There are three half terms in a standard English school year: February, May and October. Two of those three fall in the 2027 calendar year. Below: the confirmed dates for February and May half term 2027 from eleven councils’ websites, the expected window for October half term 2027, and what each means if you are trying to book a group house.
February half term 2027
Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027 in all eight English councils we checked (Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Birmingham and Leeds), and in Edinburgh. Glasgow has Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 February. Cardiff’s spring half term is earlier: Monday 8 to Friday 12 February.
The February half term is five school days, but the booking window is usually a week: a Friday arrival on 13 February (half term eve) to Saturday 21 February gives eight nights with only two term days at the end. Most groups go Friday to Friday (13–20 Feb) or Saturday to Saturday (14–21 Feb). Because the dates are identical for most of England and for Edinburgh, February half term books up fast — often before Christmas. If this is the window you want, don’t leave it to January.
May half term 2027
Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027 in all eight English councils we checked, and in Cardiff. The 31 May is the spring bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so the half term begins on a day that is already a day off for everyone — not just school children. A group arriving on Saturday 29 May gets the bank holiday long weekend (29–31 May) plus the school holiday week (1–4 June), seven nights in the house with only four school days used. For groups with children, this is the best value week of the year in terms of leave needed.
See our bank holidays 2027 guide for the full picture on the spring bank holiday and every other long weekend. May half term is in term time for Scottish schools, so a group mixing English and Scottish families will need to check before committing.
October half term 2027
Most councils have not yet published their 2027/28 term dates. In the academic year we checked (2026/27), October half term was Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 in seven of the eight English councils; Surrey gave two full weeks, 19 to 30 October. Half terms tend to fall in the same calendar week year on year, so October half term 2027 is expected to be around Monday 25 to Friday 31 October 2027. Check your council’s website when 2027/28 dates are published, usually in spring 2027.
October half term has the added advantage of Halloween (31 October) for groups with children, and it falls just before the clocks go back, so evenings are still light early in the week. Demand is lower than May or August, which makes it one of the better windows for booking at shorter notice.
Scotland and Wales
Scotland follows a different term pattern, and the half terms don’t always align with England:
- February: Edinburgh is the same as England (15–19 Feb 2027). Glasgow is shorter: 15–17 February, so the Wednesday return catches some English groups off guard.
- May: Scottish schools do not have a May half term in the same sense — their spring holiday falls at Easter and Victoria Day (24 May in Edinburgh, 28 May in Glasgow) replaces the May bank holiday. Glasgow and Edinburgh schools are in session for much of the English May half term week.
- October: Edinburgh had 12–19 October in 2026, a week earlier than most of England. Glasgow had 12–16 October. The 2027 dates have not been published.
In Wales, Cardiff’s half terms are generally in the same week as England for May and October, but earlier in February (8–12 Feb 2027).
Booking a group house for half term
- Book early for February and May. Both are identical across most of England, so demand concentrates into a single week. February is particularly tight because the window between term restarting in January and half term is only about six weeks.
- Half terms start on Friday evenings. Most schools finish on the Friday of the week before the half term. A Friday arrival on the last day of term gives a full week-plus in the house. Check the house’s check-in day before planning around a Friday start.
- Minimum stays. Some houses require three or four nights minimum, especially over bank holiday weekends. Check the listing or ask the owner when the house is on your shortlist.
- Deposits before enquiries. Collect money from the group before you ask the owner to hold dates; our booking checklist sets out the right order.
Browse large family holiday homes, multi-generational holiday houses, houses with a hot tub for February when the weather is cold, or houses by group size to start anywhere. See also our full school holidays 2027 guide for every holiday of the year. Every enquiry goes straight to the owner.
Sources
Dates are from the councils’ own pages, checked on 24 September 2026: Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff. October 2027 dates are expected but not yet confirmed; check your council when 2027/28 dates are published.
