When do the summer holidays end in each part of the North East? And key dates for 2025/26 school year

• The six-week summer holidays are now here for most children
• But the exact date they’ll end will vary depending on where you live, or even by individual school
• Councils generally have recommended term dates local schools will follow
• Across the North East, there are a few small but key variations in these dates parents need to know about

Across the North East, and indeed most of England as a whole, the summer holidays are here at last.

Schoolchildren can now relax and enjoy six weeks of downtime, before they have to head back to class for the start of a brand new school year. But for their parents the holidays tend to require a little preparation for parents, whether it's arranging childcare, or making sure you get the back-to-school shopping done on time.

With this in mind, we’ve taken a look at when school will be back in session across the region. Although term dates generally follow a similar pattern, each local authority sets its own recommended dates for schools in its area. Individual schools, especially academy and faith schools, may also have slightly different dates again.

There’s also a fair bit of variation in the recommended holiday start and end dates between each of the North East different council areas. Here are the days – by local authority – that the current term will end for most local schools, as well as when the new school year will begin:

When the summer holidays begin and end in each of the North East council areas

• Darlington Borough Council: Last day of term Friday, July 18 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• Durham County Council: Last day of term Friday, July 18 - new school year begins Tuesday, September 2
• Gateshead Council: Last day of term Friday, July 18 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• Hartlepool Borough Council: Last day of term Monday, July 21 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• Middlesbrough Council: Last day of term Monday, July 21 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• Newcastle City Council: Last day of term Friday, July 18 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• Northumberland County Council: Last day of term Monday, July 21 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• North Tyneside Council: Last day of term Friday, July 18 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council: Last day of term Monday, July 21 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• South Tyneside Council: Rather than having a published list of recommended term dates, South Tyneside Council has an online schools directory parents can use to find exact dates for their child’s school. You can find this online here.
• Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council: Last day of term Monday, July 21 - new school year begins Monday, September 1
• Sunderland City Council: Last day of term Friday, July 18 - new school year begins Monday, September 1

What are the term and holiday dates for the 2025/26 school year

While the exact term and holiday dates will vary slightly across local authority areas – and potentially even by school – here’s a general idea of what they will look like for the next academic year, based on the Northumberland County Council’s calendar:

Autumn term 2025

• Monday, September 1: Autumn term begins
• Monday, October 27 - Friday, October 31: Half-term holiday
• Monday, November 3: School resumes
• Monday, December 22 2025 - Friday, January 2 2026: Christmas and New Year holidays

Spring term 2026

• Monday, January 5: Spring term begins
• Monday, February 16 to Friday, February 20: Half-term holiday
• Monday, February 23: School resumes
• Friday, April 3 to Friday, April 17: Easter holidays

Summer term 2026

• Monday, April 20: Summer term begins
• Monday, May 4: May Day bank holiday
• Monday, May 25 to Friday, May 29: Half-term holiday
• Monday, June 1: School resumes
• Monday, July 20: Summer holidays begin

If you’re a parent with a child preparing to make the leap to secondary school in September, check out this story for tips on how you can help prepare them for the transition over the coming weeks.