About

Academic calendar

Here you'll find key dates for the 2025-26 academic year, including teaching weeks, exam periods and vacations for all taught courses.

The calendar information below is for:

  • higher education (university) courses at ARU
  • college courses at Writtle College.


Higher education courses

These dates relate to university courses at ARU in Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough and Writtle. They also cover our academic partners in the UK.

Many of our undergraduate degrees are taught over two trimesters (Trimester 1 from September-December, and Trimester 2 from January-April/May), but some are taught over three.

Trimester 1

  • Welcome Week: 15–19 September 2025
  • Trimester 1 teaching (11+1 weeks): 22 September–12 December 2025
  • Examinations: 15–19 December 2025

Trimester 2

  • Welcome Week: 12–16 January 2026
  • Trimester 2 teaching (11+1 weeks): 19 January–24 April 2026
  • Examinations: 27 April–8 May 2026

Trimester 3

  • Trimester 3 teaching (11+1 weeks): 11 May–31 July August 2026
  • Examinations: 3–7 August 2026

Vacations

  • Christmas: Monday 22 December 2025–Friday 2 January 2026 (inclusive)
  • Easter: Monday 30 March–Friday 10 April 2026 (inclusive)

Download the academic calendar (higher education) 2025-26

Many of our undergraduate degrees are taught over two trimesters (Trimester 1 from September-December, and Trimester 2 from January-April/May), but some are taught over three.

Trimester 1

  • Welcome Week: 14–18 September 2026
  • Trimester 1 teaching (11+1 weeks): 21 September–11 December 2026
  • Examinations: 14–18 December 2026

Trimester 2

  • Welcome Week: 11–15 January 2027
  • Trimester 2 teaching (11+1 weeks): 18 January–23 April 2027
  • Examinations: 26 April–7 May 2027

Trimester 3

  • Welcome Week: 4–7 May 2027
  • Trimester 3 teaching (11+1 weeks): 10 May–30 July 2027
  • Examinations: 2–6 August 2027

Vacations

  • Christmas: Monday 21 December 2026–Friday 1 January 2027 (inclusive)
  • Easter: Monday 22 March–Friday 2 April 2027 (inclusive)

Download the academic calendar (higher education) 2026-27


College courses

These dates relate to further education courses at Writtle College.

Autumn term

  • 1 September–19 December 2025 (induction for first-year students takes place from 1-5 September; returning students start back on Monday 8 September 2025)
  • Half-term 27–31 October 2025

Spring term

  • 5 January–27 March 2026
  • Half-term 16–20 February 2026

Summer term

  • 13 April–12 June 2026
  • Bank holidays: Monday 4 May 2026, Monday 25 May 2026, Monday 31 August 2026

Inset days

(Teacher training, no pupils)

  • 13 November 2025
  • 14 January 2026
  • 21 April 2026
  • 22 April 2026

Vacation

  • Christmas: 22 December 2025–2 January 2026 inclusive
  • Easter: 30 March–10 April 2026 inclusive

Download the academic calendar (further education) 2025-26

Autumn term

  • 1 September–18 December 2026 (induction for first-year students takes place from 1-4 September; returning students start back on Monday 7 September 2025)
  • Half-term 26–30 October 2026

Spring term

  • 5 January–25 March 2027
  • Half-term 15–19 February 2027

Summer term

  • 12 April–18 June 2027
  • Bank holidays: Friday 26 March 2027, Monday 3 May 2027, Monday 31 May 2027, Monday 30 August 2027

Inset days

(Teacher training, no pupils)

  • 19 October 2026
  • 25 November 2026
  • 18 December 2026
  • 4 January 2027
  • 12 February 2027

Vacation

  • Christmas: 21 December 2026–1 January 2027 inclusive
  • Easter: 26 March–9 April 2027 inclusive

Download the academic calendar (further education) 2026-27