October half term is 26 to 30 October and Christmas starts 21 December, but Impington breaks up on 11 December. Seven village colleges' INSET days compared.

October half term in South Cambridgeshire runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and the Christmas holidays from Monday 21 December to Friday 1 January. Those are Cambridgeshire County Council’s dates. Most of the district’s secondary schools are academies that set their own, and the differences are in the training days either side of the holidays, which can add a day or more to a break. One college finishes a full week early for Christmas.

The quick answer

  • October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Every village college we checked uses the same week, but four of them also close on Friday 23 October, and Impington’s half term starts on Thursday 22 October.
  • Christmas holidays: Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027. Impington Village College’s last day is Friday 11 December.
  • Back in January: Monday 4 January on the county calendar, but Cambourne, Comberton, Cottenham and Swavesey hold a training day that Monday and pupils return on Tuesday 5 January.

The county calendar for 2026/27

These are the dates Cambridgeshire County Council sets for the schools it maintains. They total 195 days, and each school then picks five of those as staff training days, so pupils attend 190.

Term Dates
Autumn term, first half Tuesday 1 September to Friday 23 October 2026
October half term Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026
Autumn term, second half Monday 2 November to Friday 18 December 2026
Christmas holidays Monday 21 December 2026 to Friday 1 January 2027
Spring term, first half Monday 4 January to Friday 12 February 2027
February half term Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027
Spring term, second half Monday 22 February to Thursday 25 March 2027
Easter holidays Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027
Summer term, first half Monday 12 April to Friday 28 May 2027
May half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027
Summer term, second half Monday 7 June to Wednesday 21 July 2027

Source: Cambridgeshire County Council, school term dates.

The county itself warns that “Foundation, Trust, Voluntary Aided schools and Academies are responsible for setting their own holiday dates”, and asks parents to check each school’s website for its training days.

Seven village colleges compared

We read each college’s own published calendar on 25 September 2026. All seven keep the county’s half-term weeks. What moves is the first and last day either side of them.

College Closed for training (upcoming) Last day before Christmas Back in January Last day of the year
Cambourne Fri 23 Oct, Mon 2 Nov, Fri 18 Dec, Mon 4 Jan, Mon 12 Apr Thu 17 Dec Tue 5 Jan Wed 21 Jul
Comberton Fri 23 Oct, Mon 2 Nov, Fri 18 Dec, Mon 4 Jan, Mon 12 Apr Thu 17 Dec Tue 5 Jan Wed 21 Jul
Cottenham Fri 23 Oct, Fri 4 Dec, Mon 4 Jan, Fri 19 Mar, Mon 12 Apr, Fri 14 May (Year 11 in), Fri 25 Jun Fri 18 Dec Tue 5 Jan Fri 16 Jul
Impington Half term starts Thu 22 Oct Fri 11 Dec Mon 4 Jan Fri 16 Jul
Linton Mon 2 Nov, Fri 27 Nov, Fri 12 Feb, Fri 25 Jun Fri 18 Dec Mon 4 Jan Wed 21 Jul
Sawston Fri 2 Oct, Wed 18 Nov, Fri 12 Feb Fri 18 Dec Mon 4 Jan Tue 20 Jul
Swavesey Fri 23 Oct, Mon 2 Nov, Fri 27 Nov, Mon 4 Jan, Fri 5 Feb Fri 18 Dec Tue 5 Jan Wed 21 Jul

Training days already past on 25 September, such as the September starts and Linton’s Friday 25 September, are left out.

What it means for you: the October half term can be eleven days long. At Cambourne, Comberton and Swavesey pupils finish on Thursday 22 October and go back on Tuesday 3 November, because the Friday before and the Monday after are both training days. At Impington the half term itself runs from Thursday 22 October to Friday 30 October, so the last day for pupils is Wednesday 21 October and they are back on Monday 2 November.

The notes behind the table

  • Impington lists its October half term as 22 to 30 October, so pupils finish on Wednesday 21 October, and its last day of the autumn term as 11 December, giving a three-week Christmas break. Its summer term ends on 16 July.
  • Cambourne and Comberton are both Cam Academy Trust schools and share a “Cross Trust” training day on Friday 23 October. Both close on Friday 18 December, so Thursday 17 December is the last day for pupils.
  • Cottenham’s published PDF, dated 15 June 2026, lists the autumn half term’s last day as “Thursday 23 October”; 23 October is the Friday training day, so the last day for pupils is Thursday 22 October. It also has three training days after its last day of term, 19 to 21 July.
  • Sawston’s page heads its summer term “Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July” but lists the summer term as ending on Tuesday 20 July. We have given the listed date; check with the college.
  • Linton says its training days are agreed with the trust and its main feeder primary schools, so Linton-area primaries may share its closures.

Primary schools

Primary schools that are academies, church schools or part of a trust set their own dates too. The county calendar is the default, but a village primary can share training days with the college its pupils move on to, as Linton’s does. Check your school’s own website before booking anything that touches a Friday or a Monday.

Still to be confirmed

  • Any late changes. Colleges do revise training days during the year; this page will be rechecked in early December before the Christmas break.

Half term is five weeks away. Our October half term page has what is on locally that week, and our Christmas bin collections page has what changes over the holidays.

Sources