School Holidays: Northumberland Term Dates 2025-2027
The complete guide to Northumberland school term dates for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 — including half terms, INSET days, and what parents at academies need to know.
Planning family holidays, booking childcare, or just trying to remember when half term starts? Here are the official Northumberland County Council school term dates for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 academic years, along with what Morpeth parents need to know about INSET days and academy variations.
How Northumberland Term Dates Work
Northumberland County Council sets the school calendar for all community and voluntary-controlled schools in the county. The academic year runs from September to July, with 190 teaching days and five INSET (teacher training) days built in.
Morpeth schools follow Northumberland County Council dates — not Newcastle City Council, which sets a different calendar. This is worth remembering if you have children at schools on both sides of the county boundary.
Best for: Morpeth schools follow Northumberland County Council term dates, not Newcastle. Always check your individual school's website for confirmed INSET days.
2025-2026 Term Dates
These dates are confirmed by Northumberland County Council.
| Holiday | Schools close | Schools reopen | |---|---|---| | Summer 2025 | Friday 18 July 2025 | Monday 1 September 2025 | | Autumn half term | Friday 24 October 2025 | Monday 3 November 2025 | | Christmas | Friday 19 December 2025 | Monday 5 January 2026 | | Spring half term | Friday 13 February 2026 | Monday 23 February 2026 | | Easter | Thursday 2 April 2026 | Monday 20 April 2026 | | Summer half term | Friday 22 May 2026 | Monday 1 June 2026 | | Summer 2026 | Friday 17 July 2026 | — |
Key dates for 2025-2026
- Autumn term: Monday 1 September 2025 to Friday 19 December 2025 (with one-week half term in late October)
- Spring term: Monday 5 January 2026 to Thursday 2 April 2026 (with one-week half term in mid-February)
- Summer term: Monday 20 April 2026 to Friday 17 July 2026 (with one-week half term in late May)
2026-2027 Term Dates
These dates are set by Northumberland County Council for the 2026-2027 academic year.
| Holiday | Schools close | Schools reopen | |---|---|---| | Summer 2026 | Friday 17 July 2026 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 | | Autumn half term | Friday 23 October 2026 | Monday 2 November 2026 | | Christmas | Friday 18 December 2026 | Monday 4 January 2027 | | Spring half term | Friday 12 February 2027 | Monday 22 February 2027 | | Easter | Thursday 25 March 2027 | Monday 12 April 2027 | | Summer half term | Friday 28 May 2027 | Monday 7 June 2027 | | Summer 2027 | Friday 16 July 2027 | — |
Key dates for 2026-2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September 2026 to Friday 18 December 2026 (with one-week half term in late October)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January 2027 to Thursday 25 March 2027 (with one-week half term in mid-February)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April 2027 to Friday 16 July 2027 (with one-week half term in late May)
INSET Days and Teacher Training Days
Every school in Northumberland has five INSET days (also called teacher training days or staff development days) per year. On these days, schools are closed to pupils but staff are in for training.
Northumberland County Council publishes recommended INSET day dates, but individual schools can move them. This means two schools in the same town may have different INSET days. In practice, most Morpeth schools within the Cheviot Learning Trust — including King Edward VI School, Morpeth Chantry, and Morpeth Newminster — tend to coordinate their INSET days, which helps families with children at different schools.
The council typically places INSET days at the start of the autumn term (often the first day back in September) and at the start of other terms. Your school will confirm exact dates on its website or via letter.
Best for: INSET days vary by school. The Cheviot Learning Trust schools in Morpeth usually coordinate theirs, but always check your school's own calendar for confirmed dates.
Do All Morpeth Schools Follow These Dates?
Not necessarily. The dates above apply to community and voluntary-controlled schools maintained by Northumberland County Council.
Academies and free schools — including those in the Cheviot Learning Trust and the NCEA trust — are legally free to set their own term dates. In practice, most Northumberland academies follow the county council calendar closely, but they may vary by a day or two, particularly around INSET days or the start of term.
Foundation Trust and Voluntary Aided schools (typically church schools) can also set their own calendars, though again most align with the county dates.
The safest approach is to check your school's website directly. Key Morpeth schools to check include:
- King Edward VI School — high school (Year 9-13)
- Morpeth Chantry Middle School — middle school (Year 5-8)
- Morpeth Newminster Middle School — middle school (Year 5-8)
- Abbeyfields First School — first school (Reception-Year 4)
- Morpeth Stobhillgate First School — first school (Reception-Year 4)
- Morpeth All Saints First School — first school (Reception-Year 4)
Planning Family Holidays
Term-time absence is heavily discouraged and head teachers can only authorise it in exceptional circumstances. Unauthorised absences of five or more days can result in a fixed penalty notice of £160 per parent, per child (reduced to £80 if paid within 21 days).
If you are planning a family holiday, the cheapest weeks to travel during Northumberland school holidays are usually:
- October half term — one week in late October
- February half term — one week in mid-February (often cheaper than Easter or summer)
- May half term — one week in late May or early June
Easter and the six-week summer holiday (mid-July to early September) remain the most expensive periods for travel.
Official Sources
For the most up-to-date and confirmed term dates, visit the Northumberland County Council school term and holiday dates page. You can download the official PDF calendars for each academic year directly from the council's website.
For information about Morpeth's school system more broadly, see our complete guide to schools in Morpeth.