When do South African schools close – and what parents must do before 10 December 2025

Parents asking when do schools close December 2025 South Africa get a clear answer plus a checklist for reports and 2026 admissions.

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when do schools close december 2025 south africa

Public schools in all nine provinces wrap up the 2025 school year on Wednesday, 10 December 2025.

For most families, that’s the day uniforms are packed away and the long summer break begins – but it is also a hard deadline for sorting report cards, placement for 2026 and any last-minute school admin.

The calendar provides 200 teaching days across the year and replaces the old coastal/inland split, meaning all public schools now share the same closing date.  

So, when do schools close – and when do they reopen?

According to the Department of Basic Education’s official 2025 school calendar, these are the closing and opening dates or public schools (Grades R–12):

  • Last day for learners in 2025: Wednesday 10 December 2025
  • Admin days (learners at home): Thursday 11 and Friday 12 December 2025  
  • First day of 2026 term 1 for learners: Wednesday 14 January 2026 (teachers return earlier in the week).  

That gives learners just under five weeks off – from 11 December 2025 until lessons restart on 14 January 2026.

Independent schools often follow similar patterns but many will close earlier (some by 3 December 2025), so parents at private schools must check their own term calendars.  

Before 10 December, parents should make sure every child comes home with a final report card for 2025.

The DBE has repeatedly instructed schools not to withhold report cards – even if fees or other charges are outstanding – because a report is “the only official document used to give feedback to parents on the achievement of learners”.  

Practical checks on the day you receive the report:

  • Confirm the promotion decision (promoted, progressed or retained) and ask for a short written explanation if anything is unclear.
  • Check that the learner’s name, ID number and grade are correct – these details matter for future admissions and exam registrations.
  • If you disagree with marks or promotion, ask the school office before closing day how their appeal or reviewprocess works and when it must be lodged.

Keep the original report card in a safe place; provinces such as the Western Cape explicitly require the “last school report card” for transfers and new admissions.  

How to make sure your child has a school place for 2026

By December, the on-time admissions windows for 2026 are already closed in most provinces:

  • In the Western Cape, Grade R, 1 and 8 applications for 2026 ran from 11 March to 15 April 2025, with transfer applications from 4 August 2025.  
  • In Gauteng, the GDE online system for Grade 1 and 8 opened on 24 July 2025 and closed on 29 August 2025, supported by 81 walk-in centres and district offices.  

Education departments repeat the same message every year: 

“Apply early. Don’t wait until the last day.”  

If your child still doesn’t have a confirmed place for 2026, use the time before 10 December to:

  • Ask the current school for written proof that you applied on time (application number or waiting-list reference).
  • Contact your district office or provincial admissions helpline and confirm your status on waiting lists.
  • Gather the documents you will need in January: birth certificate or ID, proof of address, and the latest report card.  

Understand how late admissions will work in January

For unplaced learners, most provinces handle late admissions and last-minute placements in January when offices reopen:

  • In Gauteng, the MEC has already warned that the “late application process will only open in January”, with thousands of learners historically placed between mid and late January.  
  • The Western Cape and other provinces direct parents who missed online deadlines to submit forms at schools or district offices once transfer and late windows open, again stressing that there is no guarantee of a preferred school and that places depend on available space.  

Because late placement is handled strictly on remaining capacity, the best strategy is to:

  1. Be at your nearest school or district office as early as possible when they reopen in January.
  2. Bring all documents (ID, proof of address, report card, any previous application numbers).
  3. Be ready to accept a place at a reasonable nearby school, even if it is not your first choice, so your child does not miss weeks of teaching.

Quick checklist for parents before 10 December 2025

  • Confirm exactly when your child’s school closes and whether there is any half-day on 10 December.
  • Collect and safely file every report card; ask questions immediately if you’re unsure about marks or promotion.
  • Check that your child has a confirmed place for 2026 or, if not, note which school or district office you must visit in January.
  • Keep all admissions documents together: ID, proof of address, birth certificate or passport, and the latest report.
  • For matrics, diarise the NSC results release date and any deadlines for remarks or rechecks.

If you work through that list before schools close on 10 December 2025, you give your child the best chance of walking into term 1 of 2026 with a confirmed desk, the right paperwork and one less stress on the first day back.