When the heat starts to ease up and supermarkets begin selling notebooks and pens again, the end of summer is inevitably near—and, of course, the return to school, for which a date has already been set in the Community of Madrid. The 2026–2027 school year will begin on Monday, September 7, for preschool and elementary school, while students in middle school, high school, and vocational training will return a day later, on Tuesday, September 8. Classes will end on Friday, June 18, 2027, for most programs.
The calendar includes several long weekends and breaks marked in red. The longest will be Easter: although the official vacation runs from March 20 to 28, the non-school days on Friday, March 19, and Monday, March 29, will mean that many students will have 11 consecutive days off from school.
When does the school year start in Madrid?
The start of the school year will not be the same for all educational levels:
- Second cycle of Early Childhood Education, Elementary School, and Special Education: Monday, September 7, 2026.
- Secondary Education (ESO), High School (Bachillerato), Vocational Training, music conservatories, and Official Language Schools: Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
- Higher Arts Education: Wednesday, September 9, 2026.
- Adult Education and the first year of Visual Arts and Design: Monday, September 21, 2026.
Activities at publicly funded schools will generally take place between September 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Preschools and other early childhood education centers will remain open until July 30.
Christmas: vacation through January
The Christmas break will begin on Wednesday, December 23, 2026. Officially, the break will last until Wednesday, January 6, 2027, but January 7 and 8 will be non-school days. In practice, students will not return to class until Monday, January 11.
This results in a 19-day break, from December 23 through Sunday, January 10, both dates included.
An 11-day Holy Week
The second major break of the school year will come in March. The official Holy Week vacation will run from Saturday , March 20, to Sunday, March 28, 2027. However, Friday, March 19, and Monday, March 29, have been designated as non-school days in Madrid’s schools.
Therefore, students will be able to enjoy 11 consecutive days off from school: from Friday, March 19, through Monday, March 29. Classes will resume on Tuesday, March 30.
Holidays and School Long Weekends
The first quarter includes several of the most anticipated days off of the school year, including the December long weekend. These are the general dates listed on the calendar:
- Monday, October 12, 2026: Spain’s National Day.
- Monday, November 2, 2026: All Saints’ Day holiday rescheduled.
- Monday, December 7, 2026: non-school day.
- Tuesday, December 8, 2026: Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
- Thursday, January 7, 2027: no classes.
- Friday, January 8, 2027: no school.
- Friday, February 12, 2027: non-school day.
- Monday, February 15, 2027: no classes.
- Friday, March 19, 2027: no classes.
- Monday, March 29, 2027: non-school day.
In addition to these dates, there will be two local holidays set by each municipality. In Madrid, for example, Monday, November 9, will be a holiday in celebration of the Almudena.
When do classes end?
The 2026–2027 school year will end on Friday, June 18, for most students in preschool, elementary school, special education, ESO, vocational training, official language schools, and the first year of high school.
Summer vacation will begin on July 1, except for preschool programs, early childhood education programs, daycare centers, and publicly funded private preschools, which will remain open until July 30.