If you have children in primary school, we are not quite done with this school year yet, but to help us all plan ahead, the Department of Education has already released school calendar for the upcoming 2026/2027 school year.
Knowing the key dates for bank holidays, midterms and national holidays like Christmas and Easter makes it easier for parents to plan ahead, whether you are looking at dates for travels, or just trying to plot in camps and childcare for the weeks where there is no school.
When it comes to the school calendar, parents are advised to take note of the following when it comes to both primary and secondary education facilities.
- Primary schools must be open for all students for a minimum of 182 days per school year.
- Secondary schools (post-primary) must be open for all students for a minimum of 166 days per school year.
Parents or caregivers are also advised that in particular primary schools operate with some flexibility when it comes to midterms, and may choose to make midterms just two or three school days (plus weekend), and make up the remaining days off at their discretion.
There may also be a need for flexibility from school to school within the standardised school year in the case of unforeseen circumstances (for example, weather or tragic events).
School calendar for the 2026/2027 school year
However, as per now, the agreed dates are as follows when it comes to the school calendar and the standardisation of the breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term for the school year 2026/2027.
Back to school
Most primary schools in Ireland open for the new school year the last week of August or at the very first days of September. The exact start date depends on the individual school. Parents are advised to check your child’s school calendar for the exact dates when school is back after the summer break.
For secondary schools, the dates for back to school in the autumn also tends to fall in and around the last week of August, depending on what year your child is going into. There might be introduction days for the start of 1st year, TY or the start of senior cycle. Again, most schools will communicate this directly to parents ahead of back to school.
October 2026 mid-term
All schools will close from Monday, 26 October 2026, to Friday, 30 October 2026 inclusive.
Christmas 2026
All schools across the country will close on Tuesday, 22 December 2026, which will be the final day of the school term.
All schools will re-open on Wednesday, 6 January 2027.
February 2027 bank holiday
All schools will close for the February bank holiday on Monday, February 1st.
February 2027 mid-term
All primary schools will close on Thursday, 18 February 2027 or Friday, 19 February 2027.
Primary schools may use three discretionary days to extend this break to an alternative option of a five-day break for the period from Monday 15 February 2027 to Friday 19 February 2027 inclusive, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.
Secondary (Post-primary) schools will close from Monday, 15 February 2027, to Friday, 19 February 2027, inclusive, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.
In this case, a school authority may reduce the length of the February mid-term break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday, 17 February 2027.
St. Patrick’s Day
All schools across the country will close on Wednesday, March 17th, for St. Patrick’s Day.
Easter 2027
All schools will close on Friday, 19 March 2027, which will be the final day of the school term, unless changes are required as part of contingency arrangements to make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.
Where these arrangements are required, a primary school may reduce the length of the Easter break by remaining open up to and including Wednesday 24 March 2027. All schools will reopen on Monday, 5 April 2027.
May bank holiday
All schools will close on Monday, May 3rd, for the May bank holiday.
June bank holiday
All schools will close on Monday, June 7th, for the June bank holiday.
Summer holidays
Secondary schools across the country generally finish classes just before the June bank holiday, as the Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle exams start in early June.
Most primary schools close for the summer on the Thursday or Friday the last week of June.
Parents are also advised to check their individual school calendars for other days off, as schools can close for things like teacher training days.
