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This page is East Ayrshire — the council covering Kilmarnock, Cumnock and Stewarton.

Academic year 2026/27

East Ayrshire School Holidays

The full 2026/27 school calendar for East Ayrshire schools. The new term starts 19 August 2026 and the year ends 29 June 2027. The summer holiday runs from 30 June 2027 to 13 August 2027 — 45 days. East Ayrshire has 5 in-service days when schools are closed to pupils for staff training.

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East Ayrshire school holidays 2026/27 — at a glance

October break
12 Oct – 16 Oct
Christmas
21 Dec – 4 Jan
February break
12 Feb – 15 Feb
Easter
26 Mar – 9 Apr
Summer
30 Jun – 13 Aug

Keep the East Ayrshire dates in your phone

Subscribe once and every East Ayrshire holiday and in-service day sits in your own calendar — 2026/27 and 2027/28, from the council’s published calendars — and it updates by itself if the council changes a date. No council offers this feed; the dates are the same ones on this page.

Add to Google CalendarSubscribe in Apple Calendar or Outlookor download the .ics file

On an iPhone the Apple button opens Calendar and asks you to confirm the subscription; on a desktop it may ask which calendar app to use. Google Calendar adds the feed under “Other calendars” and re-reads it within a day or so.

East Ayrshire term dates 2026/27: how the school year runs

East Ayrshire Council sets the school term dates and holiday dates for every council-run primary and secondary school in the area. For 2026/27, term starts on 19 August 2026 — the back-to-school date after the summer break — and the school year ends on 29 June 2027, with 7 school holidays and 5 in-service days in between.

The September weekend — the traditional autumn long weekend East Ayrshire schools take — falls on 18 September 2026 to 21 September 2026. Not every council takes one — every council's September weekend is on one page. The October week — the autumn mid-term break — runs from 12 October 2026 to 16 October 2026. The February mid-term break falls on 12 February 2027 to 15 February 2027.

Next door, the October week falls on South Lanarkshire 12 Oct – 16 Oct, North Ayrshire 12 Oct – 16 Oct, South Ayrshire 12 Oct – 16 Oct and East Renfrewshire 12 Oct – 16 Oct. Every council's October week is in one table.

Schools break up for Christmas on 21 December 2026 and the Christmas holiday runs to 4 January 2027. The Easter holiday runs from 26 March 2027 to 9 April 2027.

The summer holidays begin on 30 June 2027 — 45 days off before the new school year. Pupils go back for 2027/28 on 18 August 2027 — confirmed by East Ayrshire.

When do schools go back in East Ayrshire?

Pupil return dates after each 2026/27 break and in-service day, with weekends already accounted for — the day your child is actually back in class.

After the August In-Service Days
19 August 2026
After the September Weekend
22 September 2026
After the October Holiday
20 October 2026
After the Christmas Holiday
5 January 2027
After the February Holiday
17 February 2027
After the Easter Holiday
12 April 2027
After May Day
4 May 2027
After the May In-Service Day
25 May 2027

Academic year at a glance

Term time
Holiday
In-service day

Term dates summary

Autumn term

19 Aug – 9 Oct

36 school days

Winter term

20 Oct – 18 Dec

44 school days

Spring term

5 Jan – 25 Mar

55 school days

Summer term

12 Apr – 29 Jun

55 school days

PeriodStartsEndsDaysTypevs England
August In-Service Days17 August 202618 August 20262In-service—
September Weekend18 September 202621 September 20264Holiday—
October Holiday12 October 202616 October 20265HolidayAligns with English half-term
October In-Service Day19 October 202619 October 20261In-service—
Christmas Holiday21 December 20264 January 202715HolidaySimilar dates to England
February Holiday12 February 202715 February 20274HolidayEngland takes a longer half-term week
February In-Service Day16 February 202716 February 20271In-service—
Easter Holiday26 March 20279 April 202715HolidayRoughly aligns with English Easter
May Day3 May 20273 May 20271HolidaySame across UK
May In-Service Day24 May 202724 May 20271In-service—
Summer Holiday30 June 202713 August 202745HolidayStarts 3–4 weeks earlier than England

Money & school admin for East Ayrshire parents

While you have the calendar open, three things worth sorting for the year ahead.

