View all of the year’s school holidays and term dates for New Zealand primary and secondary schools with our handy guide.
No sooner have the kids gone back to school, then they’re hanging out for the next round of holidays! Term dates tend to move around a bit but the standard school term is 10 weeks long. There’s no need to count the weeks though as our handy guide has all the dates you need to know including public holidays. Don’t forget about teacher only days and the odd days off that private or independent schools tend to drop in – check with your child’s school for details.
2022 NZ School terms and holiday calendar
| TERM START | TERM END | |
| 1st Term (10-11 weeks) |
Between Monday 31 January (at the earliest) and Tuesday 8 February (at the latest) |
Thursday 14 April |
| 2nd Term
(10 weeks) |
Wednesday 2 May | Friday 8 July |
| 3rd Term
(1o weeks) |
Monday 25 July | Friday 30 September |
| 4th Term
(Up to 10 weeks) |
Monday 17 October | All schools: No later than Tuesday 20 December* |
*For primary, intermediate and special schools: or to a day in December that ensures that the school has been open for instruction for a minimum of 384 half-days in 2022. For secondary and composite schools: or to a day in December that ensures that the school has been open for instruction for 378 half-days in 2022.
2022 Public Holidays
Schools must be closed in 2022 on Saturdays and Sundays and on the following holidays:
- New Years Day – 3 January (observed)
- Day after New Years Day – 4 January (observed)
- Waitangi Day – 7 February (observed)
- Good Friday – 15 April
- Easter Monday – 18 April
- Easter Tuesday – 19 April
- Anzac Day – 25 April
- Queens Birthday – 6 June
- Labour Day – 24 October
- Christmas Day – 27 December (observed)
- Boxing Day – 26 December
- the relevant Anniversary Day Holiday as listed below
Anniversary Day Holidays 2022 (observed dates)
- Auckland – 31 January
- Buller – 3 February
- Canterbury – 11 November
- Canterbury (South) – 26 September
- Chatham Islands – 28 November
- Hawkes’ Bay – 21 October
- Marlborough – 31 October
- Nelson – 31 January
- Northland – 27 January
- Otago – 21 March
- Southland – 19 April
- Taranaki – 14 March
- Wellington – 24 January
- Westland – 28 November
2023 NZ School terms and holiday calendar
| TERM START | TERM END | |
| 1st Term
(10 weeks) |
Between Monday 30 January (at the earliest) and Tuesday 7 February (at the latest) |
Thursday 6 April |
| 2nd Term
(10 weeks) |
Wednesday 24 April | Friday 30 June |
| 3rd Term
(1o weeks) |
Monday 17 July | Friday 22 September |
| 4th Term
(Up to 10 weeks) |
Monday 9 October | All schools: No later than Wednesday 20 December* |
* For primary, intermediate and special schools: or to a day in December that ensures that the school has been open for instruction for a minimum of 386 half-days in 2023. For secondary and composite schools: or to a day in December that ensures that the school has been open for instruction for 380 half-days in 2023.
2023 Public Holidays
Schools must be closed in 2023 on Saturdays and Sundays and on the following holidays:
- New Years Day – 3 January (observed)
- Day after New Years Day – 2 January
- Waitangi Day – 6 February
- Good Friday – 7 April
- Easter Monday – 10 April
- Easter Tuesday – 19 April
- Anzac Day – 25 April
- Queens Birthday – 5 June
- Matariki – 14 July (NEW)
- Labour Day – 23 October
- Christmas Day – 25 December
- Boxing Day – 26 December
- the relevant Anniversary Day Holiday as listed below
Anniversary Day Holidays 2023 (observed dates)
- Auckland – 30 January
- Buller – 3 February
- Canterbury – 17 November
- Canterbury (South) – 25 September
- Chatham Islands – 27 November
- Hawkes’ Bay – 20 October
- Marlborough – 30 October
- Nelson – 30 January
- Northland – 27 January
- Otago – 20 March
- Southland – 11 April
- Taranaki – 13 March
- Wellington – 23 January
- Westland – 4 December
For more information, visit Govt.nz or the Ministry of Education NZ.
Do you find that the NZ school terms are too short, too long, or just right?
Read more on Kidspot:
I think this year Term 1 was a long term but as we come into the last week of Term 2 it seems to have flown by. I think the terms are about right. All the children get tired near the end of the term, regardless of whether its a short term or a longer term, so changing the length of the terms isn’t necessarily going to help this. I think the winter terms are always the harder as we often end up inside a lot more due to the weather.
Year 2020 is the year my son is becoming a school aged kid so all of these term dates and planning of holidays around it would be crucial. We are planning a big family holiday before he starts school officially. And this is such a good reminder to start planning as early as now to get into the good deals.
That’s brilliant – I actually find myself googling school term dates quite often haha. But having everything in one place makes it so much easier. Especially the Regional public holidays as that can make a difference with business too. I enjoy the school holidays, I still work fulltime and hubby looks after our daughter but I get to sleep in a bit and not have to make school lunches etc hehe
This guide could have probably proved more useful towards the end of last year when our son’s school provided it but it is a good guide for those who for some reason don’t have the dates. It’s always good to look ahead to the next year too!
What a great guide. Makes life easier when you know term dates etc to plan holidays and that sort of thing. On school newsletters it states any holidays coming up term dates and teacher only days which is great and that comes out fortnightly by email now which is handy. I find the terms just fine not too long and not too short. I always get excited for school holidays for sleep ins as my kids love sleep ins and no routine of having to make school lunches etc.
Love it! I’m always googling these dates haha. I think term times are mostly okay. Though term 3 is always just a touch too long. This term feels like it went so quickly but then we have also been sick for these last weeks too.
This is great as I feel like I am always googling when are the school holidays (NZ) It’s great to know public holidays and anniversary days as well as when the kids will not be at school then. I like that the 2020 dates are listed as well so can all be super organised and know when these holidays all are in (NZ).
Now this is handy… i am one of those mums who is never up to date with term start and end dates, public holidays and teacher only days… i put that down to only having my oldest start school last year but reallt its probably more forgetfulness on my part… what i find helps me is a board with monthly dates which i update with things that need to be done… looks like i will print this page out too… thank you for the reminders.
I always look forward to the school holidays then about 2 days in im over it and want them to end! I need to come up with better activities for the kids so they stop fighting and whining!!