Easter 2028 is late, and that reshapes the whole year. Good Friday falls on 14 April, pushing the Easter holidays deep into April and giving families the longest unbroken spring term since 2022. February half term (14–18 February in most of England) and May half term (29 May–2 June) stay in their usual slots, while Wales throws a spanner: its February break is a full week later than England’s. Below: the 2028 dates we’ve checked on council websites, where each nation differs, and what it means for booking a group house.
School holidays in 2028 at a glance
| Holiday | Dates (most English councils) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| February half term | Mon 14 – Fri 18 Feb | Confirmed for Hampshire, Kent, Essex, Herts, Lancashire, Edinburgh. Cardiff: 21–25 Feb (one week later) |
| Easter | Mon 3 Apr – Mon 17 Apr | Hampshire & Herts confirmed. Kent/Essex break from Fri 31 Mar. Good Friday 14 Apr, Easter Monday 17 Apr |
| May half term | Mon 29 May – Fri 2 Jun | 29 May is the spring bank holiday. Same dates in Cardiff |
| Summer | From Mon 24 Jul (Hampshire) | Kent/Lancashire: after Fri 21 Jul. Herts: Tue 25 Jul. Edinburgh: Fri 30 Jun. Cardiff: c.Thu 20 Jul |
| October half term | c.23–27 Oct (TBC) | Check council confirmation; the pattern suggests the last full week of October |
| Christmas | c.18 Dec 2028 – 2 Jan 2029 (TBC) | Christmas Day 2028 is a Monday. Check the council’s 2028/29 calendar |
2027/28 school holidays in England, by council
| Council | Christmas 2027/28 | February half term 2028 | Easter 2028 | May half term 2028 | Summer starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire | 20 Dec–3 Jan | 14–18 Feb | 3–17 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | Mon 24 Jul |
| Kent | 20 Dec–3 Jan | 14–18 Feb | 3–17 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | After Fri 21 Jul |
| Surrey | 22 Dec–3 Jan | 14–18 Feb | 3–17 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | Thu 20 Jul |
| Essex | 20 Dec–3 Jan | 14–18 Feb | 3–17 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | After Fri 21 Jul |
| Hertfordshire | 20 Dec–3 Jan | 14–18 Feb | 3–17 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | Tue 25 Jul |
| Lancashire | 18 Dec–3 Jan | 14–18 Feb | 1 Apr–17 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | After Fri 21 Jul |
| Birmingham (expected) | c.20 Dec–3 Jan | 14–18 Feb | c.3–17 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | c.Fri 21 Jul |
| Leeds (expected) | c.20 Dec–3 Jan | 14–18 Feb | c.3–17 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | c.Fri 21 Jul |
Dates marked “expected” are based on each council’s 2026/27 pattern; the councils had not published 2027/28 dates when we checked. Where a council publishes term dates rather than holidays (Kent, Lancashire), the holiday is the gap between terms. Every school also takes training (INSET) days of its own on top of these dates.
February half term 2028
Monday 14 to Friday 18 February 2028 in every English council that has published its 2027/28 dates: Hampshire, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire and Lancashire. Edinburgh has the same week. The remaining councils (Surrey, Birmingham and Leeds) all matched that week in 2026/27, so there is every reason to expect the same again. This is the most uniform holiday of the year — every English council and Edinburgh on the same dates — which is exactly why it books up so quickly for group houses.
Wales is the exception. Cardiff and all 22 Welsh local authorities have their spring half term a week later: Monday 21 to Friday 25 February 2028. Groups that mix English and Welsh families either pick one week and accept the mismatch, or book a longer stay that covers both. Glasgow’s February dates are not yet confirmed but typically fall in the same week as Edinburgh (14–18 Feb).
Easter school holidays 2028
Easter Sunday 2028 is 16 April — one of the latest possible dates. Good Friday (14 April) and Easter Monday (17 April) are bank holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The late Easter means the spring term runs unbroken from February half term to the end of March or early April: the longest stretch without a holiday in the school year.
The Easter holiday dates vary more than any other break. Hampshire and Hertfordshire have two full weeks from Monday 3 to Monday 17 April 2028. Kent and Essex break up on Friday 31 March and return after Easter Monday. Lancashire finishes on Saturday 1 April. Cardiff runs a later fortnight: Monday 10 to Friday 21 April — entirely after Easter itself, which is unusual but fits the Welsh Government’s framework for the year. Edinburgh has its spring break from Monday 3 to Monday 17 April, matching Hampshire.
The clocks go forward on Sunday 26 March 2028, so the Easter bank holiday weekend is in BST. See our Easter 2028 guide for everything by nation, and Easter group houses for what’s available.
May half term 2028
Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028 in every English council that has published dates, and in Cardiff. The 29 May is the spring bank holiday, so the half term begins on a day everyone already has off. A group arriving on Saturday 27 May gets the long weekend straight into the school holiday week: seven nights in the house with only four school days off. For families, this remains the best-value week of the year in leave terms.
Scottish schools do not have a May half term in the same way — Edinburgh has May Day (Monday 1 May) and Victoria Day (Monday 22 May) as individual days off, and Glasgow follows a similar pattern. A group mixing English and Scottish families during May half term will find the Scottish children are in school. See our bank holidays 2028 guide for every long weekend.
