2026/27
Orkney Islands school holidays and term dates
Every term date, half term and school holiday for Orkney Islands, 2026/27 — taken from Orkney Islands's published calendar.
From Orkney Islands's published calendar, last verified 8 July 2026 · the source document · How we source and verify these dates
Next school holiday in Orkney Islands: Christmas holiday, 21 December 2026 – 4 January 2027. All term dates, half terms and holidays for 2026/27 are below.
School holidays and term dates 2026/27
| Term or holiday | Starts | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn term | 18 August 2026 | 18 December 2026 |
| October break | 12 October 2026 | 27 October 2026 |
| Christmas holiday | 21 December 2026 | 4 January 2027 |
| Spring term | 5 January 2027 | 26 March 2027 |
| February break | 11 February 2027 | 16 February 2027 |
| Easter holiday | 29 March 2027 | 9 April 2027 |
| Summer term | 12 April 2027 | 2 July 2027 |
| May Day holiday | 3 May 2027 | — |
- Autumn term: first day back for pupils 18 August 2026, last day for pupils 18 December 2026.
- Spring term: first day back for pupils 5 January 2027, last day for pupils 26 March 2027.
- Summer term: first day back for pupils 12 April 2027, last day for pupils 2 July 2027.
Some schools use the day before as a staff training day, so check your child's school if you need the exact return date.
Published in-service days: 17 August 2026, 26 October 2026, 27 October 2026, 16 February 2027, 31 May 2027 — school is closed to pupils on these days.
Splitting the school holidays between two homes? Settling who has the children for each break early means both homes plan around the same dates. Our guide to splitting the school holidays walks through the fair, common ways to share them, the free two-home holiday planner works out the dates for you, and ParentGlow keeps what you agree in one calendar you both see, free during early access.
Join early accessPlanning handovers around these dates.
Term dates set the rhythm of co-parenting: half terms, bank-holiday weekends and the long summer stretch are when handover plans need agreeing early. A little structure — who collects, who returns, which weeks are whose — takes the friction out of every break. Our guide to splitting school holidays covers the common patterns (week-about, split-the-break, alternate years) and how to record what you agree, and the free holiday plan template gives you somewhere to write it down.
Writing the whole arrangement down? A parenting plan keeps holidays, handovers, school and costs in one agreed place. Start with our free UK parenting plan template. Already made one? See the next practical steps for putting it alongside school dates and handovers.
Check with your child's school too.
These dates are set by Orkney Islands. In-service days are set locally and can vary by school — always check your child's school calendar too.
Common questions.
- When is half term in Orkney Islands?
- The next break is Christmas holiday, 21 December 2026 – 4 January 2027. All half terms for 2026/27 are in the tables above.
- What are in-service days?
- In-service days are staff-training days when schools close to pupils. Dates can vary school to school — check your school's own calendar.
- Do all Orkney Islands schools follow these dates?
- Council-run schools follow them; in-service days and occasional local variations differ by school, so check your school's calendar.
- Why is your first day back sometimes later than the council's?
- Because we list the first day pupils go back. Some councils count a staff training day as the first day of term, which makes their published start a day earlier than ours. Children are not in school on those days.
More council term dates.
See every council we cover in Scotland, or all UK council term dates. Some neighbouring councils break on different weeks: see which councils' holidays are out of step.