Skip to main content
BestSchools Logo
All Posts
Education Guides
9 min read

Northern Territory School Term Dates and Holidays 2026 to 2032

Last updated

August 2, 2026

Northern Territory School Term Dates and Holidays 2026 to 2032

The Northern Territory publishes government school term dates further ahead than many Australian jurisdictions. This guide covers every officially available year from 2026 through 2032 and keeps teacher start dates separate from student start dates, an important distinction for family planning.

Most NT government schools follow these dates, but not every school does. The NT Government specifically states that Gunbalanya School operates a flexible school year and has dates determined through separate consultation. Non-government schools can also use different calendars.

For a broader planning view, visit the BestSchools school holiday calendars.

Northern Territory government school term dates for 2026

TermTeachers startStudents startStudents finish
Term 1Tuesday 27 January 2026Thursday 29 January 2026Thursday 2 April 2026
Term 2Monday 13 April 2026Tuesday 14 April 2026Friday 19 June 2026
Term 3Monday 13 July 2026Tuesday 14 July 2026Friday 18 September 2026
Term 4Monday 5 October 2026Tuesday 6 October 2026Thursday 10 December 2026

Teachers finish Term 4 on Friday 11 December 2026.

NT

Find Northern Territory schools while you plan the year

Compare nearby government, Catholic and independent schools, then confirm dates with each school before booking care or travel.

Find Northern Territory schools
NTFinder filters ready

Northern Territory government school term dates for 2027

TermTeachers startStudents startStudents finish
Term 1Monday 25 January 2027Wednesday 27 January 2027Friday 2 April 2027
Term 2Monday 12 April 2027Tuesday 13 April 2027Friday 18 June 2027
Term 3Monday 12 July 2027Tuesday 13 July 2027Friday 17 September 2027
Term 4Monday 4 October 2027Tuesday 5 October 2027Thursday 9 December 2027

Teachers finish Term 4 on Friday 10 December 2027.

Northern Territory government school term dates for 2028

TermTeachers startStudents startStudents finish
Term 1Monday 24 January 2028Tuesday 25 January 2028Friday 7 April 2028
Term 2Tuesday 18 April 2028Wednesday 19 April 2028Friday 23 June 2028
Term 3Monday 17 July 2028Tuesday 18 July 2028Friday 22 September 2028
Term 4Monday 9 October 2028Tuesday 10 October 2028Thursday 14 December 2028

Teachers finish Term 4 on Friday 15 December 2028.

Northern Territory government school term dates for 2029

TermTeachers startStudents startStudents finish
Term 1Monday 29 January 2029Tuesday 30 January 2029Friday 6 April 2029
Term 2Monday 16 April 2029Tuesday 17 April 2029Friday 22 June 2029
Term 3Monday 16 July 2029Tuesday 17 July 2029Friday 21 September 2029
Term 4Monday 8 October 2029Tuesday 9 October 2029Thursday 13 December 2029

Teachers finish Term 4 on Friday 14 December 2029.

Northern Territory government school term dates for 2030

TermTeachers startStudents startStudents finish
Term 1Tuesday 29 January 2030Wednesday 30 January 2030Friday 5 April 2030
Term 2Monday 15 April 2030Tuesday 16 April 2030Friday 21 June 2030
Term 3Monday 15 July 2030Tuesday 16 July 2030Friday 20 September 2030
Term 4Monday 7 October 2030Tuesday 8 October 2030Thursday 12 December 2030

Teachers finish Term 4 on Friday 13 December 2030.

Northern Territory government school term dates for 2031

TermTeachers startStudents startStudents finish
Term 1Tuesday 28 January 2031Wednesday 29 January 2031Friday 4 April 2031
Term 2Tuesday 15 April 2031Wednesday 16 April 2031Friday 20 June 2031
Term 3Monday 14 July 2031Tuesday 15 July 2031Friday 19 September 2031
Term 4Monday 6 October 2031Tuesday 7 October 2031Thursday 11 December 2031

Teachers finish Term 4 on Friday 12 December 2031.

Northern Territory government school term dates for 2032

TermTeachers startStudents startStudents finish
Term 1Tuesday 27 January 2032Wednesday 28 January 2032Friday 9 April 2032
Term 2Monday 19 April 2032Tuesday 20 April 2032Friday 25 June 2032
Term 3Monday 19 July 2032Tuesday 20 July 2032Friday 24 September 2032
Term 4Monday 11 October 2032Tuesday 12 October 2032Thursday 16 December 2032

Teachers finish Term 4 on Friday 17 December 2032.

How to interpret NT school holiday periods

The NT Government term page presents the official teacher start, student start and finish dates rather than a separate future holiday table. For family planning:

  • Students do not return on the teacher start date. Use the students start column for the first ordinary student day.
  • The break between terms falls after the published finish and before the next published student start. This guide does not relabel every gap as a separately published holiday range.
  • Public holidays and regional show days can fall within a term or a break. Check both sections when arranging care or travel.
  • Gunbalanya School is an explicit exception. Its flexible school year is determined through separate consultation, so no date in the general table should be assumed to apply there without school confirmation.

The NT Government provides a separate downloadable school calendar for 2026. Future years are published as term tables on the official page.

