2025 and 2026 School Term Dates and Minimum Half-day Opening Requirement
Under Regulations 6(1) and 7(1) of the Education (When State Schools Must Be Open and Closed) Regulations 2024, I prescribe the number of half-days on which schools must be open and the terms schools must observe for the 2025 and 2026 school years as:
|
2025 School Terms and Holidays |
|
|
Term 1 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
Up to 11 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Starts between Monday 27 January (at the earliest) and Friday 7 February (at the latest), and ends Friday 11 April (92–108 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday 12 April – Sunday 27 April |
|
Term 2 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
9 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday 28 April to Friday 27 June (86 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday 28 June – Sunday 13 July |
|
Term 3 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
10 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday 14 July to Friday 19 September (100 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday 20 September – Sunday 5 October |
|
Term 4 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
Up to 11 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday 6 October to no later than Friday 19 December (up to 108 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
5 to 6 weeks (from school’s closing date until opening date of school the following year) |
Primary, intermediate and specialist schools are required to be open for instruction for 386 half days in 2025.
Secondary and composite schools are required to be open for instruction for 380 half days in 2025.
|
2026 School Terms and Holidays |
|
|
Term 1 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
Up to 10 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Starts between Monday 26 January (at the earliest) and Monday 9 February (at the latest), and ends Thursday 2 April (78–96 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Friday 3 April – Sunday 19 April (includes Good Friday 3 April, Easter Monday 6 April and school holiday Easter Tuesday 7 April) |
|
Term 2 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
11 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday 20 April to Friday 3 July (106 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday 4 July – Sunday 19 July |
|
Term 3 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
10 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday 20 July to Friday 25 September (100 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday 26 September – Sunday 11 October |
|
Term 4 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
Up to 11 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday 12 October to no later than Friday 18 December (up to 98 half-days)* |
|
School holidays |
5 to 6 weeks (from school’s closing date until opening date of school the following year) |
Primary, intermediate and specialist schools are required to be open for instruction for 382 half days in 2026.
Secondary and composite schools are required to be open for instruction for 380 half days in 2026.
The school term dates and half-day requirements are administered by the Ministry of Education and the information is published here: https://www.education.govt.nz/school/school-terms-and-holiday-dates/.
This notice is secondary legislation for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2019.
This notice was made on the 24th day of June 2024.
Hon ERICA STANFORD, Minister of Education.