Academic year 2026/27

Shetland Islands School Holidays

The full 2026/27 school calendar for Shetland Islands schools. The new term starts 19 August 2026 and the year ends 2 July 2027. The summer holiday runs from 3 July 2027 to 17 August 2027 — 46 days. Shetland Islands has 2 in-service days when schools are closed to pupils for staff training.

Add all dates to calendar (.ics)Compare with another council

Shetland Islands school holidays 2026/27 — at a glance

October break: 12 Oct – 23 Oct
Christmas: 21 Dec – 4 Jan
February break: 12 Feb – 15 Feb
Spring: 25 Mar – 6 Apr
Summer: 3 Jul – 17 Aug

Shetland Islands term dates 2026/27: how the school year runs

Shetland Islands 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 2 July 2027, with 7 school holidays and 2 in-service days in between.

The October week — the autumn mid-term break — runs from 12 October 2026 to 23 October 2026. The February mid-term break falls on 12 February 2027 to 15 February 2027.

Schools break up for Christmas on 21 December 2026 and the Christmas holiday runs to 4 January 2027. The spring holiday runs from 25 March 2027 to 6 April 2027.

The summer holidays begin on 3 July 2027 — 46 days off before the new school year. Pupils go back for 2027/28 on 18 August 2027 — confirmed by Shetland Islands.

When do schools go back in Shetland Islands?

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

After the October Holiday: 28 October 2026
After the Christmas Holiday: 5 January 2027
After the Occasional Holiday: 28 January 2027
After the February Holiday: 17 February 2027
After the Spring Holiday: 7 April 2027
After the Occasional Holiday (May): 24 May 2027

Academic year at a glance

Term time

Holiday

In-service day

Term dates summary

Autumn term

19 Aug – 11 Oct

38 school days

Winter term

24 Oct – 20 Dec

38 school days

Spring term

5 Jan – 24 Mar

53 school days

Summer term

7 Apr – 2 Jul

62 school days

Period	Starts	Ends	Days	Type	vs England
October Holiday	12 October 2026	23 October 2026	12	Holiday	Aligns with English half-term
October In-Service Days	26 October 2026	27 October 2026	2	In-service	—
Christmas Holiday	21 December 2026	4 January 2027	15	Holiday	Similar dates to England
Occasional Holiday	27 January 2027	27 January 2027	1	Holiday	—
February Holiday	12 February 2027	15 February 2027	4	Holiday	England takes a longer half-term week
February In-Service Day	16 February 2027	16 February 2027	1	In-service	—
Spring Holiday	25 March 2027	6 April 2027	13	Holiday	Roughly aligns with English Easter
Occasional Holiday (May)	21 May 2027	21 May 2027	1	Holiday	Same across UK
Summer Holiday	3 July 2027	17 August 2027	46	Holiday	Starts 3–4 weeks earlier than England

Money & school admin for Shetland Islands parents

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

School clothing grant

£120–£150 per child

Shetland Islands 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: Shetland Islands school holidays 2027/28

Confirmed. These 2027/28 dates are taken from Shetland Islands’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.

Period	Starts	Ends	Type
August In-Service Days	16 August 2027	17 August 2027	In-service
October Holiday	11 October 2027	22 October 2027	Holiday
October In-Service Days	25 October 2027	26 October 2027	In-service
Christmas Holiday	22 December 2027	4 January 2028	Holiday
Occasional Holiday	26 January 2028	26 January 2028	Holiday
February Holiday	18 February 2028	18 February 2028	Holiday
February In-Service Day	21 February 2028	21 February 2028	In-service
Spring Holiday	3 April 2028	17 April 2028	Holiday
Occasional Holiday (May)	19 May 2028	19 May 2028	Holiday
Summer Holiday	3 July 2028	15 August 2028	Holiday

Clothing grant

£120 – £150

Primary: £120 · Secondary: £150

Apply at Shetland Islands

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 Shetland Islands

Filling the holiday weeks? Our sister site TripSCOT covers family days out and free museums across Scotland — with train fares and honest costs.

Family days out Free museums

Frequently asked questions

When do schools go back in Shetland Islands for 2026/27?

Schools in Shetland Islands 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 Shetland Islands.

When is the October break in Shetland Islands 2026/27?

The October break in Shetland Islands — the October week — runs from 12 October 2026 to 23 October 2026 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 28 October 2026.

When are the Christmas school holidays in Shetland Islands?

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

When is the spring holiday in Shetland Islands 2026/27?

The spring holiday in Shetland Islands runs from 25 March 2027 to 6 April 2027 inclusive. Pupils go back to school on 7 April 2027.

When does the summer holiday start in Shetland Islands?

Shetland Islands schools break up for the summer on 3 July 2027. The holiday runs to 17 August 2027, and pupils go back for 2027/28 on 18 August 2027, as confirmed by Shetland Islands.

How many in-service days does Shetland Islands have in 2026/27?

Shetland Islands has 2 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.

Places to stay in Shetland Islands

Book a break around the school holidays.

Some links here are affiliate links: if you buy or sign up through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. How we fund EduSCOT.

The School Bell

Weekly Scottish-education updates

Deadlines, benefit rate changes and the stuff you actually need to know — no spam.

Dates last checked April 2026.

Dates follow the typical Shetland Islands regional pattern. Always confirm with Shetland Islands before booking holidays, flights or childcare. See our editorial policy for how we source this data.