NSW School Term Dates and Holidays 2026 to 2030

Date coverage note: Dates in this guide come from NSW Department of Education and NSW Government sources. Detailed first-to-last student dates and school development days are officially published for 2026. Future calendar dates for 2027 to 2030 include staff development days within the published term spans, so they must not automatically be treated as student attendance dates.

NSW school term dates and holidays, 2026 to 2030

New South Wales has two school calendar divisions. Most public schools follow the Eastern division calendar, while designated Western division schools in the far west start Term 1 later. That difference matters when arranging care, travel or an interstate move.

This guide covers all NSW public school term and holiday dates currently published from 2026 onward, through 2030. It also separates confirmed student attendance dates from broader future term spans wherever the NSW Department of Education does so.

For a quick calendar view, use the BestSchools school holiday calendars.

2026 NSW public school dates for students

The Department publishes specific first-to-last student dates for 2026. These exclude the listed school development days.

2026 NSW school holidays

2026 school development days

Students do not attend on these official school development days:

The Department says development-day dates are determined centrally but may change locally, so always check with the school.

2027 NSW published term dates and school holidays

Important: The official future calendar states that staff school development days are included in these term date spans. They are not all student attendance dates.

2027 school development days

The Department separately publishes the following 2027 development days. Students do not attend, and local variation remains possible:

• Term 1 Eastern division: Thursday 28 January 2027 to Tuesday 2 February 2027
• Term 1 Western division: Thursday 4 February 2027 to Tuesday 9 February 2027
• Term 2: Tuesday 27 April 2027 and Wednesday 28 April 2027
• Term 3: Monday 19 July 2027
• Term 4: Monday 11 October 2027

2028 NSW published term dates and school holidays

Student attendance caveat: These future term spans include school development days. The Department had not published a separate 2028 development-day schedule on the development-days page reviewed for this guide. Do not infer student start dates from the first dates above. Confirm with the school when the detailed calendar is released.

2029 NSW published term dates and school holidays

Student attendance caveat: Staff development days are included in the term spans. Exact student attendance dates and school-specific variations should be confirmed when the Department and school publish more detail.

2030 NSW published term dates and school holidays

Student attendance caveat: Staff development days are included in the term spans. Do not treat the first date of a future term as a confirmed student start date unless the Department explicitly labels it that way.

How to interpret NSW school holidays

The Department's future calendar publishes the holiday windows directly, so the tables above use those official dates rather than calculating gaps. There are still three details parents should watch:

1. Eastern and Western division summer holidays finish on different dates.
2. A term span can begin with one or more school development days when students do not attend.
3. A small number of schools close to the Victorian or Queensland borders operate on dates that differ from the standard calendar. The Department tells families to check the individual school's website.

If you are unsure which division applies, ask the school or check the Department's list of later-start Western division schools. Do not decide based only on a town's longitude or distance from Sydney.

NSW public holidays officially published for 2026 and 2027

The NSW Government public holiday page currently provides exact statewide dates for 2026 and 2027. It does not yet provide a complete official table for 2028 to 2030, so later dates are not calculated here. Local public holidays can also apply in part of NSW.

The NSW page also lists a Bank Holiday on Monday 3 August 2026 and Monday 2 August 2027, but explicitly says it is not a declared public holiday. It has therefore not been presented as a general public holiday in the table above.

For later updates and any local declarations, see the official NSW public holidays page.

Pupil-free and school development day caveat

NSW calls its teacher professional learning days school development days. Parents may also hear these described informally as pupil-free or student-free days. Students do not attend because there are no timetabled lessons. The Department determines the dates but says families must check with their local school because dates may change.

Government, Catholic and independent school calendars

The dates in this guide are NSW public school dates. Catholic and independent schools may follow similar patterns, but their term starts, finishes, staff days and holiday periods can differ. Always use the school's own calendar for a final booking decision.

Families comparing school structures can read the NSW school year levels guide and the Australian school year levels state guide.

Planning tips for NSW families

1. Confirm your division. Western division schools have a later Term 1 start and a longer summer holiday.
2. Separate term spans from student days. The 2027 to 2030 future calendars include development days in the listed terms.
3. Check the school's current calendar. Department dates can vary locally, and some border schools use different calendars.
4. Do not treat the August Bank Holiday as a general public holiday. The NSW Government specifically says it is not one.
5. Plan enrolment early. Use the Australian school enrolment step-by-step guide and school enrolment timeline Australia.
6. Check address eligibility. Read the school zones and catchments guide before signing a lease or buying a home for a particular government school.
7. Coordinate interstate transitions. The guide to moving schools between states can help when term dates do not line up.

Related BestSchools guides

• School holiday calendars
• NSW school year levels guide
• Australian school year levels by state
• Australian school enrolment step-by-step guide
• School enrolment timeline Australia
• Moving schools between states
• School zones and catchments

Sources

Official government sources accessed for this guide:

• NSW Department of Education, 2026 term dates, first-to-last student days, school holidays and development days: https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/calendars/2026
• NSW Department of Education, future and past NSW term dates and school holidays, including 2027 to 2030: https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/calendars/future-and-past-nsw-term-and-vacation-dates
• NSW Department of Education, school development days and 2026 to 2027 schedules: https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/calendars/school-development-days
• NSW Department of Education, Western division later-start schools: https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/calendars/late-start-schools
• NSW Government, NSW public holidays for 2026 and 2027: https://www.nsw.gov.au/about-nsw/public-holidays

Frequently Asked Questions

When do NSW public school students start in 2026?

Why are there Eastern and Western division dates in NSW?

Are the 2027 to 2030 term start dates student start dates?

Do students attend on school development days?

Are all NSW schools on the standard calendar?

Is the NSW Bank Holiday a public holiday for everyone?

How far ahead are NSW school dates published?