New Zealand school holidays 2026

2026 school terms# Primary and intermediate school terms and holidays 2026 calendar DownloadICS | 518KB Secondary and composite school terms and holidays 2026 calendar DownloadICS | 518KB Term 1 (up to 10 weeks)# Starts between Monday 26 January and Monday 9 February and ends Thursday 2 April 2026 (78-96 half days). Public holiday: Waitangi Day – Friday 6 February. Term 2 (11 weeks)# Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July 2026 (106 half days). Public holidays: Anzac Day – Saturday 25 April (Anzac Day observed on Monday 27 April) and King’s Birthday – Monday 1 June. Term 3 (10 weeks)# Monday 20 July to Friday 25 September 2026 (100 half days). Term 4 (up to 10 weeks)# Monday 12 October to no later than Friday 18 December 2026 (up to 98 half days). Public holiday: Labour Day – Monday 26 October. Half-day opening requirement 2026# 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. Unused curriculum half-days# If schools do not use the curriculum half-days granted by the Minister of Education, the minimum half-day requirement reverts to: 382 for primary, intermediate and specialist schools 380 for secondary and composite schools. 2026 school holidays# Term 1# Friday 3 April to Sunday 19 April 2026. Public holidays: Good Friday 3 April, Easter Monday 6 April, Easter Tuesday 7 April (a school holiday). Term 2# Saturday 4 July to Sunday 19 July 2026. Public holiday: Matariki – Friday 10 July. Term 3# Saturday 26 September to Sunday 11 October 2026. Summer holidays# Start no later than Saturday 19 December 2026 and run for 5 or 6 weeks (from school's closing date until opening date of school the following year).