Bedford Borough schools break for half term 26 to 30 October and for Christmas on 18 December. Every 2026/27 date, plus the private schools that break earlier.
Bedford Borough’s schools have October half term from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and break up for Christmas on Friday 18 December. Those are the council’s dates, which most maintained schools follow. Academies can set their own, and Bedford’s three big Harpur Trust and independent schools run a different calendar altogether, with a two-week October half term that starts a week earlier.
The quick answer
- October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 (council dates).
- Christmas holidays: Friday 18 December 2026 to Monday 4 January 2027, when the spring term starts.
- Bedford School, Bedford Modern and Bedford Girls’ School break a week earlier, with two weeks off from Monday 19 October, and finish for Christmas on Friday 11 December.
Bedford Borough Council term dates 2026/27
These are the dates set by Bedford Borough Council for its community and voluntary controlled schools.
| Term | Starts | Half term | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | Tuesday 1 September | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October | Friday 18 December |
| Spring 2027 | Monday 4 January | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February | Thursday 25 March |
| Summer 2027 | Monday 12 April | Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June | Wednesday 21 July |
Spring term ends on a Thursday because Good Friday is 26 March 2027. The council’s printable 2026/27 calendar counts 195 school days, five of them professional development days, and says plainly that “academies and other own admission authorities can set their own dates”. The council does not publish each school’s professional development (INSET) days: those are set school by school, so check your child’s school.
Where the big schools differ
Academies and independent schools set their own year. These are the dates the schools publish themselves.
| School | October half term | Christmas term ends | Spring term starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council calendar | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan |
| Mark Rutherford School | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Tue 5 Jan |
| Bedford School | Fri 16 Oct (4.15pm) to Mon 2 Nov | Fri 11 Dec | Tue 5 Jan |
| Bedford Modern School | Two weeks from Mon 19 Oct | Fri 11 Dec (12 noon) | Tue 5 Jan |
| Bedford Girls' School | Two weeks from Mon 19 Oct | Fri 11 Dec (12 noon) | Tue 5 Jan |
A family with one child at a borough school and another at Bedford Modern will have three weeks of October in which at least one of them is off, and only 26 to 30 October when both are.
Mark Rutherford School’s staff training days
Mark Rutherford, on Wentworth Drive, publishes its training days in full. Pupils are not in on:
- Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September 2026 (term began Thursday 3 September)
- Friday 27 November 2026
- Monday 4 January 2027
- Monday 12 April 2027
It then follows the council’s half terms, and ends the year on Wednesday 21 July 2027.
Bedford School
Bedford School publishes the most detail, including exeat weekends. For 2026/27:
- Autumn term: Thursday 3 September to Friday 11 December (Upper School finishes 12.15pm); INSET day Tuesday 1 September; exeats 26 to 27 September and 21 to 22 November.
- Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March; INSET day Monday 4 January; half term Friday 12 February to Monday 22 February.
- Summer term: Tuesday 20 April; half term Friday 28 May to Monday 7 June; Prep ends Friday 2 July, Upper School Saturday 3 July after Speech Day.
Bedford Modern and Bedford Girls’ School
Both schools, run by the Harpur Trust, publish the same calendar. Autumn term runs from Thursday 3 September to Friday 11 December, with a two-week half term from Monday 19 October. Spring term is Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March, with half term from 15 February. Summer term starts Tuesday 20 April and ends Friday 9 July, with half term from 31 May. The last day of each term finishes at 12 noon.
Holidays in term time
The council’s page links to its rules on leave of absence in term time. Requests go to the head teacher at your child’s school.
Looking further ahead
The council has already published 2027/28. The autumn term starts on Wednesday 1 September 2027, October half term is 25 to 29 October 2027, and the Christmas break starts on Friday 17 December 2027.
Still to be confirmed
- Primary schools’ and other academies’ INSET days are set by each school. Check its own website or newsletter.
- If the council revises its 2026/27 calendar we will update the table above.
For what is on locally during the break, see our Bedford October half term page. For the Christmas holidays, the Christmas bin collections and Christmas trains and travel pages cover the practical changes.
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