Southwark schools break 26 to 30 October, but Kingsdale, Charter East Dulwich and Harris take two weeks and the independents break until 6 November.

There is no single set of Dulwich term dates this year. Southwark’s council-set October half term is one week, Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. But several of the biggest secondary schools in Dulwich set their own dates, and they take two weeks: Kingsdale, the Charter School East Dulwich and Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich break from 19 October, and the independent schools break from 26 October to 6 November. Families with children at two schools can end up with three weeks of half term between them.

The quick answer

  • Southwark and Lambeth community schools: October half term is Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Christmas holiday is 21 December to 1 January.
  • Kingsdale, Charter East Dulwich, Harris Girls’ East Dulwich: half term is 19 to 30 October, two weeks.
  • Dulwich College, Alleyn’s, JAGS, Dulwich Prep & Senior: half term runs to Friday 6 November, and they break for Christmas on Wednesday 16 December.

October half term and Christmas, school by school

School October half term Last day before Christmas Back in January
Southwark council dates Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 4 Jan*
Lambeth council dates (West Dulwich) Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 4 Jan
Kingsdale Foundation School Mon 19 to Fri 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 4 Jan (INSET)
Charter School East Dulwich Mon 19 to Fri 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 4 Jan
Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich Mon 19 to Fri 30 Oct Fri 18 Dec Mon 4 Jan
Dulwich College Sat 24 Oct to Sun 8 Nov Wed 16 Dec, 12 noon Mon 11 Jan
Alleyn’s School (senior) Mon 26 Oct to Fri 6 Nov Wed 16 Dec Mon 11 Jan
James Allen’s Girls’ School Mon 26 Oct to Fri 6 Nov Wed 16 Dec, 12 noon Mon 11 Jan
Dulwich Prep & Senior Mon 26 Oct to Fri 6 Nov Wed 16 Dec Mon 11 Jan

Southwark’s page prints the spring term start as “Monday 5 January 2026”. That cannot be right: 5 January 2027 is a Tuesday. Lambeth, Kingsdale, Charter and Harris all go back on Monday 4 January 2027*, so treat 4 January as the likely date for Southwark community schools and check with your school.

Sources: Southwark, Lambeth, Kingsdale, Charter East Dulwich, Harris Girls’ East Dulwich, Dulwich College, Alleyn’s, JAGS, Dulwich Prep & Senior.

Southwark’s full year

These are the dates the council publishes for its community schools. Academies, free schools, voluntary-aided and independent schools can and do set their own.

Term Dates
Autumn, first half Wed 2 Sep to Fri 23 Oct 2026
October half term Mon 26 to Fri 30 Oct 2026
Autumn, second half Mon 2 Nov to Fri 18 Dec 2026
Spring, first half Jan 2027 (see note above) to Fri 12 Feb 2027
February half term Mon 15 to Fri 19 Feb 2027
Spring, second half Mon 22 Feb to Thu 25 Mar 2027
Summer, first half Mon 12 Apr to Fri 28 May 2027
May half term Mon 31 May to Fri 4 Jun 2027
Summer, second half Mon 7 Jun to Thu 22 Jul 2027

Southwark notes that the May Day bank holiday is on 3 May 2027. Its page does not list INSET days; each school sets its own. Lambeth’s page adds that its dates “do not take into account the 5 professional development days when schools are closed to pupils”.

The Easter holiday, on Lambeth’s page and at the academies, runs from Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027.

INSET days that are already fixed

  • Kingsdale: Monday 4 January (closed except to Year 11 by invitation), Monday 12 April, and Monday 26 July. Its October half term starts a week early, on 19 October.
  • Harris Girls’ East Dulwich: Friday 9 October 2026 and Friday 12 February 2027, so both half terms start a day early. Its summer term ends on Monday 19 July 2027.
  • Charter School East Dulwich: Monday 28 June 2027 (trust conference), plus one more still to be confirmed. Its summer term ends on Friday 23 July.

Why the independents look so different

Alleyn’s and JAGS started on 8 September and Dulwich Prep & Senior on 7 September, a week after the state schools. The independents take a two-week autumn break, finish on Wednesday 16 December, and go back a week later in January, on 11 January. In spring they line up with the state schools for February half term (15 to 19 February) and the end of term on Thursday 25 March. They go back after Easter later, on Tuesday 20 April (Dulwich College on Monday 19 April), and finish the summer on Thursday 8 July, two weeks before the state schools.

Planning October half term

What is on locally in both half-term weeks is on our October half term in Dulwich page. For Christmas, the bin changes and the trains and travel pages have the holiday detail.

Still to be confirmed

  • Southwark’s corrected January start date. We will check the council page in November.
  • Charter East Dulwich’s second summer INSET day.
  • 2027/28 dates: Lambeth has already published them; Southwark has not yet.