Norfolk Term Dates 2026/27: Three Schools Break Early

Norfolk County Council’s October half term for 2026 starts on Friday 23 October and pupils go back on Monday 2 November. That is the date most Wymondham and Diss families need, and it is the one Wymondham High Academy and Diss High School follow. Three schools in the area do not: Hethersett Academy, Wymondham College and Langley School all close for a two-week October break from Monday 19 October. This page sets out the county’s dates for 2026/27 and 2027/28, then the six school calendars we checked on 24 September 2026, each from the school’s own published page.

The quick answer

• October half term (Norfolk): Friday 23 to Friday 30 October 2026. Schools following the county suggestion also use Friday 23 October as a staff training day, so most pupils finish on Thursday 22 October.
• Christmas holiday: Monday 21 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027. Pupils return on Tuesday 5 January.
• Two-week October break at Hethersett Academy, Wymondham College and Langley School, 19 to 30 October, and Wymondham College and Langley finish for Christmas on Friday 11 December.

Norfolk’s term dates for 2026/27

These are the dates Norfolk County Council publishes for the 2026/27 school year. Its model calendar says they apply to community, voluntary controlled and nursery schools and set the days school transport runs. Academies and foundation schools can set their own, although the council says most adopt the Norfolk model.

Staff training days. The council suggests schools use 1 and 2 September 2026, 23 October 2026, 4 January 2027 and 12 April 2027. Schools can pick others or use twilight sessions instead, so check your own school’s calendar before booking anything on those days.

Six local calendars side by side

We checked the published 2026/27 calendars of the two Wymondham secondaries, the three nearest other secondaries our readers use, and the independent school at Loddon. Each row links to the school’s own page.

Wymondham High Academy

Wymondham High’s 2026/27 calendar matches the Norfolk model exactly. Its staff training days are 1 and 2 September, 4 January and 12 April, and Friday 23 October is shown as a pupil holiday. The school notes on its term dates page that “the Academy dates can differ from those published by Norfolk County Council”, so this is worth rechecking each year. The summer term ends on Wednesday 21 July 2027.

Diss High School

Diss High says plainly: “We follow the Norfolk School term dates”. Its page staggers the September start (Years 7, 10 and 11 on 3 September, Years 8, 9 and 12 on 4 September, Year 13 on 7 September). One detail differs from the county: the school lists the second half of the spring term as 23 February to 25 March, a day later than Norfolk’s 22 February. If that Monday matters to you, ask the school.

Hethersett Academy

Hethersett Academy is part of the Inspiration Trust and publishes its own dates. The October holiday is 19 to 30 October, two full weeks. It has three training days at the start of the year (1, 2 and 3 September) and one on 4 January. Easter is 26 March to 9 April, so pupils return on Monday 12 April, a day earlier than the Norfolk model. The year ends on Wednesday 21 July 2027.

Wymondham College

Wymondham College, the state boarding academy at Morley, runs a different shape of year altogether. The autumn term runs from Monday 7 September to Friday 11 December, with a half term from Friday 16 October to Sunday 1 November and two exeat weekends (25 to 27 September and 20 to 22 November). Spring runs 5 January to 25 March with half term from 12 to 21 February. The summer term ends on Friday 9 July 2027, nearly two weeks before the county’s. The college’s staff training days are 2, 3 and 4 September, 4 January, and 12, 13 and 14 July.

Langley School

Langley, the independent school at Loddon, finishes the first half of term on Friday 16 October and is closed 19 to 30 October inclusive. The Michaelmas term ends on Friday 11 December, the Lent term on Wednesday 24 March and the Trinity term on Friday 9 July 2027. Its calendar also notes that senior day pupils are not in school on the day of the Royal Norfolk Show, date to be confirmed.

What families with children at two schools should know

The awkward weeks are 19 to 22 October and 14 to 18 December. A child at Hethersett Academy, Wymondham College or Langley is off from 19 October while a brother or sister at a primary school on the Norfolk model is still in class until 22 October. In December, the Wymondham College and Langley children finish a week before everyone else. For what is on locally during the October holiday, see our October half term page.

2027/28 dates already published

Norfolk has also set the following year. The autumn term runs Monday 6 September to Friday 22 October 2027, with half term 25 to 29 October and Christmas from Monday 20 December 2027 to Tuesday 4 January 2028. The February half term is 14 to 18 February, Easter is 3 to 18 April and the summer term ends on Friday 21 July 2028. Suggested training days are 1 to 3 September 2027, 4 January 2028 and 18 April 2028. Hethersett Academy has already published a two-week October break for 2027 as well, 18 to 29 October.

What is still to be confirmed

Primary schools set their own training days within the Norfolk pattern, and several publish them only in the autumn newsletter. The Royal Norfolk Show date that affects Langley’s calendar is not yet on its page. We will recheck the six calendars in early December and before the February half term.

Also on this site

• October half term in Wymondham: what is on locally, 23 October to 1 November
• Wymondham Christmas trains for the holiday itself
• Wymondham bin collection days, including the Christmas changes
• Wymondham roadworks and travel