When does the 2027 school year start in Kenya?
Schools in Kenya open for Term 1 2027 on Monday 4 January 2027, and the school year runs in three terms until 5 November 2027. The dates on this page come from the Ministry of Education's 2027 academic calendar circular (ref. MOE.HQS/3/13/3/ VOL III, dated 19 October 2026), which sets the calendar for pre-primary, primary, junior, senior and secondary schools and for teacher training colleges.
The three terms are not the same length. In primary and junior school, Term 1 is the longest at 14 weeks and Term 3 the shortest at 10, and Term 3 ends with the national assessments. That shape, more than any single date, is what decides how a teacher plans the year, so the second half of this page sets out what to have ready before each term opens.
2027 term dates: pre-primary, primary and junior school
For pre-primary, primary and junior school, Term 1 2027 runs from 4 January to 9 April, Term 2 from 3 May to 30 July, and Term 3 from 30 August to 5 November.
| Opening | Closing | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | 4 January 2027 | 9 April 2027 | 14 weeks |
| Half term | 19 February 2027 | 28 February 2027 | |
| April holiday | 10 April 2027 | 2 May 2027 | 3 weeks |
| Term 2 | 3 May 2027 | 30 July 2027 | 13 weeks |
| Half term | 9 June 2027 | 20 June 2027 | |
| August holiday | 31 July 2027 | 29 August 2027 | 4 weeks |
| Term 3 | 30 August 2027 | 5 November 2027 | 10 weeks |
| KPSEA, KILEA, KJSEA and KPLEA (KNEC primary and junior assessments) | 1 November 2027 | 5 November 2027 | 5 days |
| December holiday | 8 November 2027 | 3 January 2028 | 8 weeks |
2027 term dates: senior school and secondary (8-4-4)
Senior and secondary schools follow the same opening dates, but Term 1 closes a week earlier, on 2 April, and the year ends with KCSE from 8 to 26 November 2027.
| Opening | Closing | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | 4 January 2027 | 2 April 2027 | 13 weeks |
| Half term | 19 February 2027 | 28 February 2027 | |
| April holiday | 3 April 2027 | 2 May 2027 | 4 weeks |
| Term 2 | 3 May 2027 | 30 July 2027 | 13 weeks |
| Half term | 9 June 2027 | 20 June 2027 | |
| August holiday | 31 July 2027 | 29 August 2027 | 4 weeks |
| Term 3 | 30 August 2027 | 5 November 2027 | 10 weeks |
| KCSE 2027 | 8 November 2027 | 26 November 2027 | 3 weeks |
| December holiday | 6 November 2027 | 3 January 2028 | 8 weeks |
The December holiday begins on 6 November for senior and secondary schools generally, while Form 4 candidates stay on for KCSE until 26 November. Read the two rows together rather than as a clash.
2027 calendar for diploma teacher training colleges
Diploma teacher training colleges run a different cycle: their 2027 begins with Term II on 5 January, and their Term I starts on 23 August 2027.
| Opening | Closing | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term II | 5 January 2027 | 2 April 2027 | 13 weeks |
| April holiday | 5 April 2027 | 23 April 2027 | 3 weeks |
| Term III | 26 April 2027 | 30 July 2027 | 14 weeks |
| August holiday | 2 August 2027 | 20 August 2027 | 3 weeks |
| Term I | 23 August 2027 | 12 November 2027 | 11 weeks |
| December holiday | 15 November 2027 | 8 January 2028 | 8 weeks |
Trainees on teaching practice in a school follow that school's calendar above, not the college's, so a placement in Term 1 starts on 4 January.
What to prepare before each term
The professional documents a teacher needs follow the calendar: plan before the term opens, assess at half term and at the close, and send structured work home over each holiday. Here is the year in that order, with a link to read more about each document and a link to get the files.
Before Term 1 opens on 4 January
The December holiday is planning time. A teacher going into Term 1 needs:
- Schemes of work for Term 1, the week-by-week plan for the longest term of the year. Check the scheme's week count against the 14 weeks of Term 1 (13 in senior school). Read more in our Schemes of Work by Grade & Term guide, or get the schemes of work.
- Lesson plans for the first weeks, drawn from the scheme. Our Lesson Plans guide explains the continuous and termly packages, or get the lesson plans.
