Shropshire's October half term is 26 to 30 October 2026, but The Priory and The Marches take two weeks from 19 October. Every 2026/27 date, school by school.
Shropshire Council’s October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and the autumn term ends on Friday 18 December. That is the county calendar. It is not every school’s calendar: two large secondaries take a fortnight in October, starting a week before everyone else.
The quick answer
- October half term: 26 to 30 October 2026 on the council calendar.
- The Priory School, Shrewsbury and The Marches School, Oswestry break up a week earlier: their half term runs from 19 to 30 October.
- Christmas: term ends Friday 18 December 2026. Pupils are back on Tuesday 5 January 2027 at schools using the council pattern.
Shropshire Council term dates 2026/27
These are the dates on the council’s term time and holiday dates page.
| Term | Starts | Half term | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | 1 September | 26 to 30 October | 18 December |
| Spring 2027 | 4 January | 15 to 19 February | 25 March |
| Summer 2027 | 12 April | 31 May to 4 June | 21 July |
The council lists 1 September 2026 and 4 January 2027 as both the first day of term and a professional development (PD) day. In practice that means staff are in and pupils are not. Meole Brace School’s calendar, below, follows the council pattern and shows pupils starting on 2 September and 5 January.
Bank holidays in the summer term are Monday 3 May and Monday 31 May 2027. Good Friday is 26 March, the day after the spring term ends.
The council says schools must set five PD days across the year, and that parents should “contact your child’s school, directly, to confirm the exact dates of the school term, PD days and holidays”.
Where schools differ
We read the calendars that five of the county’s larger schools publish themselves. Three of the five do not match the council in October.
| School | October half term | Autumn term ends | Spring half term | Summer term ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shropshire Council calendar | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Wed 21 Jul |
| Meole Brace School, Shrewsbury | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Fri 16 Jul |
| The Priory School, Shrewsbury | 19 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Fri 23 Jul |
| The Marches School, Oswestry | 19 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Fri 23 Jul |
| Shrewsbury High School | 19 to 30 Oct | Fri 11 Dec | 15 to 19 Feb | Fri 9 Jul |
| Shrewsbury School | 17 Oct to 1 Nov | Sat 12 Dec | 13 to 21 Feb | Sat 3 Jul |
Meole Brace School
Meole Brace’s 2026/27 calendar, published by TrustEd Schools, keeps to the council weeks. Its five PD days are 1 September, 4 January and 19, 20 and 21 July, so pupils finish on Friday 16 July, three school days before the council’s end date.
The Priory School
The Priory’s calendar shows a two-week “October Half Term Holiday” from 19 to 30 October, followed by a PD day on Monday 2 November. Pupils return on Tuesday 3 November. The summer term runs to Friday 23 July 2027.
The Marches School
The Marches School also lists half term as Monday 19 to Friday 30 October. Its table counts 19, 20 and 21 October as PD days inside that fortnight, along with 1 September. Students start on Wednesday 2 September and finish for Christmas on Friday 18 December.
The school has three “collaboration days” when students work from home: Friday 25 September 2026, Thursday 11 February 2027 and Monday 21 June 2027. Friday 12 February is a PD day, so students are out of the building from Thursday 11 February, two days before half term.
Shrewsbury High School
Shrewsbury High runs its autumn term from Thursday 3 September to Friday 11 December, a week shorter than the council’s, with half term from 19 to 30 October. Spring term is 6 January to 25 March and summer term is 13 April to 9 July.
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School calls its half term an exeat. The Michaelmas exeat runs from 10am on Saturday 17 October to 9pm on Sunday 1 November. Term ends at 10am on Saturday 12 December. Lent term starts on Tuesday 5 January and ends on Saturday 20 March; the summer term runs from Tuesday 13 April to Saturday 3 July.
What this means for October
For families with children at different schools, the week of 19 October is the awkward one. A child at The Priory or The Marches is off; a child at a primary on the council calendar is in school.
It also means half-term events start early. Attingham Park’s family trail opens on 17 October, not the 24th. Our October half term in Shropshire page lists what is on in both weeks.
Looking ahead: 2027/28
The council has already published 2027/28. Autumn term starts on Thursday 2 September 2027, half term is 25 to 29 October, and term ends on Friday 17 December 2027. The full calendar is a PDF on the council site.
Still to be confirmed
Most schools name their remaining PD days in newsletters during the year. We read these calendars on 28 September 2026. Check your own school’s site before booking anything.
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