Bromley schools break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December 2026 and return on 4 January. Every half term for 2026/27, plus where big schools differ.
Bromley’s council term dates for 2026/27 give children two weeks off in October, from 19 to 30 October. Term then runs to Friday 18 December, and the spring term starts on Monday 4 January 2027. Many Bromley secondaries are academies or grammars that set their own calendars, so the INSET days, and sometimes the last day before Christmas, differ from school to school. The council’s dates and three big schools’ own calendars are below.
The quick answer
- October half term: Monday 19 to Friday 30 October 2026. It is two weeks long.
- Christmas: school ends Friday 18 December 2026 and restarts Monday 4 January 2027 on the council’s calendar.
- February half term: 15 to 19 February 2027. Easter: 26 March to 9 April. Summer term ends Friday 23 July 2027.
The council’s term dates for 2026/27
These are the London Borough of Bromley’s school term dates 2026/27. The year has 195 teacher days. Head teachers use five of them as staff development (INSET) days, which leaves 190 days of school for pupils (school term dates).
| Term | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn, first half | Wednesday 26 August to Friday 16 October 2026 (bank holiday 31 August) | 37 |
| October half term | Monday 19 to Friday 30 October 2026 | |
| Autumn, second half | Monday 2 November to Friday 18 December 2026 | 35 |
| Christmas holiday | Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027 | |
| Spring, first half | Monday 4 January to Friday 12 February 2027 | 30 |
| February half term | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027 | |
| Spring, second half | Monday 22 February to Thursday 25 March 2027 | 24 |
| Easter holiday | Good Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027 | |
| Summer, first half | Monday 12 April to Friday 28 May 2027 (bank holiday 3 May) | 34 |
| May half term | Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027 | |
| Summer, second half | Monday 7 June to Friday 23 July 2027 | 35 |
The holiday rows follow from the term dates: the council lists the “Christmas Break” and “Easter Break” without dating them.
The council sets these dates for maintained and voluntary controlled schools and recommends them to everyone else. Academies, foundation, voluntary aided and free schools can set their own, and the council tells parents to check each school’s website.
Where the big schools differ
We checked three schools with large Bromley catchments against their own published calendars.
| St Olave’s Grammar, Orpington | Langley Park School for Boys, Beckenham | Bromley High School (GDST, independent) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| October half term | 19 to 30 October | 19 to 30 October | 19 to 30 October |
| Last day before Christmas | Friday 18 December | Friday 18 December | Wednesday 16 December |
| First day back in January | Tuesday 5 January (INSET on 4 January) | Tuesday 5 January (INSET on 4 January) | Wednesday 6 January (study day on 5 January) |
| February half term | 15 to 19 February | 15 to 19 February | 15 to 19 February |
| Last day of the year | Friday 23 July (INSET day) | Thursday 22 July | Wednesday 7 July |
St Olave’s follows the council’s term dates exactly but adds five INSET days of its own: Wednesday 26 August, Friday 18 September, Friday 13 November 2026, Monday 4 January 2027 and Friday 23 July 2027. There is also an early close at 1.30pm on Thursday 24 June 2027 for a twilight INSET (St Olave’s term dates 2026/27).
Langley Park School for Boys started later, on Thursday 3 September for Years 7 and 12 and Friday 4 September for everyone else, after INSET days on 1 and 2 September. Its spring term ends on Thursday 25 March, and a further INSET day falls on Monday 5 July 2027 (LPSB term dates).
Bromley High School breaks up two days before the state schools at Christmas, on Wednesday 16 December. It finishes the summer term on 7 July, more than a fortnight earlier. Its staff study days, with no school for pupils, are 1 and 2 September 2026, and 5 January, 12 February and 25 March 2027 (Bromley High term dates).
If your child’s school is not listed, check its own website. Do not rely on the council’s calendar for INSET days.
Bank holidays inside term
Three bank holidays fall inside the council’s term dates: Monday 31 August 2026, Monday 3 May 2027 and Monday 31 May 2027, the first day of the May half term. Good Friday, 26 March 2027, starts the Easter holiday (GOV.UK bank holidays).
Planning around the holidays
- The October fortnight has its own page: what is on in Bromley over October half term.
- Over Christmas, bin days move. Last year’s revised dates are on our Christmas bin collections page.
- Rail engineering works usually close lines between Christmas and New Year. See Christmas trains and travel from Bromley.
Still to be confirmed
- 2027/28 dates. The council has already published a 2027/28 page. We will add them here once the 2026/27 year is under way.
Sources
- School term dates 2026/27, London Borough of Bromley
- Term dates 2026/27 (PDF), St Olave’s Grammar School
- Term dates, Langley Park School for Boys
- Term dates, Bromley High School GDST
- UK bank holidays, GOV.UK
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