- A fresh record of work for each learning area, ready to fill in from the first week. See our Records of Work guide, or get the records of work.
- The curriculum design for any grade you are teaching for the first time. This matters most in 2027 for Grade 11, which runs under the CBC for the first time. Start from our CBC Curriculum Designs guide, or get the curriculum designs.
Half term, 19 to 28 February
Half term sits roughly in the middle of Term 1, which makes the weeks before it the natural point for a mid-term assessment to check progress against the scheme. Our Exams and Assessments guide covers practice papers for every level, or go straight to primary, junior school or senior school exams.
End of Term 1 and the April holiday
Term 1 closes on 9 April in primary and junior school and on 2 April in senior school. The last weeks carry end-of-term assessment, and the holiday that follows is when learners take home revision work. Our Holiday Homework Booklets guide explains the booklets by grade, or get the homework booklets. Before Term 2 opens on 3 May, the Term 2 schemes of work and lesson plans are due.
Term 2 and the August holiday
Term 2 is 13 weeks for every level, from 3 May to 30 July, with half term from 9 to 20 June. The pattern repeats: Term 2 schemes before it opens, a mid-term check before half term, end-of-term assessment in late July, and homework booklets for the August holiday. Term 3 schemes are due before 30 August.
Term 3: ten weeks that end in national assessments
Term 3 2027 is only 10 weeks long, from 30 August to 5 November, and it is the term with the least room to catch up. In primary and junior school it closes with the KNEC assessments from 1 to 5 November: KPSEA for Grade 6 and KJSEA for Grade 9 are the ones most families ask about. In secondary, Form 4 candidates sit KCSE from 8 to 26 November. These are the weeks for revision and practice papers rather than new content. See our Grade 6 and Grade 9 assessment guides and our Form 4 exams guide for practice material.
The December holiday
The December holiday runs from 8 November 2027 (6 November in senior and secondary schools) to 3 January 2028. Learners take home holiday homework booklets, and teachers turn to planning for 2028. We update this page when the Ministry publishes the 2028 calendar.
Who this page is for
This page is for anyone who needs the 2027 dates and wants to know what goes with them. Teachers can plan each term against the right number of weeks. Head teachers and school administrators can set internal dates around the official ones. Trainee teachers will find their college calendar alongside the school calendar they follow on placement. Parents can see when schools open and close and when national assessments fall. And anyone fetching documents for a teacher, at a cyber café or school office, can use the term and the grade to confirm they are downloading the right file: a scheme of work for Term 2 is not the same document as one for Term 1.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do schools open in Kenya in 2027? Schools open for Term 1 2027 on Monday 4 January 2027, for pre-primary, primary, junior, senior and secondary schools.
When does Term 1 2027 close? Term 1 closes on 9 April 2027 in pre-primary, primary and junior school (14 weeks) and on 2 April 2027 in senior and secondary schools (13 weeks).
When is half term in Term 1 2027? Term 1 half term runs from 19 February to 28 February 2027. Term 2 half term runs from 9 June to 20 June 2027.
How long is each term in 2027? In pre-primary, primary and junior school, Term 1 is 14 weeks, Term 2 is 13 weeks and Term 3 is 10 weeks. In senior and secondary schools, Term 1 and Term 2 are 13 weeks each and Term 3 is 10 weeks.
When are KPSEA and KJSEA in 2027? The KNEC primary and junior assessments, including KPSEA and KJSEA, are scheduled from 1 to 5 November 2027, at the end of Term 3.
When is KCSE 2027? KCSE 2027 runs from 8 November to 26 November 2027.
When does the December 2027 holiday start? The December holiday starts on 8 November 2027 for pre-primary, primary and junior school and on 6 November 2027 for senior and secondary schools. Schools reopen on 3 January 2028.
Where do these dates come from? From the Ministry of Education's 2027 academic calendar circular, ref. MOE.HQS/3/13/3/ VOL III, dated 19 October 2026, issued to regional, county and sub-county directors of education.
Get the files for 2027
Everything a teacher needs for the year is in our catalogue as editable files, organised by grade and term: schemes of work, lesson plans, records of work, curriculum designs, homework booklets and practice exams. Use the links in each section above to go straight to the document for the term you are planning, or the links below to open each collection.