North Yorkshire Council
Children and Young People’s Service
Executive Members Meeting
23 June 2026
School Term and Holiday Dates for the Academic Year 2027-28
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 This report provides information about a consultation exercise undertaken with schools about proposals for the term and holiday dates for the academic year 2027-28 and seeks the approval in respect of a recommendation made.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 Section 32 of the Education Act, 2002 requires that the Local Authority determines the dates for school terms and holidays for community, voluntary controlled and community special schools, and maintained nurseries.
2.2 The responsibility for the determination of school term and holiday dates for other schools is vested with the respective employers, i.e. the governing body for foundation and voluntary aided schools, and the academy trust for academies and free schools. However, all schools in North Yorkshire have traditionally utilised the dates set by the Local Authority in order to provide consistency across the county.
2.3 As of 1 May 2026, there was the following numbers of schools in North Yorkshire by type: -
· 153 Community or Voluntary Controlled
· 19 Voluntary Aided
· 174 Academies
2.4 The Education (School Day and School Year) (England) regulations 1999 require all maintained schools to educate their pupils for at least 380 sessions (190 days) in each school year.
2.5 In addition to these teaching days each school has five inset/professional development days for teaching staff. As in previous years, the authority has proposed three of these days. The remaining two days will be identified by each school from the calendar.
2.6 The Local Government Association (LGA) continues to urge local authorities (LAs) to try to achieve a common approach when determining term dates. North Yorkshire Council is part of the group of LAs across Yorkshire which has agreed a set of guiding principles the aim of which is to achieve more consistent holiday dates across local LA areas. These guiding principles were applied to the production of our proposals for consultation which are detailed below.
2.7 North Yorkshire shares a boundary with a total of 13 neighbouring education authorities. The table below demonstrates the number of pupils from North Yorkshire who attend schools within each of the 13 neighbouring authorities, and shows the percentage of all pupils who attend a school outside North Yorkshire (2024/2025 data): -
|
Number of Pupils that Attend |
%
|
||||
|
Primary |
Secondary |
Special |
Total |
||
|
Bradford |
81 |
19 |
4 |
104 |
4.14 |
|
County Durham |
14 |
15 |
1 |
30 |
1.19 |
|
Darlington |
14 |
51 |
35 |
100 |
3.98 |
|
Doncaster |
13 |
16 |
3 |
32 |
1.27 |
|
Lancashire |
78 |
15 |
1 |
94 |
3.74 |
|
Leeds |
215 |
143 |
44 |
402 |
15.98 |
|
Middlesbrough |
20 |
9 |
3 |
32 |
1.27 |
|
Redcar and Cleveland |
29 |
18 |
10 |
57 |
2.27 |
|
Stockton on Tees |
34 |
37 |
0 |
71 |
2.82 |
|
Wakefield |
51 |
92 |
5 |
148 |
5.88 |
|
Westmorland and Furness |
15 |
221 |
0 |
236 |
9.38 |
|
East Riding of Yorkshire |
206 |
311 |
3 |
520 |
20.68 |
|
York |
227 |
381 |
46 |
654 |
26.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other |
20 |
11 |
4 |
35 |
1.4 |
|
Total |
1017 |
1328 |
159 |
2515 |
100.00 |
3.0 PROPOSALS FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2027-2028
3.1 The school year should start on the first Monday in September and proposals for the term and holiday dates for the academic year 2027-28 are complicated by the year’s calendar. As 1 September 2027, is a Wednesday the first Monday in September is 6 September.
3.2 The 13 local authorities who have a boundary with North Yorkshire have been consulted about their proposals for the year, and 12 have confirmed the following numbers in respect of the commencement date for the academic year: -
· 6 September 2027 8
· 1 September 2027 4
3.3 A consultation exercise was undertaken in respect of one option for term and holiday dates for the 2027-28 academic year, as below: -
(Appendix A) - has Monday 6 September 2027 identified as the start of the academic year 2027-2028 and the end of academic year ending on Wednesday 26 July 2028.
This calendar aligns with City of York and East Riding of Yorkshire.
4.0 CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN AND RESPONSES
4.1 An online consultation exercise was undertaken with all schools, academies, professional associations and other stakeholders during the period 16 April 2026 to 25 May 2026.
4.2 In total, 50 responses, were received from schools, federations and Multi Academy Trusts. The responses formally represented the views of 55 separate schools, amounting to 16% of maintained schools and academies in the county.
4.3 Of the responses received 80% (40) did not agree with the proposed term dates and set training days. Ten schools did agree to the proposed dates.
