Nottinghamshire County Council is set to decide school holiday and term time dates for maintained schools covering three future academic years from 2027 to 2030.
A report to the Cabinet Member for Education and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities on 12 February asks for approval of the proposed calendar covering 2027/28, 2028/29 and 2029/30.
Under national legislation, local authorities must set the term dates for maintained schools, which must open for 190 pupil days each year, while teachers are required to work 195 days. The council has already fixed dates up to the end of the 2026/27 academic year following a previous consultation in 2021.
The decision will not apply to academies, foundation, voluntary aided or trust schools, which have the power to set their own calendars and can choose different holiday patterns. This means families across Nottinghamshire can still see differing term dates depending on the type of school their children attend, an issue regularly raised by parents in past consultations.
The authority consulted on the new dates between 29 September and 14 December 2025, inviting parents, teachers, governors and others to comment on a preferred three-term model similar to the current arrangement, including a two-week October half-term and a variable Easter break.
A total of 1,972 responses were received, the majority from parents. More respondents supported than opposed the proposed pattern in each of the three academic years, although several hundred disagreed and a smaller number were undecided.
Feedback showed a wide range of views, including calls for fewer holidays, fixed national-style dates, alignment with neighbouring areas, and longer Christmas and summer breaks. Others supported keeping a two-week October half-term, citing benefits for learning, wellbeing and reduced illness absence, while some preferred a return to a single week.
Officers say the proposed calendars aim to keep teaching blocks roughly equal in length and avoid split weeks where possible while working around bank holidays and examination periods. The council also considered neighbouring authorities, noting Nottingham City already follows the same pattern, while Derbyshire generally keeps a one-week October half-term and other counties vary.
The report states options are limited because of fixed bank holiday dates and exam timetables, particularly in summer, which restricts how evenly terms can be arranged. There are no financial or legal implications identified.
If approved, the dates will apply to all maintained schools across the county from September 2027 onwards. The decision affects families across Nottinghamshire but does not automatically standardise term dates across all schools due to academy freedoms.
