Haringey term dates 2026/27 school by school: Christmas, half terms and INSET days for Fortismere, Channing, Hornsey, Highgate and the council calendar.
Haringey’s schools break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December 2026 and go back on Monday 4 January 2027, on the council’s published calendar. But several of the schools Crouch End and Muswell Hill families actually use have moved their own dates, most sharply in October, when three local secondaries and both big independents take a two-week half term starting 19 October.
The quick answer
Updated 17 October: Alexandra Park School has now posted its 2026/27 dates. It breaks for two weeks from 19 October, finishes for Christmas on Tuesday 22 December and goes back on Monday 11 January.
- October half term: 26 to 30 October on Haringey’s calendar, but 19 to 30 October at Fortismere, Hornsey School, Alexandra Park, Highgate and Channing.
- Christmas: last day Friday 18 December, back Monday 4 January for council dates. Highgate and Channing finish a week earlier, on 11 December.
- Five INSET days are set by each school, not by the council, so check your own school’s list below.
Haringey’s 2026/27 calendar
These are the dates in the council’s 2026 to 2027 term dates page and its printable version, revised in July 2026. They apply to community schools and to any academy or church school that adopts them.
| Term or holiday | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn term, first half | Wednesday 2 September 2026 | Friday 23 October 2026 |
| October half term | Monday 26 October 2026 | Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Autumn term, second half | Monday 2 November 2026 | Friday 18 December 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | Monday 21 December 2026 | Friday 1 January 2027 |
| Spring term, first half | Monday 4 January 2027 | Friday 12 February 2027 |
| February half term | Monday 15 February 2027 | Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Spring term, second half | Monday 22 February 2027 | Thursday 25 March 2027 |
| Easter holiday | Friday 26 March 2027 | Friday 9 April 2027 |
| Summer term, first half | Monday 12 April 2027 | Friday 28 May 2027 |
| May half term | Monday 31 May 2027 | Friday 4 June 2027 |
| Summer term, second half | Monday 7 June 2027 | Thursday 22 July 2027 |
| Summer holiday | Friday 23 July 2027 | Tuesday 31 August 2027 |
The year has 195 term days. Five of them are teacher availability days, and the council says “each school sets their own dates” for them, so pupils are in for 190.
Bank holidays in the school year are Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December (the Boxing Day substitute), Friday 1 January, Good Friday 26 March, Easter Monday 29 March, Monday 3 May, Monday 31 May and Monday 30 August 2027.
Where local schools differ
This is the part the council calendar will not tell you. Each row below comes from the school’s own published dates.
| School | October half term | Last day before Christmas | Back in January | Summer term ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haringey calendar | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Thu 22 Jul |
| Fortismere, Muswell Hill | 19 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Thu 22 Jul |
| Hornsey School, Crouch End | 19 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Fri 23 Jul |
| Alexandra Park School, Bounds Green | 19 to 30 Oct | Tue 22 Dec | Mon 11 Jan | Thu 22 Jul |
| Highgate Wood School, Crouch End | 26 to 30 Oct, closed from Thu 22 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Tue 5 Jan (Mon 4 Jan is INSET) | Thu 22 Jul |
| Highgate School (independent) | 19 to 30 Oct | Fri 11 Dec | Tue 5 Jan | Fri 9 Jul |
| Channing School (independent) | 19 to 30 Oct | Fri 11 Dec (half day) | Tue 5 Jan juniors, Wed 6 Jan seniors | Fri 9 Jul (half day) |
The detail behind each row:
- Fortismere publishes a first half of term running to Friday 16 October and a half term from Monday 19 to Friday 30 October 2026, on its term and holiday dates page. The rest of the year matches the council.
- Hornsey School has the same two-week October break and a summer term that runs a day longer, to Friday 23 July 2027. The school says on its 2026/27 dates page that this is “a change in published LA dates” because of how it runs staff training: one formal INSET day on 2 September and four more arranged internally.
- Highgate Wood School keeps the council’s half term but lists INSET days on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October, so pupils finish on Wednesday 21 October. Its other INSET days are Monday 4 January, Thursday 21 January and Monday 22 February 2027, all school closed (Highgate Wood School).
- Highgate School runs Michaelmas term from Tuesday 1 September to Friday 11 December, with half term from 19 to 30 October. Lent term starts on Tuesday 5 January after a staff INSET on Monday 4 January, and summer term ends on Friday 9 July 2027 (Highgate School).
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Channing School started on Monday 7 September, takes half term from 19 to 30 October and finishes at midday on Friday 11 December. Juniors (Years 1 to 6) return on Tuesday 5 January, seniors on Wednesday 6 January and Reception on Monday 11 January. Summer term starts on Wednesday 14 April and there is a Founders’ Day holiday on Monday 5 July 2027 (Channing School).
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Alexandra Park School posted its 2026/27 dates on its term dates page by 17 October. The first half of term runs Wednesday 2 September to Friday 16 October, then half term from Monday 19 to Friday 30 October. The second half runs to Tuesday 22 December, and the Christmas holiday lasts until Friday 8 January, so pupils return on Monday 11 January 2027, a week after the council’s date. Spring half term is 15 to 19 February. The Easter holiday runs Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April, and the summer term ends on Thursday 22 July 2027. The school says it does not authorise holidays in term time “under any circumstances”.
Christmas and half term, planned
- The council’s Christmas holiday runs Monday 21 December to Friday 1 January. If you are travelling, our Christmas travel page covers the trains and buses over that fortnight.
- For what is on locally over the October break, see our half term page, which uses the council’s 26 to 30 October dates. If your child is at one of the schools that breaks on 19 October, you have an extra week.
- The bin rounds shift over Christmas too: our Christmas bin collections page has what is known so far.
What is still to be confirmed
- Primary INSET days. Each primary sets its own five. Check the school’s website or newsletter.
- 2027/28. Haringey’s term dates page says no consultation is currently running.
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