Where Bath and North East Somerset’s schools put their inset days, and what that’s worth
We checked 80 state schools in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) for 2026/27. 44 of the 68 that list their inset days are closed to pupils on Monday 4 January 2027, nearly two in three. In Bath city it’s 20 of 29. See B&NES’s 2026/27 term dates.
44 of 68 B&NES schools that list their inset days are closed to pupils on Monday 4 January
44of 68
It’s the first day back after Christmas. In Bath city it’s 20 of 29. Flying out on Monday 28 December and home on Monday 4 January, the same trip a day later, flights from Bristol Airport were up to 43% cheaper than Sunday to Sunday in our checks (same airline, family of 4, Oct 2026).
Inset day on Mon 4 JanOpen
Source: Inset Offset survey of 80 Bath and North East Somerset state schools; 68 list their inset days. Checked 16 Oct 2026. Saving: Prices checked Oct 2026, family of 4, same booking on both dates.
The council’s own dates are recommended dates, and 75 of the 80 state schools here are academies that set their own, so a school’s dates can differ from the council’s.
Flights from Bristol Airport
B&NES families fly from Bristol Airport. The same 7-night trip a day later, out on Monday 28 December and home on Monday 4 January, cost up to 43% less than Sunday to Sunday on the same airline, flights only.
Up to 43% less
Same 7-night trip from Bristol Airport, same airline, flights only
Sun 27 Dec – Sun 3 Jan
A day later: Mon 28 Dec – Mon 4 Jan (inset day)
up to 43% lessPrices checked Oct 2026, family of 4, same booking on both dates.
October half-term
51 of the 61 schools that publish their October half-term give more days off than the council’s 9, and none give fewer. 35 of the 68 that list inset days have one on Friday 23 October and 25 on Monday 2 November.
51 of 61 B&NES schools that publish their October half-term give more days off than the council’s 9
Days off include the weekends either side. 0 give fewer. Break lengths are worked out from each school’s listed inset days.
- 9 days off (council’s recommended break)10 of 61
- 10 days off18 of 61
- 11 days off27 of 61
- 16 days off5 of 61
- 17 days off1 of 61
The numbers
| Days off at October half-term | Schools that publish this break | Schools |
|---|---|---|
| 9 days off (council’s recommended break) | 61 | 10 |
| 10 days off | 61 | 18 |
| 11 days off | 61 | 27 |
| 16 days off | 61 | 5 |
| 17 days off | 61 | 1 |
Source: Inset Offset survey of 80 Bath and North East Somerset state schools; 61 publish the dates their break needs. Days off worked out from each school's listed inset days. Checked Fri 16 Oct 2026.
Summer: five different last days
31 of the 61 schools that give a last day finish on Friday 23 July, the day after the council’s recommended last day, Thursday 22 July. 17 finish before it. Check your school’s own dates.
31 of 61 B&NES schools finish the summer term on Friday 23 July 2027, the day after the council’s recommended last day
Five different last days. 17 of 61 finish before the council’s date. Check your school’s own dates.
- Fri 16 Jul1 of 61
- Tue 20 Jul4 of 61
- Wed 21 Jul12 of 61
- Thu 22 Jul (council’s recommended last day)13 of 61
- Fri 23 Jul31 of 61
The numbers
| Last day of the summer term | Schools with a last day | Schools |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Jul | 61 | 1 |
| Tue 20 Jul | 61 | 4 |
| Wed 21 Jul | 61 | 12 |
| Thu 22 Jul (council’s recommended last day) | 61 | 13 |
| Fri 23 Jul | 61 | 31 |
Source: Inset Offset survey of 80 Bath and North East Somerset state schools; 61 give a last day for the summer term. Checked Fri 16 Oct 2026.
Most inset days sit next to a holiday
65 of the 68 schools that list their inset days have at least one straight before or after a holiday. Counting every inset day, 54% sit next to a holiday, not counting the start of September (189 of 348).
65 of 68 B&NES schools that list their inset days have one next to a holiday
Schools with an inset day straight before or after each holiday.
- October half-term50 of 68
- Christmas44 of 68
- February half-term18 of 68
- Easter12 of 68
- May half-term12 of 68
The numbers
| Holiday | Schools that list inset days | Schools with an inset day next to it |
|---|---|---|
| October half-term | 68 | 50 |
| Christmas | 68 | 44 |
| February half-term | 68 | 18 |
| Easter | 68 | 12 |
| May half-term | 68 | 12 |
Source: Inset Offset survey of 80 Bath and North East Somerset state schools; 68 list their inset days. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
The 2026/27 school year, shaded by inset days
Darker green means more schools closed to pupils that day. Hover or tap a day.
