Key Takeaways
- Easter is early in 2027: Good Friday is 26 March, Easter Sunday 28 March, Easter Monday 29 March.
- England and Wales both take roughly a fortnight, but on different weeks: England breaks 26 March to 9 April, Wales a week earlier, 19 March to 2 April.
- Scotland has no national date. Councils set their own, usually closing for Good Friday and Easter Monday, then taking a separate spring break afterwards.
- Northern Ireland's break is shorter, 25 March to 2 April. Always confirm your own school's date rather than assuming a UK-wide pattern.
Easter Sunday 2027 falls on 28 March. Good Friday is 26 March, Easter Monday is 29 March, and Easter weekend runs from Friday 26 to Monday 29 March. That is unusually early: nearly three weeks earlier than Easter 2028.
The school holidays are a separate question, and a messier one. You've got a childminder to square away, a grandparent asking if she should book the week off, and a co-parent working from whatever Easter date they assume is standard. In 2027 none of those assumptions line up: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all break on different weeks.
This guide covers both: the Easter dates and bank holidays first, then the school holidays nation by nation.
When is Easter 2027?
Good Friday is Friday 26 March 2027 and Easter Monday is Monday 29 March 2027, with Easter Sunday between them on 28 March. Easter weekend 2027 is therefore Friday 26 to Monday 29 March, a four-day weekend in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
| Date | Day | Bank holiday in |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday | England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and observed by most Scottish schools |
| Sun 28 Mar 2027 | Easter Sunday | Not a bank holiday anywhere in the UK |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday | England, Wales, Northern Ireland. Not a statutory bank holiday in Scotland |
That last row catches people out. If you are coordinating with family or work across the border, Easter Monday is not a given in Scotland, even though plenty of Scottish schools close anyway.
When are the Easter school holidays in 2027?
| Nation | School break | Return |
|---|---|---|
| England | Fri 26 Mar - Fri 9 Apr (most councils) | Mon 12 Apr |
| Wales | Fri 19 Mar - Fri 2 Apr (every school) | Mon 5 Apr |
| Scotland | Varies by council; Good Friday and Easter Monday usually off, main spring break after Easter | Varies, mid to late Apr |
| Northern Ireland | Thu 25 Mar - Fri 2 Apr | Mon 5 Apr |
Treat this as a starting point. In England, an academy near you can set its own dates independently of the council, and INSET days attach themselves to the start of terms, so add a day at each end when you plan.
Are Wales's Easter dates the same for every school?
Wales has a nationally aligned Easter break for 2027. Every school, including Powys, closes Friday 19 March and returns Monday 5 April, fixed by Welsh Government direction rather than chosen council by council.
Practically, that means two things: Wales breaks a full week earlier than most of England, and a friend elsewhere in Wales has exactly the same dates you do.
Why do you need to check your own council for Scotland's dates?
Scotland does not have one national Easter school holiday. Dates are set locally, so check your council's calendar. Some councils take Good Friday and Easter Monday as single days then break later; others take a conventional Easter fortnight.
- Edinburgh: closed Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Monday (29 March), term ends Friday 2 April, spring holiday Monday 5 April to Monday 19 April, back Tuesday 20 April.
- Scottish Borders: closed Good Friday, term ends Friday 2 April, Easter holiday Monday 5 April to Friday 16 April, back Monday 19 April.
- Highland: spring term ends Thursday 25 March, back Monday 12 April.
If you are coordinating with a Scottish school, ask for their actual spring break dates rather than assuming a shared "Easter fortnight": the two breaks may barely overlap.
Why is Easter early in 2027?
Easter Sunday moves every year, and 2027's 28 March sits near the earliest end of its range. That squeezes the spring term, which is why some councils shift away from their usual pattern and why last year's dates are a poor guide.
When is Easter in other years?
| Year | Good Friday | Easter Sunday | Easter Monday |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 Apr | 5 Apr | 6 Apr |
| 2027 | 26 Mar | 28 Mar | 29 Mar |
| 2028 | 14 Apr | 16 Apr | 17 Apr |
| 2029 | 30 Mar | 1 Apr | 2 Apr |
| 2030 | 19 Apr | 21 Apr | 22 Apr |
Compare 2027 with 2028: nearly three weeks apart.
Who else needs your dates?
A childminder covering families at more than one school may have some children on Easter holiday the same week others are still in class. A grandparent who offered to help out "Easter week" might mean a different week entirely if she's thinking of last year's dates, or a different nation's. A co-parent whose children split time between an English school and a Scottish one isn't managing one Easter break, they're managing two that barely overlap. Our guide to sharing school information as co-parents covers how to keep both households working from the same calendar rather than each parent's own version of it.
None of this resolves itself by assuming everyone already has the right dates. Share your school's actual confirmed dates, not a general rule about when Easter "usually" falls.
Working out your own Easter dates is the easy part. Getting them in front of a childminder juggling other families, or a co-parent working from a different nation's calendar, is where it usually breaks down. Maxie's School Holidays feature turns your confirmed dates into calendar blocks everyone in the family can see, so nobody is planning around last year's pattern by mistake. Try it free with no card required.
Related Resources:
Frequently asked questions
When are the Easter holidays in England in 2027?
Most English local authorities take Friday 26 March to Friday 9 April 2027, with pupils back on Monday 12 April. Academies and some councils set their own dates, so check gov.uk/school-term-holiday-dates for your postcode.
When are the Easter holidays in Wales in 2027?
Every Welsh school breaks up on Friday 19 March 2027 and returns on Monday 5 April. The dates are fixed nationally by Welsh Government direction, so there is no council-by-council variation.
When is the Scotland spring break in 2027?
Scotland has no single national date. Most schools stay open the week of Easter, close for Good Friday and Easter Monday, then take a spring break afterwards, often starting around 5 April and running into mid or late April depending on the council.
When are the Easter holidays in Northern Ireland in 2027?
Northern Ireland's Easter break is 25 March to 2 April 2027, confirmed by the Department of Education. It is shorter than England and Wales.
When is Easter weekend 2027?
Easter weekend 2027 runs from Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March. Good Friday is 26 March, Easter Sunday is 28 March and Easter Monday is 29 March, giving a four-day weekend in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Easter Monday is not a statutory bank holiday, so the weekend is officially three days.
How long are the UK Easter holidays?
Around two weeks in England and Wales, and around two weeks in Scotland in its own later slot. Northern Ireland's break is shorter, closer to a week around the Easter weekend.
When are Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday in 2027?
Good Friday is 26 March 2027, Easter Sunday is 28 March, and Easter Monday is 29 March. Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Easter Monday isn't a statutory bank holiday in Scotland, though many Scottish schools close anyway.
Why is Easter so early in 2027?
Easter's date moves each year rather than sitting on a fixed date, and in 2027 it lands on 28 March, near the early end of its range. That squeezes the spring term, so some councils have adjusted their usual pattern.
When is Easter 2028?
Easter Sunday 2028 falls on 16 April, with Good Friday on 14 April and Easter Monday on 17 April. That is nearly three weeks later than 2027, so do not carry this year's school dates forward.