Welcome back, teachers, teaching assistants, SEN specialists, and school leaders! Here’s your go-to guide for the academic year ahead. It’s packed with the key timings you need to plan with calm confidence.
Term times & school holidays
Autumn Term kicks off now, wrapping (pun absolutely intended) up on 19 December. You’ll get a breather during half-term, from 27 to 31 October, and then a Christmas break from 22 December to 2 January. The three-term structure is the same across England, but the exact dates vary. It keeps parents on their toes and gives travel companies a steady income stream. For teachers, it mainly means checking the calendar twice before booking that much-needed break.
Spring Term starts 5 January 2026, with a half-term break from 16 to 20 February, before finishing on 27 March. Easter break follows, from 30 March to the 10th of April. And just like that, we roll into the summer term. You know, the one that feels both the longest and the shortest all at once. It kicks off on 13th April, with half-term from 25th to 29th of May, and finally winds down in mid-July.
School census (aka headcount) Days
It only comes around three times a year, but the school census is one of those jobs that makes a big difference. The Department for Education uses it to decide funding and plan. So, getting it right (and on time) really matters. You can check details here.
Summer Census: 21 May 2026 (return by 17 June)
Your local authority may ask you to send everything over a little earlier, so it’s worth double-checking their deadlines too.
Think of it like tax returns for schools: nobody gets excited about them, but without them, the system grinds to a halt. At least with the census, once it’s ticked off, you can go back to the good stuff: teaching, learning, and maybe even enjoying that staffroom cookie stash.
Bank hols and holidays
Heads up on the big national pauses, perfect for planning meetings or training days: let’s start with the obvious, 25 December (Christmas) and 26 December (Boxing Day), but in 2026, there are the usual bank holidays scattered through the year.
2026 highlights:
1 January: New Year (ideal for recovering from the inevitable hangover)
3 April: Good Friday
6 April: Easter Monday
4 May & 25 May: That’s right, two whole chances to sneak in a long weekend… Lisbon, anyone?
Plan, mark your calendars, and make the most of the breaks!
Resignation deadlines
If career moves are on the horizon, mark these in your favourite highlighter. Just don’t leave your notebook in the staff room! For teachers who want to leave at the end of
Autumn term (31 December), resign by 31 October.
Spring term (30 April), resign by 28 February.
Summer term (31 August), resign by 31 May.
For headteachers who want to leave at the end of the autumn term, you must resign by 30 September. To leave at the end of the spring term, you must resign by 31 January and by the end of the summer term, you must resign by 30 April.
Exams
Exam season is creeping up, bringing revision timetables, classroom buzz, and plenty of last-minute prep, and that’s just the staff room! Exam season for many schools aligns with the standard GCSE and A-Level timetable, typically May to June 2026. (Exact dates vary by exam board, so check your specifics!)
Key Stage 2 SATs
The statutory Key Stage 2 SATs for Year 6 pupils are scheduled from Monday 11 May to Thursday 14 May 2026. These tests assess English grammar, punctuation and spelling, reading, and maths. Key Stage 1 (KS1) SATs: While not statutory, the optional KS1 SATs are in May 2026.
Phonics Screening Check
For Year 1 pupils, the phonics screening check is set to take place in the week commencing Monday 8 June 2026. This check assesses pupils' ability to decode words using phonics.
Multiplication Tables Check
Year 4 pupils will undergo the Multiplication tables check within the two weeks starting Monday, 1 June 2026. This check evaluates pupils' recall of multiplication tables up to 12.
For more detailed information and updates, you can visit the official UK government guidance on primary assessments: Primary assessments: future dates
Awareness days
Heads up on the big dates with strong curriculum or pastoral relevance. They can be a great source of inspiration for lessons, projects and whole-school awareness. While there’s often a hashtag for most days, here are the ones most relevant to schools.
September
International Literacy Day, 8 Sept, celebrates the importance of reading and writing.
European Day of Languages, 26 Sept, celebrates languages and linguistic diversity.
National Teaching Assistants' Day, 26th Sept celebrates the impact TAs make daily.
October 2025
National Poetry Day , 2 Oct. The theme for 2025: Play. Great for literacy and creative writing.
World Teachers’ Day, 5 Oct, is a day to celebrate and appreciate teachers. You can’t miss this one!
World Mental Health Day, 10 Oct, raises awareness and encourages conversations about mental well-being.
November 2025
Anti-Bullying Week, 10 to 14 Nov, promotes kindness and inclusion; kicks off with Odd Socks Day.
Remembrance Day, 11 Nov, remembers those who died in service and marks the end of WWI.
February 2026
Children’s Mental Health Week, 9 to 15 Feb, is organised by Place2Be, which highlights the importance of children’s mental health.
March 2026
World Book Day, 5 March, is the UK’s biggest celebration of books and reading. Time to dust off those favourite stories, encourage creative costumes, and celebrate the magic of reading!
British Science Week, 6 to 15 March, ten days of STEM fun; 2026 theme: Curiosity… what’s your question?
International Women’s Day, 8 March, celebrates women’s achievements across society.
May 2026
National Numeracy Day, 20 May. Love it or loathe it, maths matters!
Why does this all matter?
Think of this as your year-at-a-glance cheat sheet, keeping you organised, ahead of deadlines, and ready to support your class. Whether it’s planning CPD around bank holidays, submitting census data on time, or moving on to pastures new, these dates help you move with purpose.
Bookmark this blog. Seriously. Keep it somewhere you can actually see it. Because between lesson plans, marking, endless emails, and the occasional fire drill, remembering all these dates on your own is… ambitious. Let us help you win back a bit of sanity.
