This decision has been made to ensure safe staffing levels as many colleagues are expected to celebrate Eid al‑Fitr, which is likely to fall on Friday 20 March 2026, subject to the sighting of the new crescent moon.

What is an Ealing Occasional Day?

In the school year:

1. Pupils must attend 190 days.
2. Staff are contracted to work 195 days. These days must fall within the 198 days set in the local authority calendar.

The three additional days within this 198‑day window are known as Ealing Occasional Days. Schools can allocate these flexibly for operational or logistical reasons.

We have already allocated two Occasional Days to the end of the summer term. Our final remaining Occasional Day will now be used on Friday 20 March.

Why are we closing on this date?

Eid al‑Fitr is expected to be celebrated on Friday 20 March 2026, depending on the sighting of the Shawwal moon. Multiple UK and international Islamic sources confirm this projected date:

A significant number of staff have indicated they will be celebrating Eid with their families. As a result, the school would not be able to operate safely or effectively on this date, making the use of an Occasional Day the most appropriate and responsible option.

Why couldn’t we confirm this earlier?

Islamic dates are not fixed in advance because they depend on the sighting of the new crescent moon, which can only be confirmed very close to the date. The start of Shawwal, and therefore Eid al‑Fitr, is determined when the new moon is sighted after the 29th or 30th day of Ramadan.

Weather conditions, visibility, and regional differences mean confirmation can vary between communities, which is why we asked families to reserve three ‘floating’ days earlier in the year. Once the likely date was identified (this week) and staffing implications became clear, we were able to make this announcement.

Reopening

School will reopen as normal on Monday 23 March.

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