The numbers
| Inset day | Schools | Share of 68 | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 4 Jan 2027 | 44 | 65% | next to Christmas |
| Thu 3 Sep 2026 | 40 | 59% | first days of term |
| Fri 23 Oct 2026 | 35 | 51% | next to October half-term |
| Fri 4 Sep 2026 | 34 | 50% | first days of term |
| Wed 2 Sep 2026 | 33 | 49% | first days of term |
| Mon 2 Nov 2026 | 25 | 37% | next to October half-term |
| Thu 22 Oct 2026 | 19 | 28% | two days before October half-term |
| Wed 25 Nov 2026 | 19 | 28% | during term |
| Thu 25 Mar 2027 | 12 | 18% | next to Easter |
| Thu 8 Jul 2027 | 12 | 18% | during term |
| Thu 22 Jul 2027 | 12 | 18% | last days of term |
| Mon 22 Feb 2027 | 11 | 16% | next to February half-term |
| Tue 1 Sep 2026 | 10 | 15% | first days of term |
| Fri 23 Jul 2027 | 8 | 12% | last days of term |
| Fri 20 Nov 2026 | 7 | 10% | during term |
| Fri 12 Feb 2027 | 7 | 10% | next to February half-term |
| Mon 7 Jun 2027 | 7 | 10% | next to May half-term |
| Fri 9 Jul 2027 | 7 | 10% | during term |
| Mon 19 Oct 2026 | 6 | 9% | during term |
| Tue 20 Oct 2026 | 6 | 9% | during term |
| Wed 21 Oct 2026 | 6 | 9% | during term |
| Fri 27 Nov 2026 | 6 | 9% | during term |
| Fri 15 Jan 2027 | 5 | 7% | during term |
| Fri 28 May 2027 | 5 | 7% | next to May half-term |
| Fri 25 Jun 2027 | 5 | 7% | during term |
| Wed 21 Jul 2027 | 4 | 6% | last days of term |
| Fri 25 Sep 2026 | 2 | 3% | during term |
| Fri 18 Dec 2026 | 2 | 3% | next to Christmas |
| Mon 28 Jun 2027 | 2 | 3% | during term |
| Fri 16 Oct 2026 | 1 | 1% | during term |
| Mon 25 Jan 2027 | 1 | 1% | during term |
| Fri 26 Feb 2027 | 1 | 1% | during term |
| Mon 12 Apr 2027 | 1 | 1% | next to Easter |
| Tue 4 May 2027 | 1 | 1% | during term |
| Mon 24 May 2027 | 1 | 1% | during term |
| Fri 2 Jul 2027 | 1 | 1% | during term |
| Mon 5 Jul 2027 | 1 | 1% | during term |
Source: Inset Offset survey of 80 Bath and North East Somerset state schools; 68 list their inset days. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
Is your school one of them?
Pick a date your school has as an inset day.
65%of B&NES schools
44 of 68 list Mon 4 Jan as an inset day
Next to Christmas
WHAT WE FOUND
Up to 43% less
A week away from Bristol Airport, shifted by a day (out Mon 28 Dec, home Mon 4 Jan instead of Sunday to Sunday). Same airline, flights only. Prices checked Oct 2026, family of 4, same booking on both dates.
Or find your cheaper windows →
The numbers
| Inset day | Schools | Share | Where it falls | What we found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 4 Jan | 44 of 68 | 65% | Next to Christmas | Up to 43% less |
| Fri 23 Oct | 35 of 68 | 51% | Next to October half-term | Not priced yet |
| Mon 2 Nov | 25 of 68 | 37% | Next to October half-term | Not priced yet |
| Thu 22 Oct | 19 of 68 | 28% | Two days before October half-term | Not priced yet |
| Thu 3 Sep | 40 of 68 | 59% | First days of term | Not priced yet |
Source: Inset Offset survey of 80 Bath and North East Somerset state schools; 68 list their inset days. Checked 16 Oct 2026.
How we checked
- 80 state-funded schools in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) checked for 2026/27 (council LA 800). Independent special schools are excluded.
- 68 publish their 2026/27 dates on their own website and 68 list their inset days. The other 12 are not counted: 10 are unclear from what they publish and 2 don’t publish them.
- 6 schools publish their calendar only as an image or a colour-coded grid. Each was read twice by two independent readers and counted only when both agreed (5 of 6 were).
- Schools that don’t publish aren’t counted, so every count is a minimum.
- The council’s 2026/27 dates are the recommended ones. 75 of the 80 schools are academies, which set their own dates.
- School dates checked 16 October 2026.
- Prices checked October 2026 on Skyscanner, for 2 adults and 2 children, comparing the same booking on both dates.
- No individual school is named.
- Counts are minimums: they count only schools that publish their inset days on their own website, and some of those lists are incomplete.
Full data available to journalists on request: [email protected]
Press pack
Every chart in this post as a 1200 × 675 image, free to use with a credit to Inset Offset (insetoffset.co.uk). Full data available to journalists on request: [email protected].
B&NES schools closed to pupils for an inset day on Monday 4 January 2027bath-4-january.png · PNG 1200 × 675
51 of 61 B&NES schools give more days off at October half-term than the council’s recommended 9bath-october-half-term.png · PNG 1200 × 675
31 of 61 B&NES schools finish the summer term on Friday 23 July 2027, the day after the council’s recommended last daybath-summer-last-days.png · PNG 1200 × 675
Key lines
44 of the 68 Bath and North East Somerset state schools that list their inset days are closed to pupils on Monday 4 January 2027, the first day back after Christmas (20 of 29 in Bath city).
51 of the 61 Bath and North East Somerset state schools that publish their October half-term give more days off than the council’s recommended 9. None give fewer.
35 of the 68 Bath and North East Somerset state schools that list their inset days have one on Friday 23 October, and 25 have one on Monday 2 November.
31 of the 61 Bath and North East Somerset state schools that give a last day finish the summer term on Friday 23 July 2027, the day after the council’s recommended last day (Thursday 22 July). 17 finish before it.
65 of the 68 Bath and North East Somerset state schools that list their inset days have at least one next to a holiday.
Flights from Bristol Airport out on Monday 28 December and home on Monday 4 January cost up to 43% less than Sunday to Sunday (same airline, family of four, checked October 2026).