The Winchester College Term Dates page makes it easy to plan the academic year with confidence. This page covers the autumn term (Michaelmas term), spring term (Lent term), and summer term (Trinity term) for the academic year.
Use this academic planner as your go-to term timetable and yearly calendar for all school dates at this historic independent school. From Christmas break to Easter break and the long summer holidays.
Winchester College Term Dates 2026/2027
Below are the Winchester College term dates for the 2026/2027 academic year.
Autumn Term 2026 (Short Half)
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| New Dons Induction | Wednesday 2nd September 2026 |
| Staff Professional Development Days | Thursday 3rd & Friday 4th September 2026 |
| JP arrive | Saturday 5th September 2026, 10:30 for 11:00 |
| New V1 Book 2 girls arrive | Saturday 5th September 2026, 11:45 |
| New V1 Book 2 boys arrive | Saturday 5th September 2026, 14:00 (boarders & select current V1 Book 2), 14:30 (day pupils) |
| MP, V Book, V1 Book 1 and remaining V1 Book 2 arrive | From 18:00, Sunday 6th September 2026 |
| Term begins | 20:15, Sunday 6th September 2026 |
| Exeat begins | 13:15, Friday 25th September 2026 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Sunday 27th September 2026 |
| Leave-out begins | 13:15, Friday 16th October 2026 |
| Leave-out ends | 21:15, Sunday 1st November 2026 |
| Remembrance Sunday Service (compulsory attendance) | 10:15–11:15, Sunday 8th November 2026 |
| Exeat begins | 13:15, Friday 20th November 2026 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Sunday 22nd November 2026 |
| School goes down | 09:00, Saturday 12th December 2026 (pupils may be collected after Illuminis on Friday 11th December with Housemaster agreement) |
Spring Term 2027 (Common Time)
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Staff Professional Development Days | Monday 4th & Tuesday 5th January 2027 |
| School opens | 20:15, Tuesday 5th January 2027 (day pupils return Wednesday 6th January) |
| Exeat begins | 13:15, Friday 22nd January 2027 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Sunday 24th January 2027 |
| Leave-out begins | 13:05, Friday 12th February 2027 |
| Leave-out ends | 21:15, Sunday 21st February 2027 |
| Exeat begins | 13:15, Friday 12th March 2027 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Sunday 14th March 2027 |
| School goes down | 09:00, Thursday 25th March 2027 (pupils may be collected after Commenda on Wednesday 24th March with Housemaster agreement) |
Summer Term 2027 (Cloister Time)
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Staff Professional Development Days | Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th April 2027 |
| School opens | 21:15, Tuesday 20th April 2027 (day pupils return Wednesday 21st April) |
| Exeat begins | 18:00, Saturday 1st May 2027 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Monday 3rd May 2027 |
| Leave-out begins | 13:05, Friday 21st May 2027 |
| Leave-out ends | 21:15, Sunday 6th June 2027 |
| Wykeham Day | Saturday 19th June 2027 |
| Exeat begins | 17:00, Saturday 19th June 2027 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Monday 21st June 2027 |
| School goes down | 09:00, Saturday 3rd July 2027 (JP, MP, V Book and V1 Book 2 — may be collected after Commenda on Friday 2nd July with Housemaster agreement) |
| V1 Book 1 departs | After Domum dinner on Saturday 3rd July 2027 |
Winchester College Term Dates 2027/2028 (Provisional)
Below are the Winchester College term dates for the 2027/2028 academic year.
