2026 school holidays and term dates in New Zealand
The school holiday periods between terms in 2026 are 3 to 19 April 2026, 4 to 19 July 2026, 26 September to 11 October 2026, and the summer holidays begin no later than 19 December 2026.
Term dates 2026
| Period | Dates | Length | Half days (Ministry figure) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Starts between and (each school chooses); ends up to 10 weeks · 78-96 half days | up to 10 weeks | 78-96 |
| Term 1 holidays (April) | to Back at school Monday 20 April 20262 weeks and 3 days | 2 weeks and 3 days | Not applicable |
| Term 2 | to 11 weeks · 106 half days | 11 weeks | 106 |
| Term 2 holidays (July) | to Back at school Monday 20 July 20262 weeks and 2 days | 2 weeks and 2 days | Not applicable |
| Term 3 | to 10 weeks · 100 half days | 10 weeks | 100 |
| Term 3 holidays (September to October) | to Back at school Monday 12 October 20262 weeks and 2 days | 2 weeks and 2 days | Not applicable |
| Term 4 | to no later than up to 10 weeks · up to 98 half days | up to 10 weeks | up to 98 |
| Summer holidays | Start no later than , from each school’s closing date until it opens in 20275 or 6 weeks | 5 or 6 weeks | Not applicable |
Add to your calendar (.ics) Calendar dates come from official publications or legislation, with no estimates and a source link for each event.
Print this page for a one-page 2026 term dates sheet with just the heading and term table.
Key facts
- Holiday periods
- 3 holiday periods between terms, plus the summer holidays
- Holiday weekdays Calculated
- 31 weekdays in the holidays between terms, excluding summer
- Longest break between terms Calculated
- Term 1 holidays, 11 weekdays (17 days in all)
- Shortest break between terms Calculated
- Term 2 holidays and Term 3 holidays, tied at 10 weekdays (16 days in all)
- First school day
- Between Monday 26 January 2026 and Monday 9 February 2026, on a day each school chooses
- Last school day
- No later than Friday 18 December 2026; a school may close earlier once it has met its half-day minimum.
- Term weekdays Calculated
- Up to 204 weekdays of term time (about 41 weeks), before deducting public holidays and teacher-only days
A fact marked Calculated is worked out from the official dates linked below, rather than quoted from the source.
Use the 2026 table to follow the school calendar from the Term 1 opening window through to summer. It lists the holidays after each of the first three terms, the latest end of Term 4, the summer holiday boundaries and the Ministry’s published half-day counts. Your school’s opening and closing choices determine its exact summer break. Public holidays that fall within a term also close schools, and are listed alongside Easter Tuesday so these separate closures are easy to spot. Read the wheel for an overview, then use the table and your school’s notices to organise the details.
Holiday lengths count every day from the first to the last, weekends included: Term 1 holidays 2 weeks and 3 days, Term 2 holidays 2 weeks and 2 days, Term 3 holidays 2 weeks and 2 days. The Ministry puts the summer holidays at 5 or 6 weeks, from each school’s own closing date to its opening date the following year.
Confirm your school’s first day
Schools select their first day of Term 1 within the published window. The return date therefore varies between schools; check your school’s calendar for its chosen start.
Summer depends on your school
Term 4 must finish by the published date, but a school meeting its half-day requirement may close earlier. Its summer holidays run from its own closing day until its own opening day the following year.
School holiday care in 2026
These counts assume a Monday-to-Friday working week and subtract national public holidays on their observed weekdays, including Mondayised days; regional anniversary days are not subtracted, so check your region. Easter Tuesday counts as a working day because it is a school holiday, not a national public holiday.
| Holiday period | Days in a row | Weekdays | Weekday public holidays | Weekdays when childcare may be needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 holidays Fri 3 to Sun 19 Apr | 17 | 11 | Good Friday (Fri 3 Apr), Easter Monday (Mon 6 Apr) | 9 |
| Term 2 holidays Sat 4 to Sun 19 Jul | 16 | 10 | Matariki (Fri 10 Jul) | 9 |
| Term 3 holidays Sat 26 Sep to Sun 11 Oct | 16 | 10 | None | 10 |
| Summer closure for all state schools Sat 19 Dec to Wed 27 Jan | 40 | 28 | Christmas Day (Fri 25 Dec), Boxing Day (Mon 28 Dec), New Year’s Day (Fri 1 Jan), Day after New Year’s Day (Mon 4 Jan) | 24 |
The summer row counts only the period when all state schools are closed at the same time. Your school's summer break may be longer if it finishes earlier in December or starts later in the first term, so check its dates.
