Kent 2026/27: half term 26 to 30 October, Christmas break from 18 December, back 4 January. Plus the grammars, Bennett, St Gregory's and Cranbrook School.
Kent County Council’s term dates cover the community and voluntary-controlled schools in the borough. The grammar schools, the academies and the church schools set their own, and in Tunbridge Wells almost every big secondary breaks a day or a week away from the county calendar. This page has the county dates for the whole of 2026/27, then the eight secondaries most families here ask about, each taken from the school’s own published calendar.
The quick answer
For Kent County Council schools, October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, the Christmas break runs from Monday 21 December to Friday 1 January, and pupils return on Monday 4 January 2027 (Kent County Council). The two boys’ schools take Friday 16 October as an INSET day, Skinners’ breaks up on Wednesday 21 October, Skinners’ Kent Academy takes two weeks from 19 October, and Bennett Memorial and Cranbrook School are off from Friday 16 October. Every school’s last day before Christmas is Friday 18 December.
Kent County Council dates for 2026/27
Kent runs a six-term year. These are the dates for its community and voluntary-controlled schools. The council says dates for some schools may be different and to contact the school for staff training days (Kent County Council).
| Term | Starts | Ends | Holiday that follows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 | Friday 23 October 2026 | Half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October |
| Term 2 | Monday 2 November 2026 | Friday 18 December 2026 | Christmas: Monday 21 December to Friday 1 January |
| Term 3 | Monday 4 January 2027 | Friday 12 February 2027 | Half term: Monday 15 to Friday 19 February |
| Term 4 | Monday 22 February 2027 | Thursday 25 March 2027 | Easter: Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April |
| Term 5 | Monday 12 April 2027 | Friday 28 May 2027 | Half term: Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June |
| Term 6 | Monday 7 June 2027 | Wednesday 21 July 2027 | Summer: Thursday 22 July to Tuesday 31 August |
Bank holidays inside the year: Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December, Friday 1 January, Friday 26 March, Monday 29 March, Monday 3 May, Monday 31 May and Monday 30 August 2027. Easter is early in 2027, so Term 4 ends on the Thursday before Good Friday.
The county’s 2027/28 dates are already published as a PDF on the same page.
School by school: the autumn term
The dates that differ most are the ones in the autumn. Here is each school’s first day for pupils, its October break and its last day before Christmas, from the school’s own calendar. INSET days are listed in the next section.
| School | First day for pupils | October break | Last day before Christmas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County Council schools | Tue 1 September | Mon 26 to Fri 30 October | Fri 18 December |
| Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys | Thu 3 September (Years 7 and 12); Fri 4 September (others) | Fri 16 October (INSET), then Mon 26 to Fri 30 October | Fri 18 December, 1.30pm finish |
| Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School | Wed 2 September | Sat 24 October to Sun 1 November, plus INSET Mon 2 November | Fri 18 December |
| The Skinners' School | Thu 3 September | Thu 22 to Fri 30 October (term ends Wed 21 October) | Fri 18 December |
| Skinners' Kent Academy | Fri 4 September (Years 7 and 12); Mon 7 September (all) | Mon 19 to Fri 30 October (two weeks) | Fri 18 December, 1.15pm finish |
| Bennett Memorial Diocesan School | Wed 2 September (Years 7 and 12); Thu 3 September (others) | Fri 16 to Fri 30 October (Years 8 to 12 finish Thu 15 October; Founders' Day 16 October is Years 7 and 13 only) | Fri 18 December |
| St Gregory's Catholic School | Wed 2 September (Years 7 and 12); Thu 3 September (others) | Fri 23 October to Tue 3 November (term ends Thu 22 October; pupils back Wed 4 November) | Fri 18 December |
| Cranbrook School | Thu 3 September (Years 7, 9 and 12); Fri 4 September (others) | From Fri 16 October at 2.50pm to Mon 2 November | Friday 18 December, 12 noon (see note) |
A note on Cranbrook School: its term dates PDF says term ends on “Friday 19th December”. In 2026, 19 December is a Saturday and the Friday is the 18th. We have shown the Friday and suggest checking with the school.