School clothing grant

£120–£150 per child

East Ayrshire pays a school clothing grant — check if you qualify and how to claim it.

Clothing grant guide
Catchment checker

Which school is yours?

Enter your postcode to find your catchment school and confirm your council.

Open the checker
Scottish Child Payment

£28.20/week per child

A weekly payment for every child under 16 in families on qualifying benefits.

Check eligibility

Looking ahead: East Ayrshire school holidays 2027/28

Confirmed. These 2027/28 dates are taken from East Ayrshire’s own published calendar. Where the council has not yet published the following August’s return date, the end of the summer holiday is estimated from the usual pattern.

Term starts 18 August 2027 and ends 30 June 2028.

PeriodStartsEndsType
August In-Service Days16 August 202717 August 2027In-service
September Weekend17 September 202720 September 2027Holiday
October Holiday11 October 202722 October 2027Holiday
October In-Service Day25 October 202725 October 2027In-service
Christmas Holiday22 December 20274 January 2028Holiday
February Holiday21 February 202821 February 2028Holiday
February In-Service Day22 February 202822 February 2028In-service
Easter Holiday3 April 202817 April 2028Holiday
April In-Service Day18 April 202818 April 2028In-service
May Day1 May 20281 May 2028Holiday
Summer Holiday3 July 202811 August 2028Holiday

Clothing grant

£120 – £150

Primary: £120 · Secondary: £150

Apply at East Ayrshire

Council links

Nearby councils

Need childcare during the holidays? Holiday clubs, childminders, costs — and what the 1,140 funded hours cover outside term time.
See options Nurseries in East Ayrshire

Planning the East Ayrshire holidays

You have the dates. Here is the rest of the decision.

Days outOur sister site TripSCOT covers family days out and free museums across Scotland — with train fares and honest costs.
Family days out Free museums
Somewhere to walkOutdoorSCOT’s family walks — easy waterfall trails, forest circuits and very small hills children will actually finish.
Family-friendly walks
Cover for the working weeksHoliday clubs, what funded hours do and don’t cover in the holidays, and what it costs.
Funded hours in the holidays Holiday childcare

Getting away in the school holidays?

Search dates and destinations for a break around the school holidays.

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Frequently asked questions

When do schools go back in East Ayrshire for 2026/27?

Schools in East Ayrshire return for the 2026/27 academic year on 19 August 2026. This is the official term-start date used by council-managed primary and secondary schools across East Ayrshire.

When is the September weekend in East Ayrshire 2026?

The September weekend in East Ayrshire runs from 18 September 2026 to 21 September 2026 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 22 September 2026.

When is the October break in East Ayrshire 2026/27?

The October break in East Ayrshire — the October week — runs from 12 October 2026 to 16 October 2026 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 20 October 2026.

When are the Christmas school holidays in East Ayrshire?

East Ayrshire schools close for the Christmas holiday from 21 December 2026, and pupils go back to school on 5 January 2027.

When is the Easter holiday in East Ayrshire 2026/27?

The Easter holiday in East Ayrshire runs from 26 March 2027 to 9 April 2027 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 12 April 2027.

When does the summer holiday start in East Ayrshire?

East Ayrshire schools break up for the summer on 30 June 2027. The holiday runs to 13 August 2027, and pupils go back for 2027/28 on 18 August 2027, as confirmed by East Ayrshire.

How many in-service days does East Ayrshire have in 2026/27?

East Ayrshire has 5 published in-service days in the 2026/27 academic year. On an in-service day schools are closed to pupils but staff are in for training and planning.

Related guides

East Ayrshire schools & grantsSeptember weekend dates by councilBack to school checklistSchool clothing grantsFree school mealsP7 to S1 transitionSummer holiday childcareFunded childcare (1,140 hours)Early years & childcare hub

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2026/27 dates are East Ayrshire's own published calendar. 2027/28 dates are also the council's published calendar.

Always confirm with East Ayrshire before booking holidays, flights or childcare. See our editorial policy for how we source this data.