Term Dates NZNZ term dates, school holidays and public holidays

School years side by side

NZ school holidays and term dates 2026 to 2028

The years side by side

What changes from year to year: terms and holidays 2026 to 2028
Period202620272028
Term 1: schools open between and and and
Term 1 ends
Term 1 holidays to (2 weeks and 3 days) to (2 weeks and 3 days) to (2 weeks and 3 days)
Term 2 to to to
Term 2 holidays to (2 weeks and 2 days) to (2 weeks and 2 days) to (2 weeks and 2 days)
Term 3 to to to
Term 3 holidays to (2 weeks and 2 days) to (2 weeks and 2 days) to (2 weeks and 2 days)
Term 4 to no later than to no later than to no later than
Summer holidays startno later than no later than no later than
Holiday weekdays between terms Calculated31 weekdays31 weekdays31 weekdays

Compare the published school years to see which parts of the calendar stay fixed and which need a closer look. Each year includes the opening window for Term 1, its end aligned with Easter where possible, the fixed dates for Term 2 and Term 3, and the latest permitted closing date for Term 4. The comparison table puts those details together, while a separate page for each year includes the holiday periods and other school closures. The Ministry of Education’s wording is quoted below so you can read the conditions behind the dates, including the flexibility individual schools have.

School holidays 2026

Term dates and school holidays 2026, state and state-integrated schools (Ministry of Education)
PeriodDatesLength
Term 1Starts between and (each school chooses); ends up to 10 weeksup to 10 weeks
Term 1 holidays (April) to Back at school Monday 20 April 20262 weeks and 3 days2 weeks and 3 days
Term 2 to 11 weeks11 weeks
Term 2 holidays (July) to Back at school Monday 20 July 20262 weeks and 2 days2 weeks and 2 days
Term 3 to 10 weeks10 weeks
Term 3 holidays (September to October) to Back at school Monday 12 October 20262 weeks and 2 days2 weeks and 2 days
Term 4 to no later than up to 10 weeksup to 10 weeks
Summer holidaysStart no later than , from each school’s closing date until it opens in 20275 or 6 weeks5 or 6 weeks

The 2026 page: year wheel, half days, public holidays inside the school year and the first days back

School holidays 2027

Term dates and school holidays 2027, state and state-integrated schools (Ministry of Education)
PeriodDatesLength
Term 1Starts between and (each school chooses); ends up to 11 weeksup to 11 weeks
Term 1 holidays (April) to Back at school Tuesday 27 April 20272 weeks and 3 days2 weeks and 3 days
Term 2 to 10 weeks10 weeks
Term 2 holidays (July) to Back at school Monday 19 July 20272 weeks and 2 days2 weeks and 2 days
Term 3 to 10 weeks10 weeks
Term 3 holidays (September to October) to Back at school Monday 11 October 20272 weeks and 2 days2 weeks and 2 days
Term 4 to no later than up to 10 weeksup to 10 weeks
Summer holidaysStart no later than , from each school’s closing date until it opens in 20285 or 6 weeks5 or 6 weeks

The 2027 page: year wheel, half days, public holidays inside the school year and the first days back

School holidays 2028

Term dates and school holidays 2028, state and state-integrated schools (Ministry of Education)
PeriodDatesLength
Term 1Starts between and (each school chooses); ends up to 11 weeksup to 11 weeks
Term 1 holidays (April) to Back at school Monday 1 May 20282 weeks and 3 days2 weeks and 3 days
Term 2 to 10 weeks10 weeks
Term 2 holidays (July) to Back at school Monday 24 July 20282 weeks and 2 days2 weeks and 2 days
Term 3 to 10 weeks10 weeks
Term 3 holidays (September to October) to Back at school Monday 16 October 20282 weeks and 2 days2 weeks and 2 days
Term 4 to no later than up to 9 weeksup to 9 weeks
Summer holidaysStart no later than , from each school’s closing date until it opens in 20295 or 6 weeks5 or 6 weeks

The 2028 page: year wheel, half days, public holidays inside the school year and the first days back

Awaiting official dates

2029: the Ministry of Education has not yet published these dates. They are marked as not yet published here until official dates are available.

The summer holidays, break by break

NCEA and Scholarship exam dates

How the Ministry sets the dates

In the words of the Ministry of Education:

Schools and kura kaupapa Māori have some flexibility to decide when Term 1 starts and when Term 4 finishes. Terms 2 and 3 are fixed.

Where possible, we align the end of the first term with the Easter holidays. This can make Term 1 shorter or longer depending on when Easter falls.

Secondary schools need to open for slightly fewer days per year than primary and intermediate schools. They may close earlier at the end of the year.

Summer holidays run for 5 or 6 weeks (from school's closing date until opening date of school the following year).

When schools close during a term

In the words of the Ministry of Education:

During a school term, schools will close for:

Saturdays and Sundays

teacher-only days

public holidays and local anniversary days

the Tuesday following Easter Monday

any emergency that requires the school to close.

Local teacher-only days

Schools also close for teacher-only days. Each school decides when these happen, so the Ministry does not publish a central set of dates. Ask your school for its notices.

Reading the half-day figures

The Ministry measures school opening time in half days and publishes a figure for each term. These figures are shown exactly as the Ministry publishes them. Where a range appears, the total depends on the opening date the school selected.

Private school calendars

This calendar covers state and state-integrated schools. Private schools may choose their own term dates and may open on Easter Tuesday, so confirm their arrangements directly.

Common questions

Why does Term 1 have an opening window?
The Ministry allows each school to select its first day within a published window. The comparison table shows the boundaries of that window; your school confirms the day its students return.
Why do the holidays after Term 1 move?
The end of Term 1 is aligned with Easter where possible, and Easter shifts between years. Compare the holiday entries in the table to see how each published school year is arranged.
How far ahead are school dates published?
The Ministry publishes future school calendars in advance. This table includes the years currently available from its official page; an unpublished year is left without estimated dates.

Official sources

Every date here was compared with the official pages on . Should anything differ, the official page is right. How dates are checked.