Ponteland School Holidays and Term Dates (Northumberland, 2026/27)

Booking a family holiday, arranging childcare or just trying to work out when the next half term falls? This guide sets out the official Northumberland County Council school term and holiday dates for the 2026/27 academic year, the ones most state schools in Ponteland follow, along with what parents need to know about INSET days and the schools that set their own calendars.

Ponteland's state schools, including Ponteland High School and Ponteland Primary School, sit within Northumberland, so they take their lead from the county council calendar rather than from Newcastle or North Tyneside, which set their own slightly different dates. If you have children or grandchildren across the city boundary, do not assume the holidays line up.

How Northumberland term dates work

Northumberland County Council sets the school calendar for community and voluntary-controlled schools across the county. The academic year runs from September to July and is built around 190 teaching days for pupils, plus five non-teaching (INSET) days for staff training, making 195 term-time days in total. The council publishes the calendar a couple of years ahead so families can plan.

The dates below are taken from the county council's official 2026/27 calendar. The council reminds parents that the five INSET days are chosen by individual schools and are not necessarily the same from one school to the next, so a school's actual first day back can be a day later than the term dates suggest.

2026/27 term dates at a glance

These are the confirmed Northumberland County Council holiday dates for the 2026/27 academic year.

Term by term

Reading the same information as three teaching terms can make it easier to plan around:

Each term has a one-week half-term break in the middle: late October in the autumn term, mid-February in the spring term, and late May and early June in the summer term. The spring bank holiday on Monday 31 May 2027 falls within the summer half-term week.

INSET days and teacher training days

Every school in Northumberland has five INSET days (also called teacher training days or staff development days) each year. On these days schools are closed to pupils while staff are in for training. They are why one school's first day back in September can differ from a neighbour's, even in the same town.

Northumberland County Council does not fix INSET dates centrally; each school sets its own and notifies parents. Schools commonly place them at the start of the autumn term (often the first day back in September) and at the start of other terms, but there is no guarantee, so check with your own school rather than assuming.

Do all Ponteland schools follow these dates?

Not necessarily. The dates above apply to community and voluntary-controlled schools maintained by Northumberland County Council. Many Ponteland state schools follow the Northumberland calendar, but the county council itself is careful to note that some schools are free to differ.

Please note: academies, free schools, foundation trust and voluntary aided (church) schools are not obliged to follow the county council dates and can set their own calendar. Independent (fee-paying) schools set their own terms too, and these often start and finish earlier. Always confirm the exact dates, and especially INSET days, with your own child's school.

In practice most Northumberland academies stick closely to the county calendar, often varying by no more than a day or two around INSET days or the start of term. Even so, the only date that matters for your family is the one on your school's own website or newsletter, so treat this guide as a planning tool and your school as the final word.

Planning family holidays

Term-time absence is heavily discouraged, and head teachers can only authorise it in exceptional circumstances. Unauthorised absences can result in a fixed penalty notice, so it is worth planning trips around the published holidays.

The cheapest weeks to travel are usually the single half terms, in late October, mid-February and late May, rather than the Easter break or the six-week summer holiday, which remain the most expensive periods. Living in Ponteland has its compensations, though: the Northumberland countryside and coast are close enough for plenty of affordable half-term days out without needing to travel far or book anything.

Official source

Term dates can be revised, and future years are added as they are approved, so always check the definitive calendar before booking anything. You can view and download the official calendars from the Northumberland County Council school term and holiday dates page.

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