January is the same day
Every Cape Town independent school we checked opens term 1 on the gazetted date. If all you need is when the year starts, the table above is right for private schools too.
School term dates and school holidays
When every term opens and closes, how long each holiday runs, and which public holidays fall in term time — the gazetted dates for all public schools, plus what to check if your child is at a private school.
Gazetted public school calendar
View the official calendar Term dates for 2026 and 2027
These dates apply to every public school in South Africa. The old inland and coastal split ended with the 2024 calendar — there is no separate Western Cape set of dates any more.
2026
| Term | School opens | School closes | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Wed 14 January Teachers from Mon 12 January | Fri 27 March | 53 |
| Term 2 | Wed 8 April | Fri 26 June | 54 |
| Term 3 | Tue 21 July | Wed 23 September | 46 |
| Term 4 | Tue 6 October | Wed 9 December Teachers until Fri 11 December | 47 |
School holidays
- Autumn holidays Sat 28 March – Tue 7 April 11 days
- Winter holidays Sat 27 June – Mon 20 July 24 days
- Spring holidays Thu 24 September – Mon 5 October 12 days
- Summer holidays Thu 10 December 2026 – Tue 12 January 2027 34 days
Days off during term
- Mon 27 April Freedom Day
- Fri 1 May Workers' Day
- Mon 15 June Special school holiday
- Tue 16 June Youth Day
- Mon 10 August Public holiday (Women's Day falls on a Sunday)
2027
| Term | School opens | School closes | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Wed 13 January Teachers from Mon 11 January | Fri 19 March | 48 |
| Term 2 | Tue 6 April | Fri 25 June | 56 |
| Term 3 | Tue 20 July | Wed 22 September | 46 |
| Term 4 | Tue 5 October | Wed 8 December Teachers until Fri 10 December | 47 |
School holidays
- Autumn holidays Sat 20 March – Mon 5 April 17 days
- Winter holidays Sat 26 June – Mon 19 July 24 days
- Spring holidays Thu 23 September – Mon 4 October 12 days
- Summer holidays From Thu 9 December 2027 Return date not yet gazetted
Days off during term
- Mon 26 April Special school holiday
- Tue 27 April Freedom Day
- Wed 16 June Youth Day
- Mon 9 August National Women's Day
These dates are not binding on a private school
“There are no universal term dates or calendars that apply to all independent schools in South Africa. Many independent schools follow the public school calendar, while others follow an association calendar. Some independent schools follow their own specific calendars.” ISASA
December is where they part
Independents usually finish the year about a week early — 2 December 2026, against the 9th for public schools. Check your school's December date before you book anything over the summer.
The Easter break is sometimes longer
Where the public calendar goes back within a day or two of Family Day, many independents take the rest of that week too: in 2026 they returned on 13–14 April against the public 8 April. It moves with Easter — in 2027 the two line up again.
Siblings may not break up together
A senior school and its own prep can end a term days apart, around exams. Herschel's senior girls finished term 3 in 2026 five days before the prep did.
Association calendars are guidelines, not rules
ISASA publishes a reference calendar for its Central Region members — Gauteng, the Free State, North West and the Northern Cape — and even there, member schools are not required to follow it. There is no Western Cape equivalent.
The school's own calendar is the only one that counts
Ask the office for the year's calendar when you accept a place, and again in October: internal dates like exam weeks, closing assemblies and staggered Grade R starts are never in the gazette.
Sources and review date
Reviewed 8 September 2026. Always confirm with your own school before booking around a date.
- Department of Basic Education — 2026 calendar for public schools
- Department of Basic Education — 2027 calendar for public schools
- Government Gazette No. 52178, 25 February 2025 — 2027 calendar
- ISASA — Independent school term dates
- Herschel Girls School — term dates 2026
- Herschel Girls School — term dates 2027
- Reddam House Atlantic Seaboard — term dates