Trying to keep track of the school year can be a bit of a headache, whether you’re a parent organising holidays, a student counting down to the next break, or a teacher planning ahead.
To make things easier, we’ve put together a simple guide to the 2026/27 school calendar, covering all the main dates, from mid-terms and bank holidays to Christmas, Easter and State exam timelines.
When looking through the school calendar, there are a few things worth keeping in mind.
Can Schools Change Their Holiday Dates?
Secondary schools have a bit of flexibility when it comes to deciding when they open after the summer and when they finish up for the year. Most schools in Ireland tend to reopen around the 1st of September, though some start in the last week of August and others wait until a little later in the first week of September.
Schools are required to open for at least 166 days each year, but outside of that, they can decide themselves how to use the remaining days. Some schools use them to stretch out the summer holidays a bit or close for religious occasions or local events.
That said, schools can’t use these extra days to extend:
- The Christmas holidays
- The Easter holidays
- Mid-term breaks
In some cases, a school might actually have to shorten a mid-term or Easter break if they’ve lost teaching days during the year because of unexpected closures and need to make up the time to hit the 166-day requirement.
Planning Ahead for the School Year
Some schools also use discretionary days to stretch a bank holiday weekend or take a longer break in May, while others stick closely to the standard calendar.
Because of that, it’s always a good idea to double-check dates with your own school. Still, this guide should give you a handy overview of the main holidays and important school dates for the year ahead.
