In this publication, we will tell you about school holidays in New Zealand 2024, 2025, 2026. We will provide the exact dates of summer, Easter, winter and spring holidays. You will also find out the dates of holidays when schools are closed for students and teachers.
Features of the school year in New Zealand
The school year in New Zealand starts in February and ends in December. The total number of school days is 190-193, depending on the year and type of school. But it is not days that are counted, but half days. Thus, the school year lasts 380-386 half days. New Zealand schoolchildren have four holiday periods:
- Summer holidays.
- Easter holidays (autumn holidays).
- Winter holidays.
- Spring break.
The dates of spring, Easter and autumn holidays are fixed and do not depend on the school. Summer holidays can start and end at different times. The spread is usually one week. This way, school administrations can guarantee that children study the required number of half-day periods.
In addition to school holidays, there are other days off from school in New Zealand. First of all, these are public holidays. There are 13 of them, but most holidays fall during the holidays. As a rule, there are four additional days off for teachers and students. Depending on the year, these can be:
- Waitangi Day.
- ANZAC Day.
- The King’s birthday.
- Matariki.
- Labor Day.
Further in the article we will provide school holidays in New Zealand 2023, 2024, 2025. All dates are exact and published by the Ministry of Education. If a range of dates is indicated, contact the administration of the school you are interested in for clarification. Or visit its website to find out the exact schedule of the school year.
IMPORTANT! Holidays and compulsory half-days are statutory requirements for state and state integrated schools and kura (Māori immersion schools).
School Holidays 2024 in New Zealand
Below are the Ministry of Education approved school holiday dates for 2024 in New Zealand. For more information on summer holiday dates, please visit your school’s website or contact your school’s office.
- Summer holidays 2023-2024 start no later than December 21 (Thursday). The last day of summer holidays is from January 28 (Sunday) to February 6 (Tuesday).
- Easter holidays (autumn holidays) 2024: from 13 April (Saturday) to Sunday, 28 April (Sunday) 2024.
- Winter holidays : from Saturday, July 6th to Sunday, July 21st (Sunday), 2024.
- Spring Break : September 28 (Saturday) to October 13 (Sunday), 2024.
- Summer holidays 2024-2025 start no later than December 21 (Saturday) 2024. The last day of summer school holidays is between February 26 (Sunday) and February 6 (Thursday).*
* Summer school holidays 2024-2025 in primary, secondary and special schools may be when the school has been open for at least 192 days (384 half-days) during the 2024 school year.
* Summer school holidays 2024-2025 in senior and mixed schools may begin when the school has been open for 190 days (380 half days) in the 2024 school year.
School holidays in New Zealand in 2024
In the 2024 academic year, some New Zealand public holidays fall during school holidays. On other dates, students and teachers have a day off, and schools are closed. Here are the holidays that fall during school periods:
- Waitangi Day is Tuesday 6 February 2024.
- The King’s birthday is Monday, June 3, 2024.
- Matariki – Friday 28 June 2024.
- Labor Day is Monday, October 28, 2024.
New Zealand School Holidays 2025
Here are the exact dates for the summer, autumn (Easter), winter and spring school holidays in New Zealand in the 2025 academic year. You will find a list of additional non-school days for national holidays in the next section.
- Summer holidays 2024-2025 start no later than Saturday, December 21, 2024 and end between Sunday, February 26 and Thursday, February 6.
- Easter holidays (autumn holidays) 2025: from Saturday 12 April to Sunday 27 April.
- Winter holidays 2025 : from Saturday 28 June to Sunday 13 July.
- Spring Break : Saturday, September 20th to Sunday, October 5th.
- Summer holidays 2025-2026 will begin no later than Saturday, December 20, 2025, and will end between January 25 (Sunday) and February 8 (Sunday), 2026.*
* The 2025-2026 summer holidays in primary, secondary and special schools may begin on the day on which the school has been open for at least 193 days (386 half-days) during the 2025 school year.
* Summer holidays 2025-2026 in senior and mixed schools may begin on the day the school has been open for 190 days (380 half days) in the 2025 school year.
School Days Off in 2025 in New Zealand
Here is a list of New Zealand public holidays in 2025 that fall on school days. On these dates, schools are closed, students have no classes, and teachers have a day off.
- Waitangi Day is Thursday, 6 February.
- The King’s birthday is Monday, June 2nd.
- Matariki – Friday, June 20.
- Labor Day is Monday, October 27.
New Zealand School Holidays 2026
Below are the exact dates for the New Zealand school holidays 2026 for all types of schools. The start and end of the summer holidays depends on the curriculum of each individual school. To clarify the dates, you should contact the administration of your educational institution.
- The 2025-2026 New Zealand summer school holidays begin no later than Saturday 20 December 2025 and end between Sunday 25 January and Sunday 8 February.
- Easter holidays (autumn holidays) 2026: from Friday 3 April to Sunday 19 April 2026.
- Winter break : from Saturday, July 4 to Sunday, July 19, 2026.
- Spring Break : Saturday, September 26, 2026 to Sunday, October 11, 2026.
- The 2026-2027 summer holidays in New Zealand start no later than Saturday 19 December and last for 5-6 weeks.*
* The 2026-2027 summer holidays in primary, secondary and special schools may begin on the day on which the school has been open for at least 191 days (382 half-days) during the 2026 school year.
* Summer vacation 2026-2027 in senior and mixed schools may begin on the day the school has been open for 190 days (380 half days) in the 2026 school year.
School Days Off in 2026 in New Zealand
Children in New Zealand don’t just have school holidays. Schools are closed on public holidays. Most of these fall during vacation periods, but there are four days that fall on school days. These are the dates for the 2026 school year when the school day off is:
- Waitangi Day is Friday 6 February.
- ANZAC Day is Saturday 25 April (ANZAC Day is Monday 27 April).
- The King’s birthday is Monday, June 1st.
- Labor Day is Monday, October 26th.
In this publication, we talked about school holidays in New Zealand in 2024, 2025 and 2026. We provided the official dates set by the Ministry of Education. In case of any changes, the article will be edited. Don’t forget to share this publication with your friends!
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