School Easter holidays 2023: when do schools break up for Easter? UK holiday start date and when kids go back

Pupils across the UK are looking forward to getting some well-deserved time off for their next school break. Easter is just around the corner, but when you break up for the holidays will vary depending on where you live.

Schools in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland will break for the Easter holidays at different times, with specific dates varying from country to country, but also from school to school depending on your local education authority.

Most pupils can expect two weeks off, with parents and guardians looking forward to enjoying a four day weekend thanks to the Easter bank holidays. So, when are the Easter school holidays in the UK? Here’s everything you need to know.

When is Easter?

This year Easter Sunday will take place on Sunday 9 April, with Good Friday falling on 7 April. The festivities are taking place a week earlier than 2022, when Easter Sunday fell on 17 April. This means that most schools will finish up for the holidays a week before pupils can expect to get their hands on some chocolate eggs.

When are the Easter bank holidays?

The Easter bank holidays will fall on Friday 7 April and Monday 10 April, giving those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland a four-day weekend. However in Scotland, Easter Monday isn’t a bank holiday, with only Good Friday being set aside as a designated day off, this means those based in Scotland can only expect to enjoy a three-day weekend.

Here are the dates for Easter 2023:

• Friday 7 April: Good Friday
• Saturday 8 April: Holy Saturday
• Sunday 9 April: Easter Sunday
• Monday 10 April: Easter Monday

When do schools break up for Easter?

When schools will break up for Easter depends on where you are based in the UK and your local education authority. For those in England and Wales you can check the dates on the term dates for your specific school by typing your postcode into the government website.

Here are when schools will break up for Easter across the UK:

England

In England when schools break up for Easter will depend on your local education authority, it’s expected that most schools will break up for Easter from Monday 3 April to Friday 14 April. You can check dates for specific schools on the gov.uk website.

Wales

In Wales, similar to England, school term dates will depend on your local education authority, it’s expected that most schools will break up for Easter from Monday 3 April to Friday 14 April. You can check dates for specific schools on the gov.uk website.

Scotland

In Scotland, term dates will vary depending on your local council, it’s expected that most schools will break up for Easter from Monday 3 April to Friday 14 April. You can check dates for your local Scottish council on the government website.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland there is just one school authority, meaning that schools in the region will break up for Easter from Thursday 6 April to Friday 14 April. You can find out more on the Education NI website.

When do kids go back to school?

When kids across the UK return to school will depend on what region they live in and their local education authority. For England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland pupils are expected to return to their classrooms on Monday 17 April.

When is the next school holiday?

The next school holiday in the UK will depend where you are based. In Northern Ireland and Scotland classrooms will enjoy a long weekend at the end of April, with students off school on Monday 1 May for the May bank holiday. Schools in England and Wales are also expected to take this day off, but it’s best to check with your local education authority. All schools across the UK will be closed on Monday 8 May which is a special bank holiday for the coronation of King Charles.