Hampshire half term is 26 to 30 October and Christmas runs 21 December to 1 January. Peter Symonds, St Swithun's and Winchester College break up earlier.
Most state schools in and around Winchester break for October half term on Friday 23 October and go back on Monday 2 November 2026. That is the Hampshire County Council calendar, and the big local secondaries we checked follow it. The independent schools and Peter Symonds do not.
The quick answer
- October half term (Hampshire): Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026.
- Christmas holiday: Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027. Spring term starts Monday 4 January.
- Peter Symonds breaks from Wednesday 21 October, and St Swithun’s and Winchester College from Friday 16 October, a week or more before everyone else.
Hampshire County Council term dates, 2026/27
These dates are set by Hampshire County Council for community and voluntary controlled schools. The council says voluntary aided schools, foundation schools and some academies may use them too. Always check with your own school.
| Term or holiday | Dates |
|---|---|
| Autumn term | Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 |
| Autumn half term | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027 |
| Spring term | Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 |
| Spring half term | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Easter holiday | Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027 |
| Summer term | Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 |
| Summer half term | Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027 |
| Summer holiday | Thursday 22 July to Tuesday 31 August 2027 |
Good Friday is 26 March 2027 and the early May bank holiday is Monday 3 May, both bank holidays.
INSET days are set by each school
Hampshire allows five professional days a year, when schools close to pupils. The head and governors choose them, so they differ from school to school and are not on the county calendar. Two examples show how far apart they land:
- Kings’ School on Romsey Road: Tuesday 1 September, Friday 25 September, Friday 13 November 2026, Monday 4 January and Thursday 24 June 2027.
- The Westgate School: Tuesday 1 September, Friday 27 and Monday 30 November 2026, Thursday 25 March and Friday 18 June 2027.
So a Kings’ family and a Westgate family in the same street will have children at home on different days in November.
Where the big Winchester schools differ
| School | October half term | Autumn term ends |
|---|---|---|
| Hampshire schools (county calendar) | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec |
| Kings' School | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec |
| The Westgate School | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec |
| Peter Symonds College | Wed 21 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec |
| St Swithun's (senior and prep) | Mon 19 to Fri 30 Oct | Wed 16 Dec |
| Winchester College | Leave-out Fri 16 Oct to Sun 1 Nov | Sat 12 Dec |
The detail behind each row:
- Peter Symonds College: the sixth form college’s half term is Wednesday 21 to Friday 30 October, so students have two extra days off at the start. Lower sixth term runs Friday 4 September to Friday 18 December; the spring term is Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027, with half term 15 to 19 February.
- St Swithun’s School: term ends Friday 16 October, half term is 19 to 30 October, and pupils return Monday 2 November. The autumn term ends on Wednesday 16 December at 12.30pm for seniors and 12pm for the prep school. Spring term starts Tuesday 5 January, after an INSET day on the 4th.
- Winchester College: the autumn leave-out begins at 1.15pm on Friday 16 October and ends at 9.15pm on Sunday 1 November. The school “goes down” at 9am on Saturday 12 December. Day pupils return on Wednesday 6 January 2027.
Christmas: who finishes when
- Winchester College: Saturday 12 December
- St Swithun’s: Wednesday 16 December
- Hampshire schools, Kings’, Westgate and Peter Symonds: Friday 18 December
Everyone we checked is back between Monday 4 and Wednesday 6 January 2027.
Taking a holiday in term time
Hampshire publishes guidance for parents on family holidays from the same page as the term dates. The decision on any absence request sits with your child’s head teacher.
What to do in half term
Our October half term in Winchester page lists what is on locally that week, from the organisers’ own listings. For the Christmas break there is the Winchester Christmas market, and the bonfire and fireworks falls the week after half term.
Still to be confirmed
- 2027/28: Hampshire has already published it. October half term 2027 is Monday 25 to Friday 29 October, and the Christmas holiday runs from Monday 20 December 2027 to Monday 3 January 2028.
- INSET days for the schools not listed here: check the school’s own website or newsletter.
- Independent school dates for 2027/28: usually published by the schools in the spring. This page will be updated.
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