Sarah Classick - Councillor for Bristol (Hengrove and Whitchurch Park)

Bristol City Council School Term and Holiday Dates 2026/2027

From: Public Safety & Protection Sub-Committee - Tuesday, 12th August, 2025 10.00 am - August 12, 2025

Bristol City Council (BCC) is responsible for setting the school term and holiday dates for all Community and Voluntary Controlled schools in the city. Academies have the freedom to determine their own but often choose to align with the Local Authority (LA). LA maintained schools must open for 380 sessions, the equivalent of 190 days. BCC usually intends to find continuity with our neighbouring LAs; South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, and North Somerset. This was not possible for 2026/2027 so Bristol proposed two options for consultation which were considered the most suitable dates taking into account various factors including; the working commitments of Bristol families, consistency in the length of each term and the avoidance of unauthorised absence, particularly during the summer term. Around five hundred Bristol children are educated in state schools in our neighbouring LAs. The majority of these of primary school age travel to South Gloucestershire whereas most secondary school age children travel to North Somerset.

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