Changes to the semester structure from 2026/27
Posted on Monday 23 February 2026
After introducing semesters in 2023, we wanted to check they were working as well as intended. An extensive consultation was carried out, including a staff and student survey with over 500 responses and meetings with various staff and student groups, including the Students’ Union and Trade Unions.
The review indicated there are a few problems with current arrangements, namely:
- issues with student engagement during the lengthy period between semester 1 and semester 2
- timing problems with undergraduate summer resits, where there can be insufficient time for marking and notification of results before the start of the following academic year
Therefore, after listening to your feedback, changes to semesters from 2026/27 will focus on reducing the length of the winter break and fixing the Late Summer Assessment Period timeline.
Key changes from 2026/27:
1. Winter vacation will be one week shorter
2. The summer undergraduate resit period will be one week earlier in Weeks 9 and 10 of the summer semester
The changes will reduce the amount of time students are ‘out of contact’ during December and January whilst still allowing exams to be spread out over a three-week assessment period. There will also be extended timings over the summer assessment period, reducing pressure on staff and ensuring students receive their results before the start of the following academic year.
The ultimate aim of the changes is to improve staff and student wellbeing, provide greater clarity, and allow additional time for marking and assessment boards.
See further information and future dates on our semesters for staff page.