The dates for the 2026/2027 school calendar are set. Classes start between the 11th and the 21st of September 2026, depending on the level of education, and the year has three breaks before June. For pupils these are just the usual dates; for parents, they are what a whole year of family plans is built around.
Every school break is a window when the children are free, and a few well-chosen days of leave can turn it into weeks of family time. In 2026/2027 both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on a Friday, which makes the December break especially generous for anyone who does the maths in time.
This guide brings together the official dates, level by level: when classes start, when the Christmas, Carnival and Easter breaks fall and when the year ends, with a practical family getaway plan for each break. Next year’s public holidays and long weekends are covered in our guide to the 2027 public holidays; this one sticks to the school calendar.
The 2026/2027 school year at a glance
First day of school: from the 11th to the 15th of September (pre-school and basic education); the 21st of September (secondary science and humanities courses).
Christmas: from the 16th to the 31st of December.
Carnival: from the 8th to the 10th of February.
Easter: from the 22nd of March to the 2nd of April.
Last day of school: the 4th, 11th or 30th of June 2027, depending on the year group.
When does school start in September 2026?
Pupils go back in stages. Pre-school and basic education come first, on a day each school sets between Friday the 11th and Tuesday the 15th of September 2026. The science and humanities courses in secondary education start a week later, on Monday the 21st of September. The calendar is set by Despacho n.º 8368/2024 of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, and the official dates can be checked with the Direção-Geral da Educação.
| Level of education | First day of school |
| Pre-school | 11th-15th September 2026 |
| Basic education, 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycles | 11th-15th September 2026 |
| Secondary (science and humanities) | 21st September 2026 |
What are the school breaks in 2026/2027?
There are three official breaks before the summer, and each one sits next to public holidays that work in families’ favour. The table below shows every break and the holidays that fall around it.
| School break | Dates | Public holidays |
| Christmas | 16th-31st December 2026 | Christmas Day (Friday 25th) and New Year’s Day (Friday 1st) |
| Carnival | 8th-10th February 2027 | Optional Carnival holiday (Tuesday 9th) |
| Easter | 22nd March to 2nd April 2027 | Good Friday (26th March) and Easter Sunday (28th March) |
A family plan for every school break
This is where the school calendar stops being a chart on the fridge door and becomes a plan. Here is how each break works out, checked day by day.
Christmas: four days of leave, ten days with the family
The Christmas break runs from the 16th to the 31st of December 2026, and this year the calendar lines up unusually well: Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both fall on a Friday. Take just four days of leave, from Monday the 28th to Thursday the 31st of December, and you get ten days in a row with the family, from the 25th of December to the 3rd of January, all within the children’s break. That leaves time for Christmas at home and a getaway as well. Madeira, with its mild December and Funchal’s Christmas lights, is one of the few destinations where midwinter feels like summer. If you would rather have mountains and a log fire, we have already covered that trip in Family holidays in Serra da Estrela.
Carnival: the short break that goes a long way
The Carnival break covers Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from the 8th to the 10th of February 2027. For adults, Carnival (Tuesday the 9th) is an optional public holiday, so the first step is to check with your employer that you have the day off. With that secured, a single day of leave on Monday the 8th gives you four days in a row, from Saturday the 6th to Tuesday the 9th, and the children are still at home on Wednesday the 10th. If you want to see the festival properly, Carnival in Madeira fills Funchal with the Cortejo Alegórico and the Cortejo Trapalhão; the official 2027 programme runs from the 3rd to the 14th of February, according to Visit Madeira.
Easter: two weeks off school, nine days in a row
The Easter break is the longest of the school year: two weeks, from the 22nd of March to the 2nd of April 2027, with Good Friday (the 26th of March) and Easter Sunday (the 28th of March) falling within it. The smartest move is to take leave in the first week. Four days of leave, from Monday the 22nd to Thursday the 25th, plus the Good Friday holiday on the 26th, give you nine days in a row with the family, from Saturday the 20th to Sunday the 28th of March. With the days already long and Algarve waking up for the beach season, it is the perfect time for a resort built around children. At the Pestana Blue Alvor Beach, facing Alvor beach, the all-inclusive package comes with a Kids Club for ages 4 to 12 and four pools, including a children’s pool with a pirate ship and a heated indoor pool. Next door, the Pestana Alvor South Beach adds three infinity pools, a children’s pool and direct access to Alvor beach. Two of our guides have more ideas: Hotels designed for families: when children matter too and Easter holidays with the family.
A break for the parents: the Kids Club
At the Pestana Blue Alvor Beach ALL INCLUSIVE, holidays are planned with the youngest guests in mind too. The Kids Club, for children aged 4 to 12, combines fun and educational activities in a supervised space run by a dedicated entertainment team.
The club has its own children’s pool, a buffet designed for younger guests, digital games and even the chance to take part in plays.
While the children play and discover new things, parents can relax and enjoy their holiday in peace.
Find out more about the Kids Club
When does school end in 2027?
The end of the school year is staggered by year group, with tests and exams in mind: years 9, 11 and 12 finish on the 4th of June 2027; years 5 to 8 and year 10 on the 11th of June; pre-school and the 1st cycle carry on until the 30th of June. The year itself is divided into three terms: the first ends on the 15th of December 2026, the second runs from the 4th of January to the 19th of March 2027 and the third starts on the 5th of April. In practice, summer begins in mid-June for most families, while children in an exam year spend June revising rather than on the beach.
Frequently asked questions about the 2026/2027 school calendar
Pre-school and basic education start on a day set by each school between the 11th and the 15th of September 2026; the secondary science and humanities courses start on the 21st of September.
The Christmas break runs from the 16th to the 31st of December 2026, and classes resume on the 4th of January 2027. As Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall on a Friday, four days of leave between the two are enough for ten days in a row with the family.
From the 22nd of March to the 2nd of April 2027, with Good Friday on the 26th of March and Easter Sunday on the 28th of March falling within it. In Madeira it ends a day earlier, on the 1st of April.
It depends on the year group: the 4th of June for years 9, 11 and 12; the 11th of June for years 5 to 8 and year 10; the 30th of June for pre-school and the 1st cycle.
The official dates for the 2027 provas de aferição (diagnostic tests), the year 9 final tests and the national exams had not been published when this guide was written. Until the exam calendar comes out, the staggered end of classes already tells you the main thing: exam years finish earlier, on the 4th of June.
No. Madeira has its own binding calendar, with the Easter break ending on the 1st of April 2027. In the Azores the regional calendar is only a guideline and each school sets its own dates, with classes starting between the 10th and the 15th of September 2026.
