Herefordshire schools break for Christmas on Friday 18 December 2026. Half term is 26 to 30 October. How Bluecoat, Whitecross and Cathedral School differ.

Herefordshire’s council-maintained schools have October half term from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 and break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December 2026. They go back on Monday 4 January 2027. Those are the dates on Herefordshire Council’s term dates page, but several of the city’s biggest schools set their own and add INSET days, so check the table below for yours.

The quick answer

  • October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 at council schools, Bluecoat, Whitecross and the Hereford Marches Federation academies.
  • Christmas holidays: Friday 18 December 2026 is the last day, back Monday 4 January 2027. Hereford Cathedral School breaks up earlier, on Tuesday 15 December.
  • Easter: term ends Thursday 25 March 2027, and council schools go back on Monday 12 April.

Herefordshire Council term dates 2026/27

Term Starts Half term Ends
Autumn 2026 Tuesday 1 September Monday 26 to Friday 30 October Friday 18 December
Spring 2027 Monday 4 January Monday 15 to Friday 19 February Thursday 25 March
Summer 2027 Monday 12 April Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June Wednesday 21 July

Bank holidays in term time: Good Friday 26 March, Easter Monday 29 March, May Day 3 May and the spring bank holiday on 31 May 2027.

The council’s own caveat matters here. Schools “may choose to hold a teachers’ in-service training day within term time (up to five days per year)”, and academies and voluntary aided schools can set their own term dates. The council tells parents to check with the school.

How the big Hereford schools differ

We read each school’s own published calendar on 25 September 2026.

School Back in September October half term Christmas: last day Easter: back Summer: last day
Council schools Tue 1 Sep 26 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 12 Apr Wed 21 Jul
Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat Thu 3 Sep 26 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Thu 8 Apr Fri 16 Jul
Whitecross Hereford Wed 2 Sep (Year 7) 26 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 12 Apr Fri 16 Jul
Hereford Marches Federation academies Thu 3 Sep 26 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 12 Apr Wed 21 Jul
Hereford Cathedral School Thu 3 Sep Sat 17 Oct to Sun 1 Nov Tue 15 Dec Mon 19 Apr Fri 9 Jul
Hereford Sixth Form College 25 Aug start 23 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 12 Apr Fri 16 Jul

Sources: Bluecoat, Whitecross, Hereford Marches Federation of Academies, Hereford Cathedral School, Hereford Sixth Form College.

The INSET days that catch parents out

These are the extra days off each school has published for 2026/27:

  • Bluecoat: closed Friday 23 October, the day before half term, and Monday 7 December. There is also an INSET day on Monday 19 July 2027, after the summer term ends.
  • Whitecross: an INSET day on Friday 16 October, a week before half term.
  • Hereford Marches Federation: training days on Friday 23 October 2026, and on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 January 2027, so its pupils return on Wednesday 6 January, two days after council schools.
  • Hereford Cathedral School: the spring half term starts with an INSET day on Friday 12 February 2027, and the summer half term with one on Friday 28 May.

Hereford Cathedral School runs to its own calendar

The independent school’s year looks quite different. Its autumn half term is two weeks long, from Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November, so it overlaps council schools for only one of those weeks. Its Christmas term ends on Tuesday 15 December with the Carol Service, and it goes back on Thursday 7 January. The summer term ends with Speeches on Friday 9 July 2027, nearly two weeks before council schools.

Looking ahead to 2027/28

The council has already published next year’s dates. Autumn term 2027 starts on Thursday 2 September, with half term from 25 to 29 October and the Christmas break from Friday 17 December. Spring term 2028 starts on Tuesday 4 January.

October half term locally

Half term week coincides with a week-long rail closure between Worcester and Hereford, and with the Courtyard’s family festival. Both are covered in our October half term in Hereford page.