Western Australia School Term Dates and Holidays 2026 to 2031

Western Australian families can use this guide to plan school routines, care arrangements and travel around the dates officially published by the WA Department of Education. It covers every future year currently shown by the Department, from 2026 to 2031.

These dates apply to primary and secondary students at Western Australian public schools. The Department says all listed dates are inclusive. Dates for 2030 and 2031 are preliminary and still need to be confirmed, so treat bookings in those years cautiously.

At a glance

2026 WA school term dates and holidays

2027 WA school term dates and holidays

Important 2027 overlap: the Department’s term page starts Term 2 on Monday 26 April 2027. The WA Government public-holiday page also lists Monday 26 April 2027 as a public holiday following ANZAC Day on Sunday 25 April 2027. Do not infer a student attendance day from the term boundary alone. Confirm the first day of Term 2 with your school.

2028 WA school term dates and holidays

2029 WA school term dates and holidays

2030 WA school term dates and holidays

Status: preliminary dates only, to be confirmed by the WA Department of Education.

2031 WA school term dates and holidays

Status: preliminary dates only, to be confirmed by the WA Department of Education.

How to interpret the school holiday dates

The WA Department publishes the three breaks between Terms 1 and 2, Terms 2 and 3, and Terms 3 and 4 as inclusive date ranges. For example, the 2026 Term 1 break runs from Friday 3 April 2026 through Sunday 19 April 2026, with Term 2 beginning on Monday 20 April 2026.

The page does not provide a separate summer-holiday row after Term 4. Use the published Term 4 finish and the next published Term 1 start as planning anchors, but check your school calendar before assuming that every intervening weekday is a student holiday. School development days may affect the actual student return date.

For a visual planning tool, use the BestSchools school holiday calendars.

WA public holidays currently confirmed for 2026 and 2027

The WA Government currently publishes confirmed statewide dates for 2026 and 2027. It says 2028 dates will be published when confirmed. We have therefore not projected or inferred public-holiday dates for 2028 to 2031.

2026 WA public holidays

2027 WA public holidays

Some regional areas observe the King’s Birthday public holiday on an alternative date instead of the statewide date. The official WA public-holiday page lists the affected local government areas and dates. Regional families should check that page and their school calendar before making plans.

Development days and student-free days

The WA Department tells families to check their school schedule for planned development days. These days are not safely determined from the statewide term boundaries, and the Department’s future-term page does not provide a universal list for all schools.

A term may therefore start or finish at the statewide boundary while a school’s actual student attendance schedule differs because of a planned development day. Always confirm pupil-free dates directly with the school, particularly before booking care or travel.

Do these dates apply to Catholic and independent schools?

Not necessarily. These are the official dates for primary and secondary students in Western Australian public schools. Catholic and independent schools may use different term dates, holiday periods, staff development days or student start and finish dates.

If your child attends a non-government school, use the school’s own published calendar as the final source of truth.

Planning tips for WA families

1. Save the official dates, then add school-specific days. Start with the statewide calendar and add development days, orientation sessions, camps and exam dates from your school.
2. Treat 2030 and 2031 as provisional. Avoid non-refundable bookings until the WA Department confirms the preliminary dates.
3. Check public holidays inside term periods. A term date range does not mean students attend on a public holiday. The 2027 Term 2 boundary and ANZAC Day substitute holiday are a clear example.
4. Check regional public holidays. Alternative King’s Birthday dates may apply in some regional areas.
5. Plan moves and enrolments early. Read the Australian school enrolment step-by-step guide and school enrolment timeline before key deadlines.
6. Confirm your intake year and local area. Use the Western Australia school year levels guide and the school zones and catchments guide.
7. Allow extra time for an interstate move. The moving schools between states guide explains why year levels, enrolment processes and calendars need to be checked together.

Related BestSchools guides

• School holiday calendars
• Western Australia 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

All date claims are based on official Western Australian Government sources:

• WA Department of Education, Term dates, covering public-school terms and breaks from 2026 to 2031: https://www.education.wa.edu.au/future-term-dates
• Government of Western Australia, Public holidays in Western Australia, covering confirmed statewide public holidays for 2026 and 2027 and regional King’s Birthday guidance: https://www.wa.gov.au/service/employment/workplace-arrangements/public-holidays-western-australia

Date coverage note: Public holidays after 2027 have not been inferred because the WA Government page says 2028 dates will be published when confirmed. Recheck the official pages when planning a later year.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does school start in Western Australia in 2026?

When are the WA school holidays in 2026?

How far ahead has WA published school term dates?

Are WA school term dates inclusive?

Is Monday 26 April 2027 a school day or a public holiday?

Are school development days included in these tables?

Do these dates apply to private and Catholic schools?

Where can I compare year levels across Australia?