A total of 40 schools provided a range of additional comments to the survey. The table below shows a summary of the responses received: -
|
Summary of similar comments and feedback |
Number of comments |
|
Proposals that the Professional development (PD) day of 31 January 2028 be moved. Causes disruption mid term, date is not linked to holidays
|
26 |
|
PD days should link to the start /end of term. The 6 September, early January and end of summer term 2027 are preferred. |
22 |
|
Proposals that the PD Day of 21 October be moved. Would be best placed at the start of the autumn term
|
15 |
|
Concerns over late end of summer term 2028. It has a potential impact on pupil attendance due to a mid week finish, term finishes too late.
|
11 |
|
Remove 4 January 2028 as a holiday date. Not necessary after a two week holiday. Redistribute the holiday day.
|
6 |
|
The terms vary in length, autumn term should finish later, summer half term holiday and the end of summer term brought forward
|
4 |
|
Schools want more control over the dates, as set dates don’t suit all schools and don’t allow schools flexibility.
|
3 |
5.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED
5.1 No alternative options were considered.
6.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
6.1 The authority continues to propose three inset/professional development days. The purpose of this is to continue to achieve efficiency savings by rationalising transport across the county and to make life easier for parents who have children attending different schools. It also enables greater consistency in planning for services such as transport and school meals.
7.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
7.1 As noted above at paragraph 2.1, the LA currently has a duty to set dates of terms and holidays for community, voluntary controlled, community special schools and maintained nursery schools under the Education Act 2002 Section 32. This decision is compliant with the legislation.
8.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
8.1 There are no equalities impacts arising from this report.
9.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
9.1 As noted above, the authority continues to propose three professional development days. The purpose of this is to continue to achieve efficiency savings by rationalising transport across the county which has the impact of reducing emissions arising from home to school travel.
10.0 CONCLUSIONS
10.1 The responses received to the consultation exercise demonstrated that: -
· There were concerns around the proposed Professional Development (PD) days set by the Council, two of the dates did not align to the start and end of a school term. The two proposed dates did not allow schools the flexibility to set their other PD days.
· The mid week finish at the end of the summer term 2028 could impact pupil attendance.
10.2 The responses received through the consultation exercise have been noted, including the request for professional development days to align with the start and end of term and around the end of the summer term.
10.3 It is suggested that the proposed term date calendar is amended and the Spring term changed to start on 4 January as opposed to 5 January. It is suggested that the summer term will end on 25 July 2028 and not 26 July 2028. The last day of term is proposed as set training day. A calendar showing this revision is attached to this report at Appendix A(1).
10.4 The responses made in respect of moving the proposed PD day on 22 October are noted and it is suggested that the proposal is amended and the date changed to 6 September 2027. A calendar showing this revision is attached to this report at Appendix A (1).
10.5 The responses made in respect of moving the proposed PD day on 31 January are noted, and it is suggested that the proposal is amended and the date changed to 4 January 2028. A calendar showing this revision is attached to this report at Appendix A(1).
11.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
11.1 The recommendation made in this report enables the Local Authority to fulfil its statutory responsibility arising from Section 32 of the Education Act, 2002.
|
12.0 |
RECOMMENDATION S
|
|
|
I. To approve the term and holiday dates for community, voluntary controlled, community special schools and maintained nursery schools in North Yorkshire as set out in the amended calendar at Appendix A (1); subject to the following recommendations
II. To amend the proposal for the first day of the spring term 2028 to 4 January 2028 and to amend the proposal for the last date of the summer term to 25 July 2028. as shown at Appendix A (1)
III. To amend the proposal for the professional development days, provisionally scheduled for 22 October 2027, 31 January 2028 and 26 July 2028 to be rescheduled to occur on 6 September 2027, 4 January 2028 and 25 July 2028 as shown at Appendix A (1)
|
APPENDICES:
Appendix A Draft North Yorkshire Term and Holiday Dates for 2027-2028
Appendix A(1) Revised Draft North Yorkshire Term and Holiday Dates for 2027-2028
Appendix B Copy of responses received
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
Report Author – Lisa Herdman
Presenter of Report – Lisa Herdman
16 June 2026
Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT IF ANY REPORTS / APPENDICES INCLUDE SIGNATURES THESE MUST BE REMOVED / DELETED PRIOR TO SENDING REPORTS / APPENDICES TO DEMOCRATIC SERVICES. Appendices should include an Equality Impact Assessment and a Climate Impact Assessment where appropriate