Sources for each row: TWGSB, TWGGS, The Skinners’ School key dates, Skinners’ Kent Academy, Bennett Memorial term dates PDF, St Gregory’s term dates PDF, Cranbrook School term dates PDF, all read on 25 September 2026.
INSET days and other closures
These are the days each school is closed to pupils inside a term. Skinners’ warns that “a number of these dates may change as the year progresses”, and St Gregory’s says its dates “may be amended slightly”, so treat every list as current rather than final.
- Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys: 1 and 2 September, Friday 16 October, Monday 4 January, Friday 12 February. Spring term starts Tuesday 5 January. Early 1.30pm finishes on 18 December, 8 July (open evening) and 16 July, the last day of the year.
- Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School: Tuesday 1 September and Monday 2 November. Spring half term is 13 to 21 February, summer half term 29 May to 6 June, and the year ends Friday 16 July.
- The Skinners’ School: Friday 25 September and Tuesday 24 November. Term 3 starts Monday 4 January; the year ends Friday 16 July.
- Skinners’ Kent Academy: 1, 2 and 3 September and Friday 12 March. Pupils are dismissed at 1.15pm on 18 December, 25 March and 21 July.
- Bennett Memorial: Tuesday 1 September, Friday 25 September, Monday 4 January, and Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 October, which the school notes are taken as twilight training through the year rather than on the days themselves. Spring term starts Tuesday 5 January. The year ends Friday 23 July, after an activities week.
- St Gregory’s: Tuesday 1 September, Friday 23 October, Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 November, and Monday 22 February. Pupils return on Wednesday 4 November and Tuesday 23 February.
- Cranbrook School: Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September, Monday 4 January, Friday 12 February, Monday 12 April. Spring half term is from Thursday 11 February at 3.35pm; there is a boarders’ exeat weekend 27 to 29 November; Speech Day is Saturday 29 May; the year ends Wednesday 14 July at noon.
The rest of the year at a glance
Where the eight schools agree: the Christmas break for pupils starts on Friday 18 December at every one of them. Five of the eight bring pupils back on Monday 4 January; TWGSB, Bennett and Cranbrook School use that Monday for staff and start on Tuesday 5 January. February half term is 15 to 19 February everywhere except TWGGS (13 to 21 February) and Cranbrook School (from the afternoon of Thursday 11 February). All eight end the spring term on Thursday 25 March and start the summer term in the week of 12 April.
The summer finishes are where the calendars spread out again: Cranbrook School on 14 July, the three grammars on Friday 16 July, Kent schools, Skinners’ Kent Academy and St Gregory’s on Wednesday 21 July, and Bennett on Friday 23 July.
Primary schools and Leigh Academy Mascalls
Community primary schools follow the Kent dates above, with their own INSET days: ask the school. Leigh Academy Mascalls in Paddock Wood publishes its own calendar on its website, which did not load for us as plain text on 25 September; we will add its dates when we can read them. Church of England, Catholic and academy primaries frequently take the Kent half terms but add training days at the start of September and the end of terms.
Planning around the dates
- October half term has its own page, with the trains, the trails and the things that are actually on: October half term in Tunbridge Wells. Note that no trains run between Tonbridge and Wadhurst from 24 October to 1 November.
- Christmas week brings revised bin collections and reduced trains and buses.
- Council tax bills for 2026/27, including the school-year overlap, are on our council tax bands page.
Sources
- Kent County Council, Term dates, 2026 to 2027 and the 2027 to 2028 PDF, read 25 September 2026
- Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Term dates
- Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Term dates
- The Skinners’ School, Key dates 2026-2027
- The Skinners’ Kent Academy, Term dates
- Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Term dates 2026-2027 (PDF)
- St Gregory’s Catholic School, Term dates 2026/2027 (PDF)
- Cranbrook School, Term dates 2026/2027 (PDF)
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