Senior Phase Annual Teaching Plans
These are links to Department of Basic Education Annual Teaching Plan (ATP) files for Grade 8 in the Senior Phase. Files for this grade only.
The official DBE ATP index remains labelled 2023/24. For the 2026 academic year, Circular S19 of 2025 says the 2023/2024 ATP contents remain applicable with exclusions and revised directions. Check the official index, the circular, and the Senior Phase ATPs (DBE) hub before using a file. Confirm any exclusions on those official pages, this page does not list them.
For a short explanation of ATPs, see the CAPS123 ATP explainer. For classroom steps, see how to use the DBE’s Annual Teaching Plans. CAPS subject files: DBE CAPS hub.
Term 4 in 2026: Grade 8
Term 4 of 2026 runs from Tuesday 6 October to Wednesday 9 December for learners. Teachers close on Friday 11 December. That is 10 weeks and 47 school days for learners, with no public holidays in the term (source: DBE 2026 school calendar and gov.za school calendar).
The ATP numbers weeks 1 to 10. In 2026 they fall like this:
| Term 4 week | 2026 dates (Mon to Fri) |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Tue 6 Oct to Fri 9 Oct |
| Week 2 | 12 to 16 Oct |
| Week 3 | 19 to 23 Oct |
| Week 4 | 26 to 30 Oct |
| Week 5 | 2 to 6 Nov |
| Week 6 | 9 to 13 Nov |
| Week 7 | 16 to 20 Nov |
| Week 8 | 23 to 27 Nov |
| Week 9 | 30 Nov to 4 Dec |
| Week 10 | 7 to 9 Dec (learners’ last day Wed 9 Dec) |
Exam and test dates for Grades 4 to 9 are set by your school, district or province, not by one national timetable. Check your school’s own exam timetable before you plan revision days.
Senior Phase learners write full-scale end-of-year exams, and the promotion mark is 60% SBA and 40% end-of-year. Source: Circular S33 of 2022, kept for 2026 by Circular S19 of 2025. The 2026 Grade 8 Maths ATP labels the Term 4 formal task as a test on Term 1 to 4 topics, while the Senior Phase rule is a full-scale exam. Your school’s exam timetable shows how it is written.
Mathematics: Term 4 topics (2026 ATP (new))
Open the Grade 8 Mathematics ATP (DBE)
- Theorem of Pythagoras
- Transformation geometry
- Area and perimeter of 2D shapes
- Surface area and volume of 3D objects
- Revision
Term 4 formal assessment: Test: Term 1 to 4 topics
Natural Sciences: Term 4 topics (2026 ATP, new)
Open the Grade 8 Natural Sciences ATP (DBE)
Term 4 is the Planet Earth and Beyond strand:
- The Solar System
- Beyond the Solar System
- Looking into space
Term 4 formal assessment: Test
Other subjects
Languages, Social Sciences, Life Skills and Life Orientation, EMS, Technology and Creative Arts still use the retained 2023/24 ATPs in the tables below. Open each subject’s ATP and check its Term 4 formal tasks and the end-of-year exam spec.
Term 4 checklist for Grade 8 teachers
- ☐ Check you have the 2026 Maths and Natural Sciences ATPs where they apply (links above)
- ☐ Finish Term 4 content by about week 7 to leave time for revision
- ☐ Share a revision list of Term 1 to 4 topics with learners
- ☐ Confirm the exam timetable and moderation dates with your HoD
- ☐ Capture marks on SA-SAMS (CEMIS in the Western Cape) by your school’s deadline
Grade 8: Languages
Grade 8: Content Subjects
Related CAPS123 pages
- Grade 7 ATPs
- Grade 9 ATPs
- Senior Phase ATP files on CAPS123
- What are Annual Teaching Plans?
- How to use the DBE’s Annual Teaching Plans
- DBE CAPS hub
Disclaimer
ATP PDFs linked here belong to the Department of Basic Education. CAPS123 only indexes the live LinkClick files. Always verify the current plan and any Circular S19 exclusions on education.gov.za. This page is not an official DBE publication.