2027-2028 School Calendar for Zone A: Dates and PDF

Q: What are the dates of the 2028 winter holidays in Zone A?

Departure is on Saturday, February 19, 2028, after classes, and classes resume on Monday, March 6, 2028, in the morning. If the student does not have classes on Saturday, their holiday begins on Friday, February 18, after classes.

Q: What are the dates of the 2028 spring holidays in Zone A?

Spring break begins on Saturday, April 22, 2028, after classes. Classes resume on Tuesday morning, May 9, 2028.

Q: Are Lyon, Bordeaux, and Grenoble in the same zone?

Yes. The Lyon, Bordeaux, and Grenoble academies all belong to Zone A and therefore follow the same dates for the winter and spring holidays.

Q: Is there class on Friday, May 26, 2028?

No. The national school calendar provides for no classes on Friday, May 26, and Saturday, May 27, 2028, immediately after Ascension Thursday.

Q: When do the 2028 summer holidays begin?

Summer holidays begin on Tuesday, July 4, 2028, after classes end. Adjustments may still be made in some middle and high schools due to end-of-year exams.

Do you live in Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Dijon or another academy in Zone A? Here are all the dates to remember to organize the 2027–2028 school year: students’ return to school, All Saints’ holiday, Christmas, winter and spring holidays, public holidays and the Ascension bridge holiday.

Download the 2027–2028 Zone A school calendar in PDF format

Key dates for the 2027–2028 school year in Zone A

Event	Date
Teachers’ preparation day	Wednesday, September 1, 2027
Students’ return to school	Thursday, September 2, 2027
Start of the summer holidays	Tuesday, July 4, 2028, after classes

The start of the school year, the All Saints’ and Christmas holidays, as well as the start of the summer holidays, are the same in Zones A, B and C. However, the winter and spring holidays vary depending on the zone.

2027–2028 school holiday dates — Zone A

Period	Departure after classes	Classes resume in the morning
All Saints’ holidays	Saturday, October 23, 2027	Monday, November 8, 2027
Christmas holidays	Saturday, December 18, 2027	Monday, January 3, 2028
Winter holidays — Zone A	Saturday, February 19, 2028	Monday, March 6, 2028
Spring holidays — Zone A	Saturday, April 22, 2028	Tuesday, May 9, 2028
Summer holidays	Tuesday, July 4, 2028	See the 2028–2029 calendar separately

Good to know: when holidays begin on a Saturday, students who do not have classes that day leave school on Friday after classes. For the Zone A winter holidays, this means Friday evening, February 18, 2028; for the spring holidays, Friday evening, April 21, 2028.

Which academies belong to Zone A?

Zone A includes eight academies:

Besançon;
Bordeaux;
Clermont-Ferrand;
Dijon;
Grenoble;
Limoges;
Lyon;
Poitiers.

This calendar therefore applies in particular to students attending school in Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Grenoble, Annecy, Chambéry, Bordeaux, Pau, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Besançon, Limoges or Poitiers. The zone is determined by the academy in which the school is located, not by the family’s place of residence.

Public holidays and bridge days during the school year

Public holiday or interruption	Date	Situation in Zone A
All Saints’ Day	Monday, November 1, 2027	During the All Saints’ holidays
Armistice Day	Thursday, November 11, 2027	No classes
Christmas Day	Saturday, December 25, 2027	During the Christmas holidays
New Year’s Day	Saturday, January 1, 2028	During the Christmas holidays
Easter Monday	Monday, April 17, 2028	No classes, before the spring holidays
Labour Day	Monday, May 1, 2028	During the spring holidays
Victory in Europe Day	Monday, May 8, 2028	During the spring holidays
Ascension Day	Thursday, May 25, 2028	No classes
Ascension bridge holiday	Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27, 2028	There will be no classes throughout metropolitan France
Whit Monday	Monday, June 5, 2028	No classes

What distinguishes Zone A in 2027–2028

Zone A starts its winter and spring holidays last. The winter holidays begin one week after those in Zone C and two weeks after those in Zone B. In spring, classes do not resume until Tuesday, May 9: May 1 and May 8 both fall during the holidays.

Period	Zone A	Zone B	Zone C
Winter holidays	Feb. 19 → Mar. 6	Feb. 5 → 21	Feb. 12 → 28
Spring holidays	Apr. 22 → May 9	Apr. 8 → 24	Apr. 15 → May 2

A few guidelines for organizing the year

The easiest periods to plan ahead are the holidays shared by all three zones: All Saints’ and Christmas. For a ski trip, Zone A overlaps with Zone C during the first week of its winter holidays, then travels alone during the second week. In spring, the long break lasting until May 9 can be a good opportunity to plan a trip or nearby activities without adding days of school absence.

Looking for an activity to enjoy during the holidays? Coddy urban escape games for families or friends let you discover a city while playing. Routes are also available for school outings.

Source: Order of July 21, 2026 establishing the 2027–2028 school calendar, published in the Official Journal on July 23, 2026. Corsica and the overseas territories follow specific calendars.