Summer holidays 2028
Hampshire’s last day of term is Friday 21 July 2028, with the summer holiday starting on Monday 24 July. Kent and Lancashire also finish around Friday 21 July. Hertfordshire runs slightly later, finishing on Monday 24 July (summer starts Tuesday 25 July). Surrey has not published dates but historically finishes a week after most councils — expect around Friday 28 July.
Scotland is a different world. Edinburgh’s summer term ends on Friday 30 June 2028, nearly four weeks ahead of England. Glasgow typically follows within a day or two. Scottish pupils are usually back in mid-August, giving around seven weeks off but starting and ending far earlier than England.
Cardiff finishes around Thursday 20 July 2028. Northern Ireland’s school year ends in late June, closer to Scotland’s pattern than England’s.
For groups mixing English and Scottish families, the overlap where everyone is off simultaneously runs from roughly 24 July to mid-August — about three and a half weeks. The August bank holiday (Monday 28 August 2028 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) falls within this window and is the most contested booking weekend of the summer.
2027/28 school holidays in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
| Area | Christmas 2027/28 | February 2028 | Easter / spring 2028 | May 2028 | Summer 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | 21 Dec–5 Jan | 14–18 Feb | 3–17 Apr | 1 May (May Day); 22 May (Victoria Day) | Term ends Fri 30 Jun |
| Glasgow (expected) | c.20 Dec–5 Jan | c.14–18 Feb | c.31 Mar–17 Apr | 1 May; late May | Term ends c.Fri 30 Jun |
| Cardiff | 20 Dec–3 Jan | 21–25 Feb | 10–21 Apr | 29 May–2 Jun | Term ends c.Thu 20 Jul |
| Northern Ireland (expected) | c.21 Dec–3 Jan | c.13–14 Feb | c.14 Apr; 2–14 Apr | 1 May; 29 May | School year ends late Jun |
Edinburgh dates are published. Glasgow and Northern Ireland are pattern-based from 2026/27. Cardiff dates are confirmed via the Welsh Government framework. Northern Ireland shows the Education Authority’s common closure days; individual schools can differ and have up to ten school development days on top.
October half term and Christmas 2028
These belong to the 2028/29 academic year, which must be checked separately with the council. In 2027/28, October half term is expected to be around the last full week of October (Monday 25 to Friday 29 October 2027 in most English councils), and the same pattern in 2028 would put it at roughly Monday 23 to Friday 27 October 2028. Christmas Day 2028 is a Monday, so the bank holidays are on the day itself (25 December) and Boxing Day (Tuesday 26 December). Christmas school closure and return dates vary by council and school. Check the council’s published 2028/29 calendar before booking.
Hampshire school holidays 2027/28
Hampshire published its 2027/28 dates alongside its 2026/27 calendar — one of the first councils to do so. Dates for community and controlled schools:
- Christmas: Monday 20 December 2027 to Monday 3 January 2028
- Spring half term: Monday 14 to Friday 18 February 2028
- Easter: Monday 3 to Monday 17 April 2028
- Summer half term: Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028
- Summer holiday: Monday 24 July 2028 onwards
Southampton and Portsmouth have their own city councils with separate dates. Academies and voluntary-aided schools may differ, and each school adds its own training days.
How to find your school’s dates
- England and Wales: enter your postcode in GOV.UK’s school term and holiday dates service, which links to your council’s page.
- Scotland: check your council’s website; the GOV.UK service does not cover Scotland.
- Northern Ireland: ask the school. Holidays are agreed across sectors, but schools don’t all take the same dates.
- Academies and free schools: these can set their own dates, so check the school’s own website.
- Training days: add the school’s INSET or in-service days, set by each school individually.
Planning a group trip around the school holidays
For a family group, the school holidays are the dates, full stop. A few things that help with the booking:
- February half term is the most uniform week. The English councils checked and Edinburgh share 14–18 February 2028, concentrating demand into a single five-day window. Book before Christmas 2027 if this is your target.
- Wales is a week later in February. If your group mixes English and Welsh families, either book a longer stay covering both weeks (13–25 February) or choose dates when both sets of children are off school. The Welsh half term (21–25 Feb) will be less contested for houses in Wales itself, since English families are back at school.
- Easter 2028 is late. Good Friday is 14 April, giving a four-day bank holiday weekend. The late date means Easter and May half term are only six weeks apart — worth considering if you are choosing one or the other for a family reunion. See our Easter 2028 guide.
- May half term starts on a bank holiday. A Saturday-to-Saturday stay from 27 May to 3 June is seven nights. In the councils listed with that half term, the stay falls within the school break; working adults may still need annual leave. See our bank holidays 2028 guide for every long weekend.
- Mixed Scottish and English families. Edinburgh’s February break (14–18 Feb) matches England perfectly. In summer, the overlap is roughly 24 July to mid-August: about three and a half weeks. Plan early if you need the overlap window.
- No children? Avoid the school holidays entirely. Term-time midweek stays are the cheapest and easiest to book; our midweek stays guide explains why.
Start with large family holiday homes, multi-generational holiday houses, houses with a hot tub, or houses by group size. Every enquiry goes straight to the owner.
Sources
Published 2027/28 dates are from each council’s website, checked in October 2026: Hampshire, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Edinburgh and Cardiff. Surrey’s confirmed 2027/28 dates are from its published calendar. Entries still marked expected must be checked with the relevant council and school. Councils can change their dates, so always confirm with the school before you pay a deposit.
