North Tyneside schools break up Fri 23 Oct and 18 Dec 2026. King's Priory breaks a week early in October. Every holiday, plus INSET days for three big schools.

North Tyneside schools break up for October half term on Friday 23 October 2026 and go back on Monday 2 November. The Christmas holiday starts after school on Friday 18 December and pupils return on Monday 4 January 2027. Those are the council’s dates, and most schools in Whitley Bay, Tynemouth and North Shields follow them.

The one to watch is King’s Priory School in Tynemouth, which sets its own calendar and breaks up a week earlier in October, on Friday 16 October.

The quick answer

  • October half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Schools break up Friday 23 October and return Monday 2 November.
  • Christmas: break up Friday 18 December 2026, back Monday 4 January 2027.
  • INSET days are set by each school, so check your own school’s list (three big schools’ lists are below).

North Tyneside Council term dates 2026/27

These are the dates in the council’s 2026 to 2027 school holiday calendar. The council asks parents to confirm with their school that it follows the local authority calendar.

Holiday School breaks up Back to school
Autumn term starts Tuesday 1 September 2026
October half term Friday 23 October 2026 Monday 2 November 2026
Christmas Friday 18 December 2026 Monday 4 January 2027
February half term Friday 12 February 2027 Monday 22 February 2027
Easter Thursday 25 March 2027 Monday 12 April 2027
May half term Friday 28 May 2027 Monday 7 June 2027
Summer Wednesday 21 July 2027 Wednesday 1 September 2027

INSET days: why your school may differ

The council’s teacher training days page says every school must take five training days a year and that the dates vary from school to school. That is where most of the differences between neighbouring schools come from. Here is what three of the big local schools have published.

Whitley Bay High School John Spence Community High King’s Priory School
Last day before October half term Friday 23 October Friday 23 October Friday 16 October
Back after October half term Monday 2 November Monday 2 November Monday 2 November
Last day before Christmas Thursday 17 December Friday 18 December Thursday 17 December
Back after Christmas Monday 4 January Tuesday 5 January Tuesday 5 January
February half term 15 to 19 February Back Tuesday 23 February Break up 12 Feb, back 22 Feb
Summer term ends Wednesday 21 July Wednesday 21 July Wednesday 14 July

Whitley Bay High School

Whitley Bay High School’s term dates follow the North Tyneside calendar, with staff training days on 1 and 2 September 2026, Monday 12 April 2027 (pupils return on Tuesday 13 April after Easter) and Friday 2 July 2027. The last day for students before Christmas is Thursday 17 December, a day before the council date.

John Spence Community High School

John Spence’s term dates list five closures for staff training: 1 September 2026, 4 December 2026, 4 January 2027, 22 February 2027 and 28 June 2027. That makes Friday 4 December a day off in the run-up to Christmas, and pupils go back on Tuesday 5 January and Tuesday 23 February, a day after most schools.

King’s Priory School, Tynemouth

King’s Priory’s term dates are its own. Pupils finish for October half term on Friday 16 October and return on 2 November, so the school has a two-week October break. It also closes to pupils on Friday 25 September 2026 for staff training, finishes for Christmas on Thursday 17 December with INSET days on 18 December and 4 January, and returns on Tuesday 5 January 2027. Easter starts earlier, with pupils finishing on Wednesday 24 March. The school says these dates are subject to change and parents should watch Parent Mail.

Planning the October week

If your children are off from 26 October, our Whitley Bay Halloween and half term page lists what is on locally that week, from the Tynemouth Park maze to the Stephenson Steam Railway ghost train. For the Christmas break, the Christmas bin collections and Christmas travel pages cover the practical side.

What is still to be confirmed

The council’s dates for 2026/27 are final. What changes over the year is individual schools: every first, middle and high school sets its own INSET days, so check your own school’s website or app. The council has also posted a 2027 to 2028 calendar; we will add it here when we next update this page in January.