Children started filtering back to school this morning to begin an extra-long first term for the 2011 school year.

Tauranga Intermediate School's senior administrator Mike Bibby says all of the terms have been tweaked this year to accommodate the Rugby World Cup.

Students returning to Tauranga Intermediate School today.

'The fourth term is going to be very short. We will just have to cope with it.”

Term four will be two weeks shorter than normal which will see the October school holidays coinciding with the final stages of the RWC tournament.

The first two terms are longer to make up for the shorter term later in the year.

Mike says it will probably be more of an issue for the high schools who have exams.

'From our point of view it will be work as usual.”

Tauranga Girls' College principal Pauline Cowens says the Rugby World Cup is very important to New Zealand and they have adjusted their entire calendar around the new term dates to ensure the students have the same structure around exams.

'There is a different shape to the year, we wanted to make sure the students got the same amount of teaching and learning, and that parents are getting timely information.”

Year 13 students will start tomorrow to go through the leadership programme.

'These girls will be taking up the challenge of being mentors and leaders for the students.”

Year 9 TGC students start back on Thursday with the rest starting Friday.

'The majority of our girls will be ready to come back, they have had a good summer and got good tans. Your friendship group at school is very special.”

Mike says the first week back at school is usually very calm with students looking forward to returning to school.

'Everybody is really excited and looking forward to 2011 getting going.”

Year 8 students started at Tauranga Intermediate today, with Year 7 joining them tomorrow.

For Tauranga Boys' College, principal Robert Mangan says the adjusted terms mean students will have to be better prepared to cope with the shorter fourth term.

'It will be business as usual, but they will have to have finished their internal assessments earlier than normal.”