Term dates
The IWS school year 2026 to 2027
The year has three terms and 34 teaching weeks. Term 1 began on Monday 14 September 2026, and the year ends on Friday 28 May 2027.
The year at a glance
Each term has parent meeting weeks, a run of assessments and a day for marks and feedback. Every date is written out in full just below.
An .ics file that opens in any calendar app.
The dates, term by term
Here’s what happens in each term, in order, and the break that follows it.
Autumn
Term 1
14 Sep to 18 Dec 2026
14 teaching weeks
- Parent meetings
- Exam preparation bootcamp
- Assessments, 8 days
- Marks and feedback
Christmas break
Spring
Term 2
4 Jan to 26 Mar 2027
12 teaching weeks
- Parent meetings
- Exam preparation bootcamp
- Assessments, 8 days
- Marks and feedback
Easter break
Summer
Term 3
5 Apr to 28 May 2027
8 teaching weeks
- Mock bootcamp
- Mock examinations
- Parent meetings
- Exam preparation bootcamp
- Assessments, 8 days
- Marks and feedback
The year ends
The wellbeing year
Every fortnight of the year carries one theme. Each starts on the date shown.
Term 1Autumn
Growth Mindset
Belonging
Digital Wellbeing
Celebrating Difference
Goal Setting
Kindness and Connection
Term 2Spring
Managing Stress
Mental Health Awareness
Leadership
Environmental Responsibility
Gratitude and Positivity
Healthy Habits
Term 3Summer
Resilience and Exam Wellbeing
Friendship Online and Offline
Preparing for the Future
Reflection and Growth
Questions about the year.
Why are there no half-term breaks?
Elsie Eayrs, our Academic Lead, made that call deliberately: half-terms break the rhythm of the academic year. Three uninterrupted terms with two proper breaks hold momentum better than five stop-start blocks. Families who need time out during a term can still take it, and the recordings are there when their child comes back.
How does homework work across the year?
Weekly homework is set each Monday and submitted each Friday. It pauses for the final three weeks of each term, and for the first three weeks of Term 3, when the mock cycle takes over.
When will we see how our child is doing?
Marks and feedback are uploaded by the Tuesday of the last week of each term. Parent meeting weeks sit separately, and you book a slot directly with your child’s teacher through a link they share in advance.
Can we join partway through the year?
Yes. IWS accepts students during the year as well as at the start of it. The 2026/27 academic year began on 14 September 2026. Most families start in September, and your child is placed by the Learner Profile rather than by the month they arrive.
Talk it through with us.
If you’re weighing up a start date, a short conversation is usually faster than a page of dates. Our admissions team replies within one working day.