THE summer holidays are officially coming to an end – and Cornwall’s school gates will swing open again tomorrow morning.

After weeks of lie-ins, days out and family holidays, children across the Duchy will be swapping beach bags for school bags as the new academic year gets underway on Thursday (September 3).

For parents, there is plenty to look forward to – and Cornwall Council has already confirmed the key term dates for the next two school years, giving families a chance to get important dates firmly in the diary.

For most community and voluntary-controlled schools, the autumn term will run for 72 days, ending on Friday, December 18. However, there is a break before Christmas, with October half term running from Monday, October 26 to Friday, October 30.

The spring term starts on Monday, January 4, 2027 and runs until Thursday, March 25.

Half term will provide another five-day break from February 15 to 19 before pupils return for the final stretch towards Easter.

The summer term then gets under way on Monday, April 12, and continues until Friday, July 23.

The final half term of the academic year will run from May 31 to June 4.

And parents who like to plan ahead can already look even further into the future.

The 2027/28 school year will begin on September 2, 2027, with the autumn term finishing on December 22.

October half term will fall between October 25 and 29.

The spring term will run from January 6 to March 31, 2028, with a February half-term from February 14 to 18.

The final summer term will start on April 18 and finish on Friday, July 21, with the May half term running from May 29 to June 2.

There is one important catch for parents.

Not every school in Cornwall has to follow the council’s dates.

Academies, foundation, trust and voluntary-aided schools can set their own term calendars, so families should check their individual school’s website for confirmation.

There are also five INSET (In-Service Training) days at maintained schools each year. These are staff training days when pupils stay at home, with individual schools deciding when to use them.

So while tomorrow marks the big return for many, parents can now look well beyond the first school run.

With term dates confirmed through to summer 2028, families have plenty of time to plan holidays, childcare and those all-important school breaks.

For now, though, it’s time for the alarm clocks to come back on – and the school shoes to go back on.