Academic calendar

Check key dates for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years, including teaching weeks, exam periods and vacations for all taught courses.

The calendar information below is for:



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: 16-20 September 2024
  • Trimester 1 teaching (11+1 weeks): 23 September–13 December 2024
  • Examinations: 16–20 December 2024

Trimester 2

  • Welcome Week: 13–17 January 2025
  • Trimester 2 teaching (11+1 weeks): 20 January–11 April 2025
  • Examinations: 28 April–14 May 2025

Trimester 3

  • Trimester 3 teaching (11+1 weeks): 12 May–1 August 2025
  • Examinations: 1–8 August 2025

Vacations

  • Christmas: Monday 23 December 2024–Friday 3 January 2025 (inclusive)
  • Easter: Monday 14 April–Friday 25 April 2025 (inclusive)

Download the academic calendar (higher education) 2024-25

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 2027

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


College courses

These dates relate to further education courses at Writtle College.

Autumn term

  • 2 September–20 December 2024 (induction for first-year students takes place from 2-6 September; returning students start back on Monday 9 September)
  • Half-term 28 October–1 November 2024

Spring term

  • 6 January–4 April 2025
  • Half-term 17–21 February 2025

Summer term

  • 24 April–13 June 2025
  • Bank holidays 18 April, 21 April, 5 May, 26 May 2025

Inset days

(Teacher training, no pupils)

  • 25 October 2024
  • 14 November 2024
  • 15 January 2025
  • 23 April 2025

Vacations

  • Christmas: 23 December 2024–3 January 2025 inclusive
  • Easter: 7–21 April 2025 inclusive

Download the academic calendar (further education) 2024-25

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

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