Essex half term is 26 to 30 October and Christmas starts 21 December. CRGS, County High and Philip Morant add their own INSET days. Every date, school by school.
October half term in Colchester is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and schools break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December. Those are Essex County Council’s dates, and every big Colchester secondary we checked has kept the same holidays this year.
What differs is the INSET days. Each school picks its own, and they can turn a one-week half term into eleven days off for some children.
The quick answer
Autumn half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Christmas holiday: Monday 21 December to Friday 1 January, back Monday 4 January 2027. February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027. Your child’s school may add non-pupil days either side, so check its own calendar before you book anything.
Essex County Council term dates 2026/27
These are the dates Essex County Council sets for community and voluntary controlled schools, from its academic year 2026 to 2027 page. Academies, foundation and voluntary aided schools can set their own, and most of Colchester’s secondaries are academies.
| Term or holiday | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn term 1 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 | Friday 23 October 2026 |
| October half term | Monday 26 October 2026 | Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Autumn term 2 | Monday 2 November 2026 | Friday 18 December 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | Monday 21 December 2026 | Thursday 31 December 2026 |
| Spring term 3 | Monday 4 January 2027 | Friday 12 February 2027 |
| February half term | Monday 15 February 2027 | Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Spring term 4 | Monday 22 February 2027 | Thursday 25 March 2027 |
| Easter bank holidays | Friday 26 March 2027 | Monday 29 March 2027 |
| Easter holiday | Tuesday 30 March 2027 | Friday 9 April 2027 |
| Summer term 5 | Monday 12 April 2027 | Friday 28 May 2027 |
| May half term | Monday 31 May 2027 | Friday 4 June 2027 |
| Summer term 6 | Monday 7 June 2027 | Wednesday 21 July 2027 |
| Summer holiday | Thursday 22 July 2027 | Tuesday 31 August 2027 |
The county’s Christmas holiday ends on Thursday 31 December because Friday 1 January is a bank holiday. Monday 3 May 2027 is the early May bank holiday. There are 195 school days, and every school also has five staff training days, which it chooses itself.
School by school: what changes
We checked the published 2026/27 calendars of four Colchester schools. All four keep the same October, February and May half terms as the county. The differences are in the non-pupil days and, for the independent school, the term ends.
| School | Pupils off in October | Last day before Christmas | Back in January |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County Council schools | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan |
| Colchester Royal Grammar School | Fri 23 Oct to Mon 2 Nov | Thu 17 Dec | Wed 6 Jan |
| Colchester County High School for Girls | Thu 22 Oct to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan |
| Philip Morant School and College | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan |
| Colchester Prep and High School (independent) | Thu 22 Oct to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 11 Dec, 12 noon | Thu 7 Jan |
Colchester Royal Grammar School marks ten non-pupil days on its 2026/27 term calendar: 1 and 2 September, Friday 23 October, Monday 2 November, Friday 18 December, 4 and 5 January, and 19, 20 and 21 July. That turns October half term into eleven days off, from Friday 23 October to Monday 2 November, and CRGS boys go back on Wednesday 6 January.
Colchester County High School for Girls lists seven non-pupil days on its school calendar page: 1 September, 21 September, Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October, and 19, 20 and 21 July. Girls are off from Thursday 22 October. The page gives the autumn term as starting “Monday 1 September”, but 1 September 2026 was a Tuesday, and it is also listed as a non-pupil day.
Philip Morant School and College follows the county holidays exactly, per its term dates page: first day 2 September, Christmas holidays 21 December to 1 January, back 4 January, last day of the year Wednesday 21 July 2027. Its INSET days are in a separate calendar the school publishes.
Colchester Prep and High School, the independent school, runs a shorter year on its term dates page. It breaks for October on Thursday 22 October, finishes for Christmas at noon on Friday 11 December, and returns on Thursday 7 January. Summer term ends at noon on Wednesday 14 July 2027.
Summer 2027 and the next year
Most Colchester state schools finish on Wednesday 21 July 2027. CRGS and County High both make 19 to 21 July non-pupil days, so their pupils finish earlier, on Friday 16 July. The county has already published its 2027/28 dates for anyone planning that far ahead.
Taking a child out in term time
Essex says you must get permission from the headteacher before taking a child out of school during term time. The extra INSET days above are the legitimate way to stretch a half term, which is why they are worth checking.
Where to go next
- What is on locally that week: Colchester October half term
- Christmas holiday travel: Colchester Christmas trains and buses
- Getting into town: parking in Colchester
If your child’s school is not in the table, its term dates page will be under “parents” on its own website. We will add more schools as they publish their calendars.
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