Autumn Term 2027 (Short Half)
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| New Dons Induction | Wednesday 1st September 2027 |
| Staff Professional Development Days | Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd September 2027 |
| JP arrive | Saturday 4th September 2027, 10:30 |
| V1 Book 2 new pupils arrive | Saturday 4th September 2027, 14:00 (boarders), 14:30 (day pupils) |
| MP, V Book, remaining V1 Book 2 and V1 Book 1 arrive | From 18:00, Sunday 5th September 2027 |
| Term begins | 23:15, Sunday 5th September 2027 |
| Exeat begins | 13:15, Friday 24th September 2027 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Sunday 26th September 2027 |
| Leave-out begins | 13:15, Friday 15th October 2027 |
| Leave-out ends | 21:15, Sunday 31st October 2027 |
| Remembrance Sunday Service (compulsory attendance) | 10:15–11:15, Sunday 7th November 2027 |
| Exeat begins | 13:15, Friday 19th November 2027 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Sunday 21st November 2027 |
| School goes down | 09:00, Saturday 11th December 2027 (pupils may be collected after Illuminis on Friday 10th December with Housemaster agreement) |
Spring Term 2028 (Common Time)
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Staff Professional Development Day | Tuesday 4th January 2028 |
| School opens | 20:15, Tuesday 4th January 2028 (day pupils return Wednesday 5th January) |
| Exeat begins | 13:15, Friday 21st January 2028 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Sunday 23rd January 2028 |
| Leave-out begins | 13:15, Friday 11th February 2028 |
| Leave-out ends | 21:15, Sunday 20th February 2028 |
| Exeat begins | 13:15, Friday 10th March 2028 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Sunday 12th March 2028 |
| School goes down | 09:00, Friday 24th March 2028 (pupils may be collected from houses after 17:00 on Thursday 23rd March with Housemaster agreement) |
Summer Term 2028 (Cloister Time)
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Staff Professional Development Day | Tuesday 18th April 2028 |
| School opens | 21:15, Tuesday 18th April 2028 (day pupils return Wednesday 19th April) |
| Exeat begins | 18:00, Saturday 29th April 2028 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Monday 1st May 2028 |
| Leave-out ends | 21:15, Sunday 4th June 2028 |
| Wykeham Day | Saturday 17th June 2028 |
| Exeat begins | 17:00, Saturday 17th June 2028 |
| Exeat ends | 21:15, Monday 19th June 2028 |
| School goes down | 11:00, Saturday 1st July 2028 (JP, MP, V Book and V1 Book 2 — may be collected after 17:00 on Friday 30th June with Housemaster agreement) |
| V1 Book 1 depart | After Domum dinner on Saturday 1st July 2028 |
Read More: England College Term Dates
Winchester College Term Dates 2028/2029
The Winchester College term dates for the 2028/2029 academic year are not published yet. For the most accurate and official information, please check the official Winchester College website.
Staff Professional Development Days
Staff Professional Development Days (also known as INSET days) are dedicated training sessions for teaching staff. These are school-closed dates when pupils do not attend.
For the 2026/2027 academic year, these fall on:
- Autumn Term 2026: Thursday 3rd & Friday 4th September 2026
- Spring Term 2027: Monday 4th & Tuesday 5th January 2027
- Summer Term 2027: Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th April 2027
For 2027/2028, they are scheduled for:
- Autumn Term 2027: Thursday 2nd & Friday 3rd September 2027
- Spring Term 2028: Tuesday 4th January 2028
- Summer Term 2028: Tuesday 18th April 2028
Need Accurate UK College Holiday Information?
Read More: Nottingham College Term Dates
FAQs
What is an exeat at Winchester College?
An exeat is a scheduled weekend when boarding pupils can leave the school. It typically runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening and requires Housemaster agreement for early collection.
What does “school goes down” mean?
“School goes down” is Winchester College’s term for the end of term when pupils depart for holidays. It marks the official end of the school term.
What are the different term names at Winchester College?
The school uses traditional names: Michaelmas term (autumn), Lent term (spring), and Trinity term (summer). They also use Short Half, Common Time, and Cloister Time.
When is Remembrance Sunday at Winchester College?
Remembrance Sunday is held in November. Attendance is compulsory for all pupils.
What is the V1 Book 1 departure date?
V1 Book 1 pupils depart after the Domum dinner on the final day of term.
Official Resources:
Official Winchester college term dates and education updates.