Slough's October half term is 26 to 30 October, but Langley Academy breaks a week early and Upton Court Grammar is off until 9 November. Every school's dates.
Slough Borough Council’s October half term this year is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and schools break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December. Those are the dates for the schools the council maintains. Most Slough secondaries are academies or voluntary aided schools that set their own calendars, and two of the six we checked have a two-week October break instead of one.
The quick answer
- October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Langley Academy breaks a week earlier, from 19 October, and Upton Court Grammar stays off until Monday 9 November.
- Christmas holiday: Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027. Schools go back on Monday 4 January 2027.
- Last day of the year: Wednesday 21 July 2027 for council schools. Langley Grammar and Herschel Grammar finish on Friday 16 July, three school days earlier.
Slough Borough Council’s term dates for 2026/27
These dates come from the council’s published calendar for community and voluntary controlled schools (Slough Borough Council, school term dates; 2026/27 calendar, PDF). Like most councils in the south east, Slough splits the year into six terms.
| Term | Starts | Ends | Days | Holiday that follows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Tuesday 1 September 2026 | Friday 23 October 2026 | 39 | Mon 26 to Fri 30 October |
| Term 2 | Monday 2 November 2026 | Friday 18 December 2026 | 35 | Mon 21 December to Fri 1 January |
| Term 3 | Monday 4 January 2027 | Friday 12 February 2027 | 30 | Mon 15 to Fri 19 February |
| Term 4 | Monday 22 February 2027 | Thursday 25 March 2027 | 24 | Fri 26 March to Fri 9 April |
| Term 5 | Monday 12 April 2027 | Friday 28 May 2027 | 34 | Mon 31 May to Fri 4 June |
| Term 6 | Monday 7 June 2027 | Wednesday 21 July 2027 | 33 | Summer holiday |
The Easter break covers Good Friday, 26 March, and Easter Monday, 29 March. The spring bank holiday on 31 May falls in the May half term.
INSET days
Every school takes five staff training days. The council sets one of them: Tuesday 1 September 2026, the first day of Term 1. Each school picks the other four and tells parents directly, so they differ from school to school. Several are listed below.
Where Slough’s schools differ
The council’s calendar says it plainly: academy, free and voluntary aided schools can set their own dates. We checked the published 2026/27 calendars of six Slough secondaries on 25 September 2026.
| School | October break | Back in school | Christmas break starts | Last day of year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council calendar | 26 to 30 October | Mon 2 November | Mon 21 December | Wed 21 July |
| Langley Academy | 19 to 30 October | Mon 2 November | Mon 21 December | Wed 21 July |
| Upton Court Grammar | 26 October to 6 November | Mon 9 November | Mon 21 December | Wed 21 July |
| Langley Grammar | Closes end of Thu 22 October | Mon 2 November | Closes 12.30pm Fri 18 December | Fri 16 July, 12.30pm |
| Herschel Grammar | 26 to 30 October | Mon 2 November (INSET day, to be confirmed) | Mon 21 December | Fri 16 July |
| St Bernard's Catholic Grammar | 26 to 30 October | Mon 2 November | Mon 21 December | Not listed |
| Slough and Eton | 2026/27 dates not yet published. The school says updated dates, with INSET days, will follow | |||
Langley Academy: a two-week October break
Langley Academy lists its October half term as 19 to 30 October 2026, a week before the council’s. It also has INSET days on 1 and 2 September, Monday 4 January 2027 (students return on Tuesday 5 January) and Monday 12 April 2027, the first day of the summer term (Langley Academy, term dates).
Upton Court Grammar: off until 9 November
Upton Court takes its extra week at the other end. Its October holiday runs from Monday 26 October to Friday 6 November, and Term 2 starts on Monday 9 November. It also closes to students on Monday 22 February 2027 for what it calls a Pioneer Summit Day, so students return from February half term on Tuesday 23 February (Upton Court Grammar School, term dates 2026/27, PDF).
Langley Grammar: six closure days and early finishes
Langley Grammar closes for October half term at the end of Thursday 22 October and finishes the year at 12.30pm on Friday 16 July 2027. It is shut to students for staff training on these dates (Langley Grammar School, term dates):
- Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September 2026
- Tuesday 13 October 2026
- Monday 30 November 2026
- Wednesday 27 January 2027
- Monday 21 June 2027
It also closes early, at 1.20pm, on Wednesday 18 November, Tuesday 12 January, Wednesday 3 March and Tuesday 18 May, with supervised study available until 3.15pm.
Herschel Grammar
Herschel follows the council’s holidays but finishes the year on Friday 16 July 2027, which is itself an INSET day. Its calendar lists INSET days on 1 and 2 September and marks 2 November and 4 January as likely INSET days, still to be confirmed (Herschel Grammar School, term dates).
Bank holidays in the school year
The council’s calendar lists these (2026/27 calendar, PDF):
- Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026
- Boxing Day substitute holiday, Monday 28 December 2026
- New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 2027
- Good Friday, 26 March, and Easter Monday, 29 March 2027
- May Day, Monday 3 May, and the spring bank holiday, Monday 31 May 2027
Planning the holidays
What is on locally over the October break is on our October half term in Slough page. If you are travelling at Christmas, the railway through Slough had two of its four tracks shut near the town from 27 December to 4 January last year; see Slough trains and travel over Christmas.
Still to be confirmed
- Slough and Eton’s 2026/27 calendar, which the school has not yet published.
- Primary schools and other academies, which publish their own INSET days. Check your child’s school website or newsletter.
- The 2027/28 dates, which the council has started to publish on the same page. We will add them here when we next update this page.
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