Reference

NZ School Terms and Holidays 2026 and 2027

Last updated: May 2026

4 Terms

Per School Year

~2 weeks

Between Terms

~6 weeks

Summer Break

New Zealand state and state-integrated schools run four terms a year. Terms 2 and 3 have fixed nationwide dates; schools have some flexibility on when Term 1 starts and Term 4 finishes. The dates below are the Ministry of Education dates for 2026 and 2027. Always confirm exact start and end dates with your own school.

School Costs Calculator Childcare Cost Calculator Travel Budget Calculator

2026 School Terms

Term	Dates
Term 1	Late January / early February to Thursday 2 April
Term 2	Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July
Term 3	Monday 20 July to Friday 25 September
Term 4	Monday 12 October to mid-December (no later than 18 December)

2027 School Terms

Term	Dates
Term 1	Late January / early February to Friday 9 April
Term 2	Tuesday 27 April to Friday 2 July
Term 3	Monday 19 July to Friday 24 September
Term 4	Monday 11 October to mid-December (no later than 17 December)

Source: Ministry of Education - School terms and holidays. Term 1 start and Term 4 end vary by school within a set range; Terms 2 and 3 are fixed nationally.

School Holidays

The breaks fall between the terms: roughly two weeks after Term 1 (April), two weeks after Term 2 (July), two weeks after Term 3 (September/October), and the long summer break of around six weeks from mid-December to late January or early February. These dates matter for booking holiday care, planning trips and budgeting for school holiday programmes.

Source: govt.nz - School terms. See also our Childcare Subsidies and Public Holidays references.

Calculate.co.nz is partnered with Interest.co.nz for New Zealand's highest quality calculators and financial analysis.

All calculators and tools are provided for educational and indicative purposes only and do not constitute financial advice.

Calculate.co.nz is proudly part of the Realtor.co.nz group, New Zealand's leading property transaction literacy platform, helping Kiwis understand the home buying and selling process from start to finish. Whether you're a first home buyer navigating your first property purchase, an investor evaluating your next acquisition, or a homeowner planning to sell, Realtor.co.nz provides clear, independent, and trustworthy guidance on every step of the New Zealand property transaction journey.

Calculate.co.nz is also partnered with Health Based Building and Premium Homes to promote informed choices that lead to better long-term outcomes for Kiwi households.

All content on this website, including calculators, tools, source code, and design, is protected under the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). No part of this site may be reproduced, copied, distributed, stored, or used in any form without prior written permission from the owner.