School calendar

NZ School Term Dates

Official term dates and school holidays for 2026, 2027 and 2028. Plan ahead and add to your calendar.

Right now
Term 2 2026 – in progress
Ends Fri, 3 Jul · 51 days to go
Next break
4 Jul – 19 Jul
Starts in 7 weeks · Term 2 holidays

2026

This year
Term

Term 1

10 weeks
2 Feb – 2 Apr
Schools start between 26 Jan – 9 Feb
6 Feb · Waitangi Day
School holidays

After Term 1

17 days
Fri, 3 Apr – Sun, 19 Apr
3 Apr · Good Friday6 Apr · Easter Monday7 Apr · Easter Tuesday
Term

Term 2

You are here
11 weeks
20 Apr – 3 Jul
27 Apr · Anzac Day (observed)1 Jun · King's Birthday
School holidays

After Term 2

16 days
Sat, 4 Jul – Sun, 19 Jul
10 Jul · Matariki
Term

Term 3

10 weeks
20 Jul – 25 Sept
School holidays

After Term 3

16 days
Sat, 26 Sept – Sun, 11 Oct
Term

Term 4

10 weeks
12 Oct – 18 Dec
26 Oct · Labour Day
School holidays

Summer holidays (Term 4 2026 → Term 1 2027)

44 days
Sat, 19 Dec – Sun, 31 Jan

Looking ahead

2027
Term 1 starts 1 Feb · Term 4 ends 17 Dec
Term

Term 1

11 weeks
1 Feb – 9 Apr
Schools start between 28 Jan – 3 Feb
8 Feb · Waitangi Day (observed)26 Mar · Good Friday29 Mar · Easter Monday30 Mar · Easter Tuesday
School holidays

After Term 1

17 days
Sat, 10 Apr – Mon, 26 Apr
26 Apr · Anzac Day (observed)
Term

Term 2

10 weeks
27 Apr – 2 Jul
7 Jun · King's Birthday25 Jun · Matariki
School holidays

After Term 2

16 days
Sat, 3 Jul – Sun, 18 Jul
Term

Term 3

10 weeks
19 Jul – 24 Sept
School holidays

After Term 3

16 days
Sat, 25 Sept – Sun, 10 Oct
Term

Term 4

10 weeks
11 Oct – 17 Dec
25 Oct · Labour Day
School holidays

Summer holidays (Term 4 2027 → Term 1 2028)

44 days
Sat, 18 Dec – Sun, 30 Jan
2028
Term 1 starts 31 Jan · Term 4 ends 15 Dec
Term

Term 1

11 weeks
31 Jan – 13 Apr
Schools start between 31 Jan – 8 Feb
7 Feb · Waitangi Day (observed)
School holidays

After Term 1

17 days
Fri, 14 Apr – Sun, 30 Apr
14 Apr · Good Friday17 Apr · Easter Monday18 Apr · Easter Tuesday25 Apr · Anzac Day
Term

Term 2

10 weeks
1 May – 7 Jul
5 Jun · King's Birthday
School holidays

After Term 2

16 days
Sat, 8 Jul – Sun, 23 Jul
14 Jul · Matariki
Term

Term 3

10 weeks
24 Jul – 29 Sept
School holidays

After Term 3

16 days
Sat, 30 Sept – Sun, 15 Oct
Term

Term 4

9 weeks
16 Oct – 15 Dec
23 Oct · Labour Day
School holidays

Summer holidays (Term 4 2028 → Term 1 2029)

47 days
Sat, 16 Dec – Wed, 31 Jan

Common questions

When are the next NZ school holidays?
The next school holidays start Sat, 4 Jul and run through Sun, 19 Jul. School returns the following Monday.
When does Term 2 start in 2026?
Monday 20 April 2026. Term 2 runs through Friday 3 July 2026.
Are private schools the same?
State and state-integrated schools follow the Ministry of Education dates shown here. Private schools set their own dates and may differ by a few days — check directly with the school.
Why does Term 1 have a date range for the start?
Schools have a window in late January / early February to start Term 1, so the exact first day varies by school. Check with your school for their start date — the range shown is the official MoE window.
Do public holidays mean schools are closed?
Yes. Schools are closed for all gazetted public holidays that fall on a weekday during term — Waitangi Day, Easter, Anzac Day, King's Birthday, Matariki and Labour Day. They're shown inline on each term above.

Dates shown are the official Ministry of Education term dates for state and state-integrated schools in New Zealand. The school year runs from late January to mid-December. Private schools set their own dates and may vary slightly.