Hey Raha blog · School calendars

Australia school term dates 2026-27: every state and territory

By Marie Adly · Last updated: 22 October 2026

Term 4 2026 finishes between Thursday 10 December and Friday 18 December, depending on your state. Government school students go back for Term 1 2027 between Wednesday 27 January (Queensland and South Australia) and Wednesday 3 February (most of New South Wales). Every date below comes from the state or territory education department and applies to government schools; private, Catholic and independent schools can differ.

Why "2026-27" in Australia means Term 4 plus the 2027 school year

Australian schools run on the calendar year, in four terms. So the "2026-27" question families ask in October is really two questions: when does Term 4 end and how long are the summer holidays, and what are the four terms of 2027? This page answers both, state by state. Each state and territory sets its own dates, which is why two cousins in Sydney and Brisbane rarely have the same holidays.

Term 4 2026 and the summer holidays by state

The NSW summer holidays run from Friday 18 December 2026 to Wednesday 27 January 2027, then school development days (no students) from Thursday 28 January to Tuesday 2 February. Victoria's school holidays run from Monday 21 December 2026 to Wednesday 27 January 2027. Queensland's run from Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027.

2027 term dates by state and territory

All dates are first and last days for students in government schools.

School holidays in 2027, in short:

• Autumn (Easter) holidays. Good Friday is 26 March 2027, so Victoria and Queensland finish Term 1 on Thursday 25 March and return on Monday 12 April. NSW has autumn holidays from Monday 12 to Friday 23 April. South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the ACT break after Friday 9 April.
• Winter holidays. NSW from Monday 5 to Friday 16 July. Queensland from Saturday 26 June to Sunday 11 July. Victoria returns on Monday 12 July.
• Spring holidays. NSW from Monday 27 September to Friday 8 October. Queensland from Saturday 18 September to Monday 4 October.
• Western division NSW (schools in the far west of the state) starts Term 1 a week later, on Wednesday 10 February 2027. A small number of NSW schools near the Victorian and Queensland borders follow different dates, so check the school's website.

Pupil-free days: the dates that are not on the state list

The term dates above are the days schools are open, but each school also has pupil-free days (called school development days in NSW, student-free days in Victoria and Queensland, and professional learning days in Tasmania). Some are set by the department, many by the school, and they are usually announced in a newsletter or email rather than on the state page.

What is published so far:

• NSW: school development days on Thursday 28 January to Tuesday 2 February 2027, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 April, Monday 19 July and Monday 20 December 2027 (Eastern division).
• Tasmania: professional learning days on Friday 23 October 2026 (south only) and Friday 30 October 2026 (north only). In 2027: Friday 11 June (statewide, K to 12), Monday 19 July (statewide, K to 10), Friday 22 October (south) and Friday 29 October (north).
• Victoria: the first day of Term 1 2027 (Wednesday 27 January) is a staff day; students start on Thursday 28 January.

Other states leave most pupil-free days to schools. Expect them in your school's emails and plan childcare for them like a short holiday.

Private, Catholic and independent schools

Many Catholic schools follow the government dates in their state, but not all do, and independent schools can set their own dates, with longer holidays, an earlier finish in December or a later start in February. If your children attend different types of school, line the two calendars up now rather than in January. This is also where the email trail matters: a private school's term dates, sports carnivals and pupil-free days tend to arrive in separate messages through the year.

When a date changes, Raha tells you

Term dates are set years ahead, but the details around them shift: a pupil-free day is added, a swimming carnival moves, a camp date changes. The update usually lands in your inbox, often deep in a newsletter. Hey Raha reads your school emails, read-only, and spots the change. She updates your family plan and tells you on WhatsApp, and your nanny or au pair gets her own version without fees or private notes. Try Hey Raha free for 14 days.

If the volume of school messages is the real problem, our guide to too many school emails helps, and so does our piece on class WhatsApp groups.

Planning the year with a nanny or au pair

• Share all of 2027 now. Four terms, four sets of holidays and the pupil-free days you already know about.
• Plan the long summer break. Six weeks or more is a lot of days to cover. Our guide to screen time over the summer holidays has a calm plan for the Christmas weeks.
• Mark "expected" against anything not yet confirmed, like a school-set pupil-free day, and update it when the email arrives.
• Two schools, two calendars. If one child is at a government school and one at an independent school, write down both sets of dates side by side.

Our guide to briefing your nanny on the school week has a template you can adapt.

Australia school term dates FAQ

When does Term 4 2026 finish in Australia?
It depends on the state. Queensland and South Australia finish on Friday 11 December 2026, the Northern Territory on Thursday 10 December, NSW and Western Australia on Thursday 17 December, and Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT on Friday 18 December 2026.

When do Australian schools go back in 2027?
Government school students return on Wednesday 27 January 2027 in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory, Thursday 28 January in Victoria, Monday 1 February in Western Australia, Tuesday 2 February in the ACT, Wednesday 3 February in most of NSW and Thursday 4 February in Tasmania.

What are the NSW school holidays for summer 2026-27?
NSW government school summer holidays run from Friday 18 December 2026 to Wednesday 27 January 2027. School development days follow from 28 January to 2 February, and Eastern division students start Term 1 on Wednesday 3 February 2027.

Do private schools in Australia follow the state term dates?
Not always. Many Catholic schools use the state dates, but independent schools can set their own, with different holiday lengths and start days, so check your school's calendar.

What is a pupil-free day?
A day when the school is open for staff training or planning but students stay home. Some are set by the state education department and many by the school itself, and they are often announced by email or newsletter.

Sources

• NSW Department of Education, 2027 term dates
• NSW Department of Education, 2026 term dates
• Victorian Government, school term dates and holidays (updated 2 October 2026)
• Queensland Department of Education, future term dates
• South Australian Department for Education, term dates
• Western Australia Department of Education, future term dates
• Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People, school terms and holidays (published 5 October 2026)
• ACT Education Directorate, term dates and public holidays
• Northern Territory Government, school term dates

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