Parents face chaos with councils around Wales unable to agree term dates. An unusually early Easter in the 2026-27 school year means some council school term dates differ by an entire week.

This would cause problems for parents who work in schools in different local authorities to their children or for families with children attending schools in different council areas. To avoid clashes the Welsh Government is considering stepping in to use their statutory powers to order all councils to agree more similar dates.

Easter falls early in 2027 on March 28 and nine local education authorities have planned their spring term differently to accommodate the two bank holidays associated with Easter. This also has the knock-on effect of those nine wanting to start the summer term a week earlier than the other 13 areas. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.

At the moment nine of Wales 22 councils have sent proposed term dates that the Welsh Government wants to change. A consultation document has been launched explaining the reasons and asking people for their views.

Those nine councils want their schools to shut for the spring term half term from February 15 to 19 and end their spring terms that year on Friday, March 25. The other 13 want a spring half term from February 8 to 12 and to end the spring term on Friday, March 19.

Those date clashes also mean a week's difference to when schools across Wales would start the summer term 2027. While 13 councils have a date of April 5 the other nine want it to begin a week later on Monday, April 12.

These clashes could cause childcare and holiday headaches as well as issues for the tourism industry in Wales. There is also potential for it to hit exam revision periods.

The Welsh Government is now consulting on plans to require the nine local authorities to fall in with the date the other 13 agree on. It also wants to agree a variation for Powys to allow children and staff to attend the Royal Welsh Show.

Below are the dates proposed by group A and group B of councils around Wales

Councils in group A

Anglesey

Bridgend

Cardiff

Ceredigion

Conwy

Denbighshire

Flintshire

Gwynedd

Merthyr Tydfil

Powys

Rhondda Cynon Taff

Vale of Glamorgan

Wrexham

Councils in group B

Blaenau Gwent

Caerphilly

Carmarthenshire

Monmouthshire

Neath Port Talbot

Newport

Pembrokeshire

Swansea

Torfaen

School term and holiday dates 2026-27

Powys has set dates which in the main align with Group A but with two differences. One is that Powys has opted to end the summer term on July 16, 2027, before the start of the Royal Welsh Show which runs from Monday, July 19, to Thursday, July 22, 2027.

To make up for finishing the summer term earlier schools in Powys would then finish the autumn term later than those in other areas. Under the Welsh Government consultation the dates Welsh ministers propose to direct that Powys will be allowed to end the summer term on July 16 so that that children and school staff will be free to attend the Royal Welsh Show for the full week from July 19.

"This decision reflects the Welsh Ministers’ very high regard for the significant cultural and economic value of the Royal Welsh Show," the document says. It adds: "We consider harmonised dates will also benefit the tourism sector. We consider that those policy imperatives outweigh the desire to have different spring breaks taking into account the reasons that were given by the local authorities.

"Group A’s dates are preferred as there are more local authorities within that group. Choosing group A’s dates would mean that fewer local authorities would need to amend their proposals to comply with the draft direction."

How school term dates are decided

Local authorities must tell Welsh ministers the term dates they have set for all their maintained schools by the final working day in August two years prior to the school year they are for. But the Welsh Government can order them to be changed. Under the Education Act 2002 ministers have powers to direct local authorities and school governing bodies on what their term dates must be so that term dates harmonise across Wales.

Voluntary-aided and foundation schools governing bodies are also required to set term dates and to advise Welsh ministers of their proposed term dates. These schools had aligned their proposed term dates with their respective local authorities for the 2026-27 academic year.

In its consultation document on using these powers for the 2026-27 school year dates the Welsh Government said: "Welsh ministers consider the term dates submitted for 2026 to 2027 are not the same or as similar as can be. Therefore the Welsh ministers wish to consider using their powers of direction under the 2002 act to ensure that term dates are as similar as can be across Wales."

It adds that the aim is to "eliminate differences in dates which may cause hardship to parents and staff alike" and says ministers "consider harmonised dates will also benefit the tourism sector". Anyone wanting to respond has until May 25, 2025, to do so and the consultation document can be seen here.

Easter dates and why they change

Easter's date changes each year because it's based on the lunar cycle and the spring equinox – specifically the first Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox, which occurs around March 21. Easter is tied to the Jewish Passover, which is celebrated on the first full moon after the spring equinox.

The spring equinox, when day and night are of equal length, is used as a reference point and the first full moon after it determines the date of Easter. Easter Sunday is always the first Sunday following that full moon. Because the lunar cycle and the spring equinox don't align perfectly with the Gregorian calendar Easter falls on different Sundays each year between March 22 and April 25. The Christian church uses March 21 as a fixed date for the spring equinox even though the actual astronomical date can vary slightly.

Future Easter Sunday dates

2025 – April 20

2026 – April 5

2027 – March 28

2028 – April 16

2029 – April 1

2030 – April 21