Herts half term is 26 to 30 October, but Hockerill and the College break for two weeks from 17 October and St Mary's returns on 4 November. Every date here.
Hertfordshire’s October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and the Christmas holiday runs from 21 December to 1 January. But half the big secondary schools in Bishop’s Stortford do not follow the county calendar, and this October the gap is wide: some children are off for one week, some for seven school days and some for two full weeks.
The quick answer
- County dates: October half term 26 to 30 October; Christmas holiday 21 December to 1 January; February half term 15 to 19 February 2027.
- Two-week October break: Hockerill and Bishop’s Stortford College both stop from Saturday 17 October and return on 2 November.
- St Mary’s is off from 26 October to Tuesday 3 November, back on Wednesday 4 November.
Hertfordshire County Council dates for 2026/27
These apply to community and voluntary-controlled schools, which covers most local primaries. Each school then adds five INSET days and one occasional day of its own, so check the school’s website for those. Source: Hertfordshire County Council, school term dates.
| Holiday | Dates |
|---|---|
| Start of autumn term | Tuesday 1 September 2026 |
| October half term | 26 to 30 October 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 |
| February half term | 15 to 19 February 2027 |
| Easter holiday | 26 March to 9 April 2027 |
| May half term | 31 May to 4 June 2027 |
| Summer holiday | 23 July to 31 August 2027 |
Academies, voluntary-aided, foundation and free schools do not have to follow these dates. In Bishop’s Stortford that is most of the secondaries.
The secondary schools, side by side
Each row comes from the school’s own published calendar.
| School | October half term | Last day before Christmas | February half term | Last day of the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County calendar | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Thu 22 Jul |
| The Bishop’s Stortford High School | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Wed 21 Jul |
| Herts and Essex High School | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Fri 16 Jul |
| St Mary’s Catholic School | 26 Oct to 3 Nov | Fri 18 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Tue 20 Jul |
| Hockerill Anglo-European College | 17 Oct to 2 Nov | Fri 11 Dec | 12 to 22 Feb | Tue 6 Jul |
| Bishop’s Stortford College | From Sat 17 Oct, back Mon 2 Nov | Wed 16 Dec | From Sat 13 Feb, back Mon 22 Feb | Fri 2 Jul |
The county’s “last day” figures are worked out from its holiday dates: the Christmas holiday starts on Monday 21 December and the summer holiday on Friday 23 July. A school’s INSET days can shave a day off either end.
The Bishop’s Stortford High School
Autumn term runs from 1 September to 18 December, with INSET days on 1 and 18 September. The school is closed on Friday 27 November for an occasional day. Spring term starts with an INSET day on Monday 4 January, so pupils are back on Tuesday 5 January. There is another INSET day on Monday 7 June, straight after May half term. Students finish at 12.30pm on the last day of each term. Source: TBSHS term dates.
The Hertfordshire and Essex High School
Staff training days fall on Wednesday 11 November, Monday 4 January and Friday 9 July, and the school closes at 12.30pm on 17 September and 10 November for open evenings. The summer term ends on Friday 16 July, followed by a training day on 19 July and an occasional day on 20 July. The school marks its dates as “as at August 2026 and subject to change”. Source: Herts and Essex term dates.
St Mary’s Catholic School
The October break is seven school days: pupils are off from Monday 26 October to Tuesday 3 November and return on Wednesday 4 November. INSET days fall on 25 September, 4 January and Friday 25 June 2027. The last day of the year for pupils is Tuesday 20 July 2027. Source: St Mary’s term dates.
One slip on the school’s page: it gives the June return as “Monday 7th June 2026”. From the surrounding dates it means 7 June 2027.
Hockerill Anglo-European College
Hockerill runs a boarding-school calendar with two-week half terms: 17 October to 2 November, and 12 to 22 February. Michaelmas term ends on Friday 11 December and the Christmas holiday runs to 5 January. The summer holiday starts on 7 July 2027, more than two weeks before county schools. Source: Hockerill term dates.
Bishop’s Stortford College (independent)
Half term begins on Saturday 17 October; boarders return on Sunday 1 November and day pupils on Monday 2 November. Term ends on Wednesday 16 December. The spring term starts for day pupils on Tuesday 5 January and ends on Friday 19 March, a week before county schools. The summer term ends with Speech Days on Friday 2 July 2027. Source: Bishop’s Stortford College term dates.
Families with children at two schools
The combinations to watch this year:
- Hockerill or the College plus a county primary: the older child is off from 17 October, the younger one from 26 October. Only the week of 26 October overlaps.
- St Mary’s plus almost anyone: St Mary’s pupils have Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 November off when everyone else is back.
- Summer 2027: College pupils finish on 2 July, Hockerill on 6 July, Herts and Essex on 16 July and county primaries on 22 July.
Next year: 2027/28
The county has already set 2027/28: October half term 25 to 29 October 2027, Christmas 20 December 2027 to 3 January 2028, February half term 14 to 18 February 2028, Easter 3 to 17 April 2028, May half term 29 May to 2 June 2028, and the summer holiday from 25 July 2028. It publishes future dates by 31 January each year.
TBSHS has published 2027/28 too: half term 25 to 29 October 2027, with an occasional day on Friday 26 November 2027 and term ending 17 December 2027.
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