South West · England

Dorset School Holidays

Term dates and school holiday dates for Dorset for 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28. Add to your calendar or sign up for email alerts when dates are confirmed.

VerifiedLast updated 5 Mar 2026

Book a school holiday hotel near Dorset

Premier Inn Travelodge Booking.com

Affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Dorset School Holidays 2025/26

Verified

Holiday	Starts	Ends	Duration
Autumn Half Term	27th October 2025Monday 27th October 2025	31st October 2025Friday 31st October 2025	5 days
Christmas	22nd December 2025Monday 22nd December 2025	2nd January 2026Friday 2nd January 2026	1w 5d
Spring Half Term	16th February 2026Monday 16th February 2026	20th February 2026Friday 20th February 2026	5 days
Easter	30th March 2026Monday 30th March 2026	10th April 2026Friday 10th April 2026	1w 5d
Early May Bank HolidayBank Holiday	4th May 2026Monday 4th May 2026	4th May 2026Monday 4th May 2026	1 day
Summer Half Term	25th May 2026Monday 25th May 2026	29th May 2026Friday 29th May 2026	5 days
Summer	23rd July 2026Thursday 23rd July 2026	28th August 2026Friday 28th August 2026	5w 2d

Dates shown are the start of the official holiday period. Schools typically break up on the Friday before.

Dorset School Holidays 2026/27

Estimated

2026/27 dates are estimated based on typical patterns. Verify with your local council before booking.

Holiday	Starts	Ends	Duration
Autumn Half Term	26th October 2026Monday 26th October 2026	30th October 2026Friday 30th October 2026	5 days
Christmas	21st December 2026Monday 21st December 2026	1st January 2027Friday 1st January 2027	1w 5d
Spring Half Term	15th February 2027Monday 15th February 2027	19th February 2027Friday 19th February 2027	5 days
Easter	30th March 2027Tuesday 30th March 2027	9th April 2027Friday 9th April 2027	1w 4d
Early May Bank HolidayBank Holiday	3rd May 2027Monday 3rd May 2027	3rd May 2027Monday 3rd May 2027	1 day
Summer Half Term	31st May 2027Monday 31st May 2027	4th June 2027Friday 4th June 2027	5 days
Summer	22nd July 2027Thursday 22nd July 2027	31st August 2027Tuesday 31st August 2027	5w 6d

Dates shown are the start of the official holiday period. Schools typically break up on the Friday before.

Dorset School Holidays 2027/28

Estimated

2027/28 dates are estimated based on typical patterns. Verify with your local council before booking.

Holiday	Starts	Ends	Duration
Autumn Half Term	25th October 2027Monday 25th October 2027	29th October 2027Friday 29th October 2027	5 days
Christmas	20th December 2027Monday 20th December 2027	2nd January 2028Sunday 2nd January 2028	2 weeks
Spring Half Term	12th February 2028Saturday 12th February 2028	16th February 2028Wednesday 16th February 2028	5 days
Easter	1st April 2028Saturday 1st April 2028	14th April 2028Friday 14th April 2028	2 weeks
Early May Bank HolidayBank Holiday	1st May 2028Monday 1st May 2028	1st May 2028Monday 1st May 2028	1 day
Summer Half Term	27th May 2028Saturday 27th May 2028	31st May 2028Wednesday 31st May 2028	5 days
Summer	22nd July 2028Saturday 22nd July 2028	31st August 2028Thursday 31st August 2028	5w 6d

Dates shown are the start of the official holiday period. Schools typically break up on the Friday before.

Are these dates correct for your school?

Dates for academies and free schools may differ from the council dates shown above. If you know the correct dates, help other parents by submitting a correction.

Schools in Dorset

30 shown

School	Phase	Type
The Thomas Hardye School Dorchester	Secondary	Academy
Gillingham School Gillingham	Secondary	LEA
Lytchett Minster School Poole	Secondary	LEA
The Gryphon School Sherborne	Secondary	Academy
Budmouth Academy Weymouth Weymouth	Secondary	Academy
Queen Elizabeth's School Wimborne	Secondary	Academy
Ferndown Upper School Ferndown	Secondary	LEA
The Blandford School Blandford Forum	Secondary	LEA
The Purbeck School Wareham	Secondary	Academy
Wey Valley Academy Weymouth	Secondary	Academy
The Woodroffe School Lyme Regis	Secondary	LEA
Shaftesbury School Shaftesbury	Secondary	Academy
The Sir John Colfox Academy Bridport	Secondary	Academy
Bryanston School Blandford Forum	Not applicable	LEA
Atlantic Academy Portland Portland	All-through	Academy
St Osmund's Church of England Middle School Dorchester	Middle deemed secondary	Academy
All Saints' Church of England Academy Weymouth	Secondary	Academy
Beaminster School Beaminster	Secondary	LEA
Sturminster Newton High School Sturminster Newton	Secondary	Academy
Ferndown Middle School Ferndown	Middle deemed secondary	Academy
St Michael's Church of England Middle School, Colehill Wimborne	Middle deemed secondary	Academy
Leweston School Sherborne	Not applicable	LEA
Sherborne School Sherborne	Not applicable	LEA
Dorchester Middle School Dorchester	Middle deemed secondary	Academy
Allenbourn Middle School Wimborne	Middle deemed secondary	Academy
Lytchett Matravers Primary School Poole	Primary	Academy
Clayesmore School Blandford Forum	Not applicable	LEA
Damers First School Dorchester	Primary	Academy
Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery Weymouth	Primary	LEA
Sherborne School for Girls Sherborne	Not applicable	LEA

Showing top 30 schools by pupil numbers. Academy schools may have different term dates, so always check with the school directly.

SponsoredAd

Booking.com

Booking.com4.4

Find family-friendly hotels across the UK with free cancellation on most rooms.

Compare hotels

Nearby Areas