Essex half term is 26 to 30 October, but BMAT schools in Harlow break from 19 October and Passmores and Stewards from 23 October. Every 2026/27 date, checked.
Harlow schools do not all break up on the same days this year, and the biggest difference is October. Essex County Council’s half term is one week, 26 to 30 October 2026. The BMAT academies, which include Burnt Mill and Mark Hall, take two weeks, from 19 to 30 October.
Burnt Mill, Mark Hall, Passmores and Stewards are all academies, and academies set their own dates. The county calendar is only binding on community and voluntary controlled schools, so check which one your child’s school follows before you book anything.
The quick answer
- Essex October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026.
- BMAT schools (Burnt Mill, Mark Hall): Monday 19 to Friday 30 October.
- Christmas: schools finish on Friday 18 December and return on Monday 4 January 2027, with some academies holding an INSET day that Monday.
Essex County Council dates for 2026/27
These are the dates for community and voluntary controlled schools, from Essex County Council.
| Term | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn, term 1 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 | Friday 23 October 2026 |
| October half term | Monday 26 October 2026 | Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Autumn, term 2 | Monday 2 November 2026 | Friday 18 December 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | Monday 21 December 2026 | Thursday 31 December 2026 |
| Spring, term 3 | Monday 4 January 2027 | Friday 12 February 2027 |
| February half term | Monday 15 February 2027 | Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Spring, term 4 | Monday 22 February 2027 | Thursday 25 March 2027 |
| Easter holiday | Tuesday 30 March 2027 | Friday 9 April 2027 |
| Summer, term 5 | Monday 12 April 2027 | Friday 28 May 2027 |
| May half term | Monday 31 May 2027 | Friday 4 June 2027 |
| Summer, term 6 | Monday 7 June 2027 | Wednesday 21 July 2027 |
Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Monday (29 March) are bank holidays, as are 3 May and 31 May. The county says there are 195 school days, and each school also takes five staff training (INSET) days of its own choosing, so the county calendar does not tell you those.
How the big Harlow schools differ
We checked the published 2026/27 calendars of the academy groups behind four of Harlow’s secondary schools.
| Essex (county) | BMAT: Burnt Mill, Mark Hall | Stewards Academy | PCLC schools, incl. Passmores | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October half term | 26 to 30 Oct | 19 to 30 Oct | 23 to 30 Oct | 23 to 30 Oct |
| Autumn INSET days | Set by school | 1 Sept | 1 Sept, 22 Oct, 27 Nov | 1 Sept, 22 Oct, 30 Nov |
| Last day before Christmas | Fri 18 Dec | Fri 18 Dec | Fri 18 Dec | Fri 18 Dec |
| January | Back Mon 4 Jan | 4 Jan: meetings and Year 11 day, invite only | INSET Mon 4 Jan | INSET Mon 4 Jan |
| Spring INSET | Set by school | None shown | Fri 29 Jan | Fri 29 Jan |
| February half term | 15 to 19 Feb | 15 to 19 Feb | 15 to 19 Feb | 15 to 19 Feb |
| Easter | 30 Mar to 9 Apr | 29 Mar to 9 Apr | 29 Mar to 9 Apr | 29 Mar to 9 Apr |
| Summer holiday starts | Thu 22 Jul | Mon 19 Jul | Thu 22 Jul | Not checked |
Sources: the BMAT Academic Calendar 2026-27, linked from Burnt Mill Academy and Mark Hall Academy; Stewards Academy’s 2026-2027 dates; and the PCLC 2026-2027 calendar published by Passmores Academy.
Three things stand out.
- BMAT’s October break is twice as long. Its calendar shades the whole fortnight from 19 to 30 October as school holiday, and its last day of term in July is Friday 16 July, earlier than the county.
- Stewards and Passmores differ by one INSET day. Both are in the Passmores Co-operative Learning Community (PCLC), but Stewards’ own calendar puts its November training day on Friday 27 November, while the PCLC calendar shows Monday 30 November. The PCLC document says dates “may vary for individual PCLC schools”.
- Monday 4 January is not a normal school day at any of the three academy groups. BMAT uses it for invite-only meetings and a Year 11 day, and Stewards and the PCLC make it an INSET day.
Special schools and colleges
Harlow Fields School and College follows the county calendar and lists its own staff training days: 1 and 2 September, 27 November, 4 January and 12 April. Pupils finish at midday on 18 December and 21 July.
For any other school, primary schools included, the date that counts is the one on the school’s own website or newsletter. Taking a child out in term time needs the headteacher’s permission, Essex County Council says.
What is still to be confirmed
Primary schools publish their INSET days separately, and we have not checked every one. The PCLC column’s summer date is not shown because we could not read it reliably from the calendar. For what is actually on in Harlow during the October break, see our Harlow October half term page.
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