Teacher development and pupil-free caveats

The official NT tables make teacher-only days visible. In most terms, teachers start one day before students. Term 1 in 2026 and 2027 has a two-day gap between the listed teacher and student starts. At the end of Term 4, teachers also finish one day after students in every published year from 2026 to 2032.

Those differences are official and should not be mistaken for student attendance days. A school may also communicate local professional learning, closure or operational arrangements. Check the school's notices before finalising care.

NT statewide public holidays for 2026 to 2028

The NT Government currently publishes public and regional holiday dates through 2028. Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are part-day public holidays from 7pm to midnight.

Holiday202620272028
New Year's DayThursday 1 January 2026Friday 1 January 2027Saturday 1 January 2028 and Monday 3 January 2028
Australia DayMonday 26 January 2026Tuesday 26 January 2027Wednesday 26 January 2028
Good FridayFriday 3 April 2026Friday 26 March 2027Friday 14 April 2028
Easter SaturdaySaturday 4 April 2026Saturday 27 March 2027Saturday 15 April 2028
Easter SundaySunday 5 April 2026Sunday 28 March 2027Sunday 16 April 2028
Easter MondayMonday 6 April 2026Monday 29 March 2027Monday 17 April 2028
Anzac DaySaturday 25 April 2026Monday 26 April 2027Tuesday 25 April 2028
May DayMonday 4 May 2026Monday 3 May 2027Monday 1 May 2028
King's BirthdayMonday 8 June 2026Monday 14 June 2027Monday 12 June 2028
Picnic DayMonday 3 August 2026Monday 2 August 2027Monday 7 August 2028
Christmas Eve, part-day public holiday from 7pm to midnightThursday 24 December 2026Friday 24 December 2027Sunday 24 December 2028
Christmas DayFriday 25 December 2026Saturday 25 December 2027 and Monday 27 December 2027Monday 25 December 2028
Boxing DaySaturday 26 December 2026 and Monday 28 December 2026Sunday 26 December 2027 and Tuesday 28 December 2027Tuesday 26 December 2028
New Year's Eve, part-day public holiday from 7pm to midnightThursday 31 December 2026Friday 31 December 2027Sunday 31 December 2028

NT regional show holidays for 2026 to 2028

These are regional holidays, not Territory-wide holidays. The NT Government advises families to use its show day regions map to determine which date applies to their area.

Regional holiday202620272028
Alice Springs Show DayFriday 3 July 2026Friday 2 July 2027Friday 7 July 2028
Tennant Creek Show DayFriday 10 July 2026Friday 9 July 2027Friday 14 July 2028
Katherine Show DayFriday 17 July 2026Friday 16 July 2027Friday 21 July 2028
Darwin Show DayFriday 24 July 2026Friday 23 July 2027Friday 28 July 2028
Borroloola Show DayFriday 14 August 2026Friday 13 August 2027Friday 11 August 2028

What about NT public holidays from 2029 to 2032?

The school term page extends through 2032, but the official NT public holidays page currently lists dates only through 2028. This guide does not calculate 2029 to 2032 public holidays from recurring patterns. Recheck the NT public and regional holidays page when planning those years.

Government, non-government and flexible-calendar schools

The NT Government says most government schools follow the general term dates. Families should treat three situations separately:

  1. Most NT government schools: use the published government tables, then check local notices.
  2. Gunbalanya School: use the school's separately determined flexible calendar, not an inferred version of the general dates.
  3. Non-government schools: check the individual school's calendar because dates can differ.

For year-level context, read the Northern Territory school year levels guide and the Australian school year levels state guide.

Planning tips for Northern Territory families

  1. Use the student start date. The teacher start date is normally earlier and is not the student's return date.
  2. Check the applicable show region. Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Darwin and Borroloola show holidays are regional.
  3. Confirm flexible calendars directly. This is essential for Gunbalanya School and useful for any school communicating local arrangements.
  4. Do not project public holidays past 2028. The government school terms go further than the currently published public holiday schedule.
  5. Book flexible travel where possible. Dates can be updated and school-specific arrangements can affect attendance.
  6. Plan enrolment and moves early. Use the Australian school enrolment step-by-step guide, school enrolment timeline Australia, school zones and catchments and moving schools between states.

Related BestSchools guides

Sources

All date claims above were checked against official Northern Territory Government sources.

Source coverage checked: general government school term dates for 2026 to 2032; teacher and student start distinctions for every term; student and teacher end distinctions for Term 4; Gunbalanya's flexible-calendar exception; statewide and regional public holidays for 2026 to 2028. Public holiday dates for 2029 to 2032 have not been inferred.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recommended next steps

Turn this research into a clearer shortlist

These tools help parents move from reading to action, whether you are narrowing options, planning visits, or checking readiness.

Take the School Choice Assessment

Get a personalised report based on your budget, commute, sector and learning priorities.

Start the assessment

Compare shortlisted schools

Put up to three schools side by side so trade-offs are easier to spot.

Compare schools

Browse schools near you

Use the map to filter schools by location, sector, school type, fees and more.

Open School Finder

More in Education Guides

Explore the latest articles covering similar topics to keep your research moving.