School holidays in New Zealand 2023 (official dates)

In this publication, we will talk about the school holidays in New Zealand 2023. Here are the officially approved start and end dates for the vacation periods. You’ll also find out which extra days New Zealand students don’t have classes. At the end of the article, you will find the New Zealand school holiday calendar for 2023.

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Peculiarities of the school year in New Zealand

In New Zealand, the academic year begins in late January – early February, and ends in the second half of December. It is divided into quarters, between which the students rest. The start and end dates of school holidays are set by the Ministry of Education.

The start and end dates of the summer holidays are determined by the school. The fact is that there is a certain number of noons during which schools must work. It depends on the calendar of the current year, the type of school and the events held. The minimum number of noons is usually between 380 and 390.

Schools can set additional days off for retraining teachers, for local holidays, for the duration of large events (galas, shows). To compensate, the school administration may designate an extra school day or afternoon.

IMPORTANT! Private schools are free to set their own start and end dates for terms and school holidays. But they are required to take public holidays off. School holidays in New Zealand 2023 are mandatory in public schools.

School holidays in New Zealand 2023

Listed below are the dates for all school holidays in New Zealand schools.

  • First day of school: Monday 30 January to Tuesday 7 February (check with school).
  • School holidays after the first quarter (Easter holidays): from Friday 7 April to Sunday 23 April.
  • School holidays after the second quarter: from Saturday 1 July to Sunday 16 July.
  • School holidays after the third quarter: from Saturday 23 September to Sunday 8 October.
  • School holidays at the end of the year (summer holidays): begin no later than Thursday 21 December 2023, end from Sunday 28 January 2024 to Tuesday 7 February 2024.

IMPORTANT! The end time of the school year is determined by the number of noons. Summer holidays can only start on the day when the school was open at least:

  • 386 half days for elementary, middle and special schools;
  • 380 half days for middle and mixed schools.

Additional holiday weekends

In addition to regular school holidays, children in New Zealand take public holidays. Below is a list of them with the date and day of the week. Some holidays are not included because they fall on school holidays (for example, Easter and New Year’s Eve).

  • Waitangi Day is Monday, February 6th.
  • Anzac Day is Tuesday, April 25th.
  • The King’s birthday is Monday, June 5th.
  • Labor Day is Monday, October 23rd.

School holidays 2023 in New Zealand (calendar)

School holidays in New Zealand 2023 (calendar)
School holidays in New Zealand 2023. Legend: green – school holidays, yellow – allowable interval for the end of summer holidays, red – non-school days for holidays.

In this publication, we talked about school holidays in New Zealand 2023. We have given a complete list with exact dates according to the New Zealand Ministry of Education. They also listed the holidays on which schools in New Zealand are closed. More information about school holidays and holidays in different countries can be found on our website All-Holidays.InfoDon’t forget to share this post with your friends!