Christmas holiday dates vary by school
There is no single Christmas school holiday date for every school in England. Local authorities publish calendars for the schools for which they are responsible, while academies, free schools and some other schools can set their own dates.
The areas DAYREACH covers often have similar Christmas breaks, but even a one-day difference can matter for travel or childcare. Use the table below as the published local reference and confirm important plans with the individual school.
Return dates can also differ because of inset days or local calendar choices. Each area page shows the full academic-year dates we have recorded and links to the source used.
Christmas Day and the school break are different
Christmas Day and Boxing Day are national bank holidays, while the school holiday is a longer period set through school calendars. DAYREACH counts Christmas Day itself on the Christmas countdown and Boxing Day on the Boxing Day countdown. If a fixed-date bank holiday falls at a weekend, check GOV.UK for any official substitute day off.