2027 and 2028 School Term and Cohort Entry 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 2027 and 2028 school years as:
2027 School Terms and Holidays |
|
Term 1 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
Up to 11 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Starts between Thursday, 28 January (at the earliest) and Thursday, 4 February (at the latest), and ends Friday, 9 April (86–96 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday, 10 April – Monday, 26 April |
Term 2 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
10 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Tuesday, 27 April to Friday, 2 July (96 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday, 3 July – Sunday, 18 July |
Term 3 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
10 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday, 19 July to Friday, 24 September (100 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday, 25 September – Sunday, 10 October |
Term 4 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
Up to 10 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday, 11 October to no later than Friday, 17 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 a minimum of 380 half days in 2027.
Secondary and composite schools are required to be open for instruction for a minimum of 380 half days in 2027.
2028 School Terms and Holidays |
|
Term 1 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
Up to 11 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Starts between Monday, 31 January (at the earliest) and Monday, 8 February (at the latest), and ends Thursday, 13 April (96–106 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Friday, 14 April – Sunday, 30 April |
Term 2 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
10 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday, 1 May to Friday, 7 July (98 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday, 8 July – Sunday, 23 July |
Term 3 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
10 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday, 24 July to Friday, 29 September (100 half-days) |
|
School holidays |
Saturday, 30 September – Sunday, 15 October |
Term 4 |
|
|
Number of weeks |
Up to 9 |
|
Term start and end dates |
Monday, 16 October to no later than Friday, 15 December (up to 88 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 a minimum of 382 half days in 2028.
Secondary and composite schools are required to be open for instruction for a minimum of 380 half days in 2028.
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.
Under section 66(1) of the Education and Training Act 2020, I prescribe the mid-term start dates for the 2027 and 2028 school years as:
Term |
Start of term date |
Mid-term start date |
End of term date |
|
1 |
28 January 2027 |
8 March 2027 |
9 April 2027 |
|
2 |
27 April 2027 |
31 May 2027 |
2 July 2027 |
|
3 |
19 July 2027 |
23 August 2027 |
24 September 2027 |
|
4 |
11 October 2027 |
15 November 2027 |
17 December 2027 |
Term |
Start of term date |
Mid-term start date |
End of term date |
|
1 |
31 January 2028 |
13 March 2028 |
13 April 2028 |
|
2 |
1 May 2028 |
6 June 2028 |
7 July 2028 |
|
3 |
24 July 2028 |
28 August 2028 |
29 September 2028 |
|
4 |
16 October 2028 |
13 November 2028 |
15 December 2028 |
The mid-term start dates have been prescribed to determine when new entrants can start school under a cohort entry policy.
The school cohort entry dates are administered by the Ministry of Education and the information is published here: https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/starting-school/cohort-or-group-entry-children-starting-school.
This notice is secondary legislation for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2019.
This notice was made on this 6th day of May 2025.
Hon ERICA STANFORD, Minister of Education.