Barnet schools break for October half term on 26 October and for Christmas on 18 December 2026. Every 2026/27 date, plus three big schools that differ.
Most Barnet schools follow the term dates set by Barnet Council, and for 2026/27 the autumn half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, with the Christmas holiday running from Monday 21 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027. Academies, free schools, voluntary aided and foundation schools can set their own dates, and several of the borough’s best-known schools do. Three of them are compared below.
The quick answer
- October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Back on Monday 2 November.
- Christmas: last day Friday 18 December 2026, back on Tuesday 5 January 2027.
- February half term: 15 to 19 February 2027. Easter: 26 March to 9 April 2027. Summer term ends Thursday 22 July 2027.
Barnet Council term dates 2026/27
These are the council’s published dates for community schools (Barnet Council, school term and holiday dates, archived copy of May 2026).
| Term | Dates |
|---|---|
| Autumn term, first half | Tuesday 1 September to Friday 23 October 2026 |
| October half term | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Autumn term, second half | Monday 2 November to Friday 18 December 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | Monday 21 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027 |
| Spring term, first half | Tuesday 5 January to Friday 12 February 2027 |
| February half term | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Spring term, second half | Monday 22 February to Thursday 25 March 2027 |
| Easter holiday | Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027 |
| Summer term, first half | Monday 12 April to Friday 28 May 2027 (May Day bank holiday 3 May) |
| May half term | Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027 |
| Summer term, second half | Monday 7 June to Thursday 22 July 2027 |
The spring term ends on a Thursday because Good Friday is 26 March 2027, and the Easter weekend runs from 26 to 29 March.
INSET days are not in the council’s table. Each school sets its own staff training days on top of these dates, so the days your child is actually off can be one or two more than the table shows. Your school’s website or newsletter has them.
Three big Barnet schools that set their own dates
Here is how three of the borough’s most-searched schools compare, each from the school’s own calendar.
| Barnet Council | Queen Elizabeth’s School | Henrietta Barnett School | Mill Hill School | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October half term | 26 to 30 Oct | 26 to 30 Oct | 26 Oct to 3 Nov | 19 to 30 Oct |
| Last day before Christmas | Fri 18 Dec | Fri 18 Dec | Thu 17 Dec (noon finish) | Fri 11 Dec (12.30pm) |
| Back in January | Tue 5 Jan | Tue 5 Jan | Mon 4 Jan | Tue 5 Jan |
| February half term | 15 to 19 Feb | 15 to 19 Feb | 15 to 19 Feb | 15 to 19 Feb |
| Spring term ends | Thu 25 Mar | Thu 25 Mar | Thu 25 Mar | Thu 25 Mar (12.30pm) |
| May half term | 31 May to 4 Jun | 31 May to 4 Jun | 31 May to 4 Jun | 31 May to 4 Jun |
| Summer term ends | Thu 22 Jul | Fri 16 Jul | Thu 15 Jul (noon finish) | Wed 30 Jun |
Queen Elizabeth’s School, the boys’ grammar in Barnet, follows the council’s autumn and Christmas dates but finishes the year on Friday 16 July 2027. It also has a training day on Wednesday 2 December 2026 and another on Friday 2 July 2027, when boys are not in (QE School, term dates).
The Henrietta Barnett School, the girls’ grammar in Hampstead Garden Suburb, has the longest October break: half term runs from Monday 26 October to Tuesday 3 November, and Friday 23 October is an INSET day, so girls are off from 23 October and back on Wednesday 4 November. School finishes at noon on Thursday 17 December and restarts on Monday 4 January, a day before most Barnet schools. The summer term ends at noon on Thursday 15 July 2027, and further INSET days fall on Thursday 4 February and Wednesday 16 June 2027 (Henrietta Barnett School, term dates).
Mill Hill School, the independent school, takes a two-week October half term, 19 to 30 October, and breaks up for Christmas at 12.30pm on Friday 11 December, a week before council schools. Its summer term ends on Wednesday 30 June 2027 (Mill Hill School, term dates).
What it means for you: if you have children at two schools, the clash weeks are October (Mill Hill starts a week early, Henrietta Barnett runs two days late) and the week of 14 December, when Mill Hill has already broken up.
What is on in the holidays
- Barnet half term: ghost walks, the RAF Museum and artsdepot shows for 26 to 30 October.
- Barnet pantomimes and Christmas shows for the Christmas break.
- RAF Museum London in winter: free, and open through most of the Christmas holiday.
Still to be confirmed
- Barnet Council has not yet published its 2027/28 dates. We will add them when it does.
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