October half term is 26 to 30 October, but Millais and Tanbridge add an INSET day on Friday 23 October. Every Horsham secondary's 2026/27 dates in one table.
The West Sussex October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026, and every state secondary in Horsham takes that week. The bigger difference between schools is their INSET days: Millais and Tanbridge House both close on Friday 23 October, so their pupils are off for ten days, and the two big independent schools break up on Friday 16 October for a fortnight. Below are the county’s dates and the 2026/27 calendar from each Horsham-district secondary school’s own website, with every training day on one table.
The quick answer
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026, half term 26 to 30 October.
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027, half term 15 to 19 February.
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027, half term 31 May to 4 June.
These are West Sussex County Council’s dates (school term dates). They bind the schools the county maintains; academies, voluntary aided schools, colleges and independent schools set their own, and the county says to check with them.
West Sussex term dates 2026/27
| Term | Starts | Half term | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | Tuesday 1 September | Monday 26 to Friday 30 October | Friday 18 December |
| Spring 2027 | Monday 4 January | Monday 15 to Friday 19 February | Thursday 25 March |
| Summer 2027 | Monday 12 April | Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June | Wednesday 21 July |
The county’s calendar PDF adds the detail its web page leaves out (2026/27 calendar, PDF). The year is 195 days, of which schools can use five for staff training, so pupils attend for 190. Of the year’s bank holidays, only the early May bank holiday, Monday 3 May 2027, falls in term time; the rest land in the holidays.
Horsham secondary schools compared
Each row is from the school’s own term dates page, checked on 25 September 2026.
| School | October break for pupils | Last day before Christmas | Back in January | Summer term ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millais | Fri 23 Oct (INSET) to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Tue 5 Jan | Wed 21 Jul |
| Tanbridge House | Fri 23 Oct (INSET) to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Wed 21 Jul |
| The Forest School | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Wed 21 Jul |
| Bohunt Horsham | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Thu 17 Dec, 1.40pm | Tue 5 Jan | Wed 21 Jul, 1.40pm |
| The Weald, Billingshurst | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Wed 21 Jul |
| Steyning Grammar | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Tue 5 Jan (4 Jan is INSET) | Wed 21 Jul |
| Collyer's (16 to 19) | Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct | Thu 17 Dec | Mon 4 Jan | Students Thu 15 Jul |
| Christ's Hospital (independent) | Fri 16 Oct to Sun 1 Nov | Fri 11 Dec, 2pm | Sun 10 Jan (boarding) | Sat 3 Jul |
| Farlington (independent) | Fri 16 Oct to Mon 2 Nov | Fri 11 Dec | Tue 5 Jan | Wed 7 Jul, 12.30pm |
A few things stand out:
- Millais and Tanbridge House both give pupils a ten-day October break. Each takes an INSET day on Friday 23 October, the day before the county half term starts.
- The independents break up a week earlier. Christ’s Hospital’s half term begins at 1pm or 3pm on Friday 16 October depending on year group, and pupils return on Sunday 1 November. Farlington also breaks on 16 October, with day pupils back on Monday 2 November.
- Both independents finish for Christmas on Friday 11 December, a week before the state schools, and Farlington’s summer term ends on 7 July, two weeks before the county’s.
- Collyer’s breaks up a day early at Christmas (Thursday 17 December) and its students finish for the summer on Thursday 15 July, although the college’s term runs to 20 July. The college notes that the county’s dates “are not quite the same”.
- Millais now describes itself as a co-educational school (Millais); its term started for pupils on Thursday 3 September after two INSET days.
Every INSET day, in date order
Training days are when children are at home and working parents need a plan. These are the days each school lists as INSET or staff training days for 2026/27.
| School | INSET days |
|---|---|
| Millais | Tue 1 Sep, Wed 2 Sep, Fri 23 Oct, Fri 4 Dec, Mon 4 Jan |
| Tanbridge House | Tue 1 Sep, Fri 23 Oct, Mon 7 Dec, Thu 25 Mar, Fri 2 Jul |
| The Forest School | Tue 1 Sep, Fri 2 Oct, Fri 27 Nov, Mon 25 Jan, Fri 25 Jun |
| Bohunt Horsham | Tue 1 Sep, Fri 25 Sep, Wed 25 Nov, Mon 4 Jan, Tue 22 Jun |
| The Weald | Tue 1 Sep, Fri 18 Sep, Fri 27 Nov, Thu 25 Mar, Wed 16 Jun |
| Steyning Grammar | Tue 1 Sep, Wed 2 Sep, Fri 25 Sep, Wed 25 Nov, Mon 7 Dec, Mon 4 Jan, Fri 30 Apr, Tue 22 Jun |
| Collyer's | Fri 11 Sep, Thu 12 Nov, Mon 22 Feb, Tue 25 May |
The days still ahead this term: Friday 2 October (Forest), Friday 23 October (Millais, Tanbridge House), Thursday 12 November (Collyer’s), Wednesday 25 November (Bohunt Horsham, Steyning Grammar), Friday 27 November (Forest, The Weald), Friday 4 December (Millais) and Monday 7 December (Tanbridge House, Steyning Grammar).
Steyning Grammar lists eight dates and Bohunt Horsham labels some of its days “BET INSET”, meaning days set by the Bohunt Education Trust, which runs both schools. Tanbridge House and The Weald both list Thursday 25 March, the last day of the spring term, as an INSET day, so check with the school whether pupils are in that day.
Primary schools
Most community and voluntary-controlled primaries follow the county’s dates above, but each still picks its own five INSET days, and academy primaries can set different terms. The only reliable source is your child’s school website or newsletter. The county points parents there too.
Still to be confirmed
- 2027/28: the county has published its dates (autumn term from Wednesday 1 September 2027, October half term 25 to 29 October), but most schools have not yet set their INSET days for that year.
- Schools sometimes add a training day mid-year. We will recheck every school’s page in December.
For what is on in Horsham over the October break, see Horsham October half term and things to do in Horsham.
Frequently asked questions
When is October half term 2026 in Horsham?
Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 for West Sussex state schools. Millais and Tanbridge House pupils are also off on Friday 23 October for an INSET day. Christ’s Hospital and Farlington break up on Friday 16 October.
When do Horsham schools break up for Christmas 2026?
The county’s autumn term ends on Friday 18 December 2026. Bohunt Horsham and Collyer’s finish on Thursday 17 December, and Christ’s Hospital and Farlington on Friday 11 December.
When do schools go back after Christmas in West Sussex?
Monday 4 January 2027. Millais, Bohunt Horsham, Steyning Grammar and Farlington use 4 January as a training day, so their pupils return on Tuesday 5 January.
When is February half term 2027 in West Sussex?
Monday 15 to Friday 19 February 2027.
Sources
- West Sussex County Council, school term dates and 2026/27 calendar (PDF)
- School term dates pages: Millais, Tanbridge House, The Forest School, Bohunt Horsham, The Weald, Steyning Grammar School, Collyer’s, Christ’s Hospital, Farlington
Every date checked against the county’s and each school’s own page on 25 September 2026.
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