not treating the Welsh language less favourably than English?

Please use the consultation response form to respond to the above questions. 

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