When does school finish in 2026, and when does it go back?
- Term 4 ends no later than ; a school that has met its half-day minimum may close earlier.
- The summer holidays start no later than ; the Ministry puts their length at 5 or 6 weeks, counted from each school’s own closing date to its opening date. The summer holidays 2026/27 page counts the days every school is closed and lists the public holidays inside.
- NCEA and Scholarship exams 2026: to , as listed by NZQA; the NCEA exams 2026 page has the day-by-day timetable by level.
- Term 1 2027: schools open between and , each on its own day.
School calendar 2026 at a glance
- School term
- Term 1 start window
- School holidays
- Summer holidays
- Public holiday
First days back
- Term 1: schools open between and
- After the Term 1 holidays: Term 2 starts
- After the Term 2 holidays: Term 3 starts
- After the Term 3 holidays: Term 4 starts
- After the summer holidays: schools open for Term 1 2027 between and
Public holidays 2026 in the school year
Schools close on public holidays that fall in a term. Easter Tuesday, the day after Easter Monday, is a school holiday as well, though not a national public holiday. The full list with Mondayised dates is on the public holidays 2026 page, and the long weekends 2026 page shows the 8 runs of three or more days off they make.
| Public holiday | Date | School calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Anzac Day | (Mondayised: ) | Term 2: schools close |
| King’s Birthday | Term 2: schools close | |
| Labour Day | Term 4: schools close | |
| New Year’s Day | Summer holidays | |
| Day after New Year’s Day | Summer holidays | |
| Waitangi Day | Term 1 start window (closed if your school has already opened) | |
| Good Friday | Term 1 holidays | |
| Easter Monday | Term 1 holidays | |
| Matariki | Term 2 holidays | |
| Christmas Day | Summer holidays | |
| Boxing Day | (Mondayised: ) | Summer holidays |
| Easter Tuesday (school holiday, not a national public holiday) | Term 1 holidays |
Half days and the Ministry’s requirements for 2026
In the words of the Ministry of Education:
Primary, intermediate and specialist schools must be open for instruction for a minimum of 378 half days in 2026.
Secondary and composite schools must be open for instruction for a minimum of 376 half days in 2026.
Schools have flexibility to choose the start and end dates of their school year, so long as they start between Monday 26 January and Monday 9 February, and end no later than 18 December 2026.
Where a school does not use the curriculum days the requirement allows for, the minimum reverts to 382 for primary, intermediate and specialist schools and 380 for secondary and composite schools.
Term 4 must end no later than ; a school may close earlier if it has met its half-day minimum.
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.
2026 cohort entry dates
The Minister sets these 2026 dates at the start and middle of each term for new entrants starting together at schools using cohort entry. The Ministry's wording follows; ask your school whether it uses cohort entry.
In the words of the Ministry of Education:
Cohort entry is where children start school for the first time in groups on set dates, rather than on or after their fifth birthday.
At schools using cohort entry, children can start on one of 8 set dates throughout the year.
Once your child turns 5 you can choose any of the dates below. They can’t start before they turn 5 but must start by the time they turn 6.
The start dates are set by the Minister of Education. Schools using cohort entry must use these dates and cannot change them.
Not all schools use cohort entry, so you'll need to check with the school when you enrol your child about when they can start.
| Term | Term start | Mid-term start |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Term 1 start window: Monday 26 January 2026 to Monday 9 February 2026 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| Term 3 | ||
| Term 4 |
Common questions
- When do school holidays start in 2026?
- The school holiday periods between terms in 2026 are 3 to 19 April 2026, 4 to 19 July 2026, 26 September to 11 October 2026, and the summer holidays begin no later than 19 December 2026. Check your school's own calendar before arranging care for the 2026 holidays, especially over summer when it may close before the latest permitted finish.
- When does school go back in 2026?
- In 2026, schools open for Term 1 between 26 January and 9 February 2026, then return for Term 2 on Monday 20 April 2026, Term 3 on Monday 20 July 2026, Term 4 on Monday 12 October 2026. Your school chooses its first day within the Term 1 start window; check its 2026 calendar and notices for your child's return arrangements.
- Are teacher-only days included for 2026?
- Teacher-only days are not included in the national dates for 2026. Each school sets these closures and shares them through its own calendar or notices.
Official sources
- Ministry of Education: School terms and holidays dates (read )
- Employment New Zealand: Public holidays and anniversary dates (read )
- Ministry of Education: Terms, holidays and cohort entry 2025-2026 (read )
- Ministry of Education: Cohort or group entry for children starting school (read )
Every date here was compared with the official pages on . Should anything differ, the official page is right. How dates are checked.