Cheshire East schools break for half term on 26 October and for Christmas on 18 December. King's has two weeks off in October. Every date and INSET day here.

Cheshire East’s schools are on half term from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 and break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December, returning on Monday 4 January 2027 (Cheshire East: term dates for schools). Academies and independent schools set their own dates, and several in and around Macclesfield differ, so the school-by-school table below is the one to check.

The quick answer

  • October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026.
  • Christmas holiday: Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027. Schools go back on Monday 4 January.
  • The King’s School breaks for a two-week October half term from Monday 19 October, and finishes for Christmas a day early, on Thursday 17 December.

Cheshire East council dates, 2026/27

These are the dates the council sets for community and voluntary controlled schools. Most other state schools in the district follow them closely.

Term Open Holiday
Autumn, first half Tue 1 Sep to Fri 23 Oct 2026 Half term: Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct
Autumn, second half Mon 2 Nov to Fri 18 Dec 2026 Christmas: Mon 21 Dec to Fri 1 Jan
Spring, first half Mon 4 Jan to Fri 12 Feb 2027 Half term: Mon 15 to Fri 19 Feb
Spring, second half Mon 22 Feb to Thu 25 Mar 2027 Easter: Fri 26 Mar to Fri 9 Apr
Summer, first half Mon 12 Apr to Fri 28 May 2027 Half term: Mon 31 May to Fri 4 Jun
Summer, second half Mon 7 Jun to Wed 21 Jul 2027 Summer holiday from Thu 22 Jul

The May Day bank holiday is Monday 3 May 2027. The council counts 195 open days across the year: 74 in autumn, 54 in spring and 67 in summer. Schools use five of those for INSET days, and each school chooses its own, which is why the first and last days of term vary from one school to the next.

School by school: the ones that differ

We checked the published calendars of four of the biggest secondary schools in the area.

October half term Last day before Christmas Back in January End of the year
Council dates 26 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 4 Jan Wed 21 Jul
The King’s School, Prestbury 19 to 30 Oct Thu 17 Dec, half day Mon 4 Jan Thu 8 Jul, half day
Fallibroome Academy Closes Fri 23 Oct, reopens Mon 2 Nov Fri 18 Dec, 12.30pm finish Mon 4 Jan Fri 16 Jul
Tytherington School 26 to 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Tue 5 Jan for pupils Fri 16 Jul
Wilmslow High School 26 to 30 Oct, back Tue 3 Nov Fri 18 Dec, 12.30pm close Mon 4 Jan Wed 21 Jul, 12.30pm close

Sources: The King’s School, Fallibroome Academy, Tytherington School, Wilmslow High School.

Three things stand out:

  • King’s runs an independent-school calendar: autumn term starts on Monday 7 September, October half term is two weeks, and the summer term ends on Thursday 8 July 2027, nearly two weeks before council schools. Friday 15 January 2027 is an entrance exam day and the school is closed to all pupils.
  • Tytherington and Fallibroome both finish the year on Friday 16 July 2027, three school days before the council date.
  • Wilmslow High keeps Monday 2 November as an INSET day, so pupils return from half term on the Tuesday.

INSET days we could confirm

School INSET days, 2026/27
Tytherington School Tue 1 Sep, Mon 4 Jan, Fri 12 Feb, Mon 19 Jul, Tue 20 Jul
Wilmslow High School Tue 1 Sep, Wed 2 Sep, Mon 2 Nov, Fri 12 Feb, Thu 25 Mar
The King’s School Mon 12 Apr and Mon 7 Jun 2027 (staff development days), plus the entrance exam day on Fri 15 Jan

Tytherington starts the year in stages: Year 7 on Wednesday 2 September, everyone else on Thursday 3 September. Fallibroome’s page lists closing and reopening dates but does not label INSET days separately. For primary schools, check the school’s own website: many follow the council dates but pick their own INSET days.

Looking ahead to 2027/28

The council has already published next year. Autumn term 2027 opens on Wednesday 1 September, October half term is 25 to 29 October 2027 and the Christmas holiday runs Monday 20 December 2027 to Monday 3 January 2028.

What to do with these dates

If you are planning around half term, our October half term page lists what is actually on locally that week. The Christmas break coincides with the festive bin changes on our Christmas bin collections page and the rail engineering season on our Christmas trains page.

Sources

Checked on 25 September 2026 against each school’s own calendar. Schools can change INSET days during the year; if your child’s school sends a different date, that one wins.