2028 school holidays and term dates in New Zealand
The school holiday periods between terms in 2028 are 14 to 30 April 2028, 8 to 23 July 2028, 30 September to 15 October 2028, and the summer holidays begin no later than 16 December 2028.
Term dates 2028
| Period | Dates | Length | Half days (Ministry figure) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Starts between and (each school chooses); ends up to 11 weeks · 96-106 half days | up to 11 weeks | 96-106 |
| Term 1 holidays (April) | to Back at school Monday 1 May 20282 weeks and 3 days | 2 weeks and 3 days | Not applicable |
| Term 2 | to 10 weeks · 98 half days | 10 weeks | 98 |
| Term 2 holidays (July) | to Back at school Monday 24 July 20282 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 16 October 20282 weeks and 2 days | 2 weeks and 2 days | Not applicable |
| Term 4 | to no later than up to 9 weeks · up to 88 half days | up to 9 weeks | up to 88 |
| Summer holidays | Start no later than , from each school’s closing date until it opens in 20295 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 2028 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 31 January 2028 and Tuesday 8 February 2028, on a day each school chooses
- Last school day
- No later than Friday 15 December 2028; a school may close earlier once it has met its half-day minimum.
- Term weekdays Calculated
- Up to 199 weekdays of term time (about 40 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 2028 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 2028
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 14 to Sun 30 Apr | 17 | 11 | Good Friday (Fri 14 Apr), Easter Monday (Mon 17 Apr), Anzac Day (Tue 25 Apr) | 8 |
| Term 2 holidays Sat 8 to Sun 23 Jul | 16 | 10 | Matariki (Fri 14 Jul) | 9 |
| Term 3 holidays Sat 30 Sep to Sun 15 Oct | 16 | 10 | None | 10 |
When does school finish in 2028, 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 2029 term dates are not yet published by the Ministry of Education.
School calendar 2028 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: the 2029 dates are not yet published by the Ministry of Education
Public holidays 2028 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 2028 page, and the long weekends 2028 page shows the 6 runs of three or more days off they make.
| Public holiday | Date | School calendar |
|---|---|---|
| King’s Birthday | Term 2: schools close | |
| Labour Day | Term 4: schools close | |
| New Year’s Day | (Mondayised: ) | Summer holidays |
| Day after New Year’s Day | (Mondayised: ) | Summer holidays |
| Waitangi Day | (Mondayised: ) | Term 1 start window (closed if your school has already opened) |
| Good Friday | Term 1 holidays | |
| Easter Monday | Term 1 holidays | |
| Anzac Day | Term 1 holidays | |
| Matariki | Term 2 holidays | |
| Easter Tuesday (school holiday, not a national public holiday) | Term 1 holidays |
Half days and the Ministry’s requirements for 2028
In the words of the Ministry of Education:
Primary, intermediate and specialist schools are required to be open for instruction for a minimum of 382 half days in 2028.
Secondary and composite schools are required to be open for instruction for a minimum of 380 half days in 2028.
Schools have flexibility to choose the start and end dates of their school year, so long as they start between Monday 31 January and Tuesday 8 February, and end no later than 15 December 2028.
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.
2028 cohort entry dates
The Minister sets these 2028 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 31 January 2028 to Tuesday 8 February 2028 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| Term 3 | ||
| Term 4 |
Common questions
- When do school holidays start in 2028?
- The school holiday periods between terms in 2028 are 14 to 30 April 2028, 8 to 23 July 2028, 30 September to 15 October 2028, and the summer holidays begin no later than 16 December 2028. Check your school's own calendar before arranging care for the 2028 holidays, especially over summer when it may close before the latest permitted finish.
- When does school go back in 2028?
- In 2028, schools open for Term 1 between 31 January and 8 February 2028, then return for Term 2 on Monday 1 May 2028, Term 3 on Monday 24 July 2028, Term 4 on Monday 16 October 2028. Your school chooses its first day within the Term 1 start window; check its 2028 calendar and notices for your child's return arrangements.
- Are teacher-only days included for 2028?
- Teacher-only days are not included in the national dates for 2028. 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 )
- Holidays Act 2003 (2003 No 129), sections 44, 45 and 45A, "Version as at 20 December 2023" (New Zealand Legislation) (read )
- Ministry of Education: Terms, holidays and cohort entry dates 2027-2028 (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.