Islington schools break up on Friday 18 December and return on 4 January 2027. Half term is 26 to 30 October, but some academies differ: the full table.
Islington’s community schools finish for Christmas on Friday 18 December 2026 and go back on Monday 4 January 2027. October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Those are the council’s dates, published on its term and holiday dates page, which we read on 25 September 2026.
Academies set their own calendars, and several of Islington’s big secondaries differ from the council by a day, a week or more. Check your child’s school before you book anything.
The quick answer
- October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. St Mary Magdalene Academy has a two-week half term from 19 October.
- Christmas: schools close on Friday 18 December and reopen on Monday 4 January 2027. Some academies finish on Thursday 17 December.
- Summer 2027: the council’s term ends on Thursday 22 July, but the City of London academies and St Mary Magdalene finish on Friday 16 July.
Islington Council term dates 2026/27
These apply to community and voluntary-controlled schools, and many other schools follow them.
| Term | Dates | Half term |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn (73 days) | Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027 | |
| Spring (54 days) | Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Easter holiday | Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027 | |
| Summer (68 days) | Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 | Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027 |
The bank holidays inside the year are Christmas Day (Friday 25 December), the Boxing Day substitute (Monday 28 December), New Year’s Day (Friday 1 January), Good Friday (26 March), Easter Monday (29 March) and the early May bank holiday (Monday 3 May 2027). The council sets 195 days, including the secondary transition day on Thursday 1 July 2027.
INSET days are not in the council table. It says each school chooses its five training days from within the 195, so the dates differ from school to school.
Where the big secondaries differ
We read each school’s own term dates page on 25 September 2026.
| School | October half term | Last day before Christmas | Last day of spring term | Last day of summer term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Islington Council | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Thu 25 Mar | Thu 22 Jul |
| St Mary Magdalene Academy | 19 to 30 Oct | Thu 17 Dec | Thu 25 Mar | Fri 16 Jul |
| City of London Academy Highbury Grove | 26 to 30 Oct | Thu 17 Dec | Thu 25 Mar | Fri 16 Jul |
| City of London Academy Islington | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Thu 25 Mar | Fri 16 Jul |
| Central Foundation Boys' School | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Thu 25 Mar | Thu 22 Jul |
| Arts and Media School Islington | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Fri 26 Mar | Thu 22 Jul |
St Mary Magdalene Academy, Liverpool Road
The all-through academy on Liverpool Road, N7, has a two-week October half term, Monday 19 to Friday 30 October 2026. It breaks up on Thursday 17 December, with secondary pupils finishing at 12.30pm and primary pupils at 1.30pm, and returns on Monday 4 January, which is an INSET day. Other training days are 2 October for everyone, Friday 28 May 2027 for the primary and Friday 2 July 2027 for the secondary. The summer term ends on Friday 16 July 2027 (St Mary Magdalene Academy).
City of London Academy Highbury Grove
Highbury Grove, N5, finishes for Christmas on Thursday 17 December and has two training days either side of half term, Friday 23 October and Monday 2 November, so pupils are off from 23 October to 2 November inclusive. There is a further staff training day on Thursday 3 December. The summer term ends on Friday 16 July 2027, with a trust training day on Friday 2 July (City of London Academy Highbury Grove).
City of London Academy Islington
The academy keeps the council’s Christmas date of Friday 18 December but has a trust training day on Monday 12 October and finishes the summer term on Friday 16 July 2027, with a trust training day on Friday 2 July (City of London Academy Islington).
Central Foundation Boys’ School
Central Foundation, on Cowper Street, EC2, follows the council’s term dates. Its five INSET days are Friday 23 October 2026, Friday 18 June 2027, Monday 28 June 2027 and Thursday 22 July 2027, plus 2 September, which has passed. So pupils actually finish for the summer on Wednesday 21 July (Central Foundation Boys’ School).
Arts and Media School Islington
The Finsbury Park school, on Turle Road, N4, copies the council’s table almost line for line, but prints the end of the spring term as Friday 26 March 2027, which is Good Friday and a bank holiday. Its INSET list for the year includes Monday 2 November, the day after half term, and Monday 12 April, the first day of the summer term (Arts and Media School Islington). Ask the school which date is right for the end of the spring term.
Primary schools
Most Islington primaries follow the council’s dates and choose their own INSET days. Look for a “term dates” page or PDF on your school’s website, usually under the parents section, and check it at the start of each term: schools often add a training day after the council table is fixed.
Related pages
- October half term in Islington: what is on locally from 26 to 30 October.
- Islington Christmas travel: Tube, rail and parking over the Christmas break.
- Islington Christmas bin collections.
Still to be confirmed
The 2026/27 calendar is fixed. Individual schools can still add or move INSET days, and we will re-check the school pages above in early January before the spring term.
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