Pupil-free days 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 by state
This page lists centrally published pupil-free and school development days for 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 from each state and territory that publishes them, and shows where schools set their own.
NSW 2026: days published by the NSW Department of Educationdays published centrally by the department, with the department's own wording; some apply to a region or to certain year levels only; schools may add their own
NSW 2027: days published by the NSW Department of Educationdays published centrally by the department, with the department's own wording; some apply to a region or to certain year levels only; schools may add their own
QLD 2026: days published by the Queensland Department of Educationdays published centrally by the department, with the department's own wording; some apply to a region or to certain year levels only; schools may add their own
QLD 2027: days published by the Queensland Department of Educationdays published centrally by the department, with the department's own wording; some apply to a region or to certain year levels only; schools may add their own
QLD 2028: days published by the Queensland Department of Educationdays published centrally by the department, with the department's own wording; some apply to a region or to certain year levels only; schools may add their own
QLD 2029: days published by the Queensland Department of Educationdays published centrally by the department, with the department's own wording; some apply to a region or to certain year levels only; schools may add their own
TAS 2026: days published by the Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young Peopledays published centrally by the department, with the department's own wording; some apply to a region or to certain year levels only; schools may add their own
Day
Date
Professional learning day (student free), K-10, South only
TAS 2027: days published by the Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young Peopledays published centrally by the department, with the department's own wording; some apply to a region or to certain year levels only; schools may add their own
Day
Date
Professional learning day (student free), K-12, Statewide
Only centrally published pupil-free, staff and teacher dates are listed here. Teacher start and finish dates are not pupil-free periods. Some entries apply only to particular regions or year levels, so check each one. Schools may announce additional pupil-free days of their own, which are not published centrally.
A pupil-free day is a day when students do not attend and staff have time for work such as planning or professional learning. Depending on the department, these days may be called school development days, staff professional development days, professional learning days or student-free days. Some departments publish dates that apply statewide, while others leave the arrangements to individual schools. This page lists the centrally published days and identifies where schools set their own. It separates pupil-free days from the surrounding school holidays; check your school's notices for any additional days.
States and territories without published statewide dates
For these states and territories the department's term dates page lists no pupil-free days for the whole state or territory. Pupil-free days there are announced by each school, and where the department prints separate teacher and student start dates, those are noted on the year pages.
Victoria: no statewide pupil-free days on the term dates page of the Victorian Department of Education.
Western Australia: no statewide pupil-free days on the term dates page of the WA Department of Education.
South Australia: no statewide pupil-free days on the term dates page of the SA Department for Education.
Australian Capital Territory: no territory-wide pupil-free days on the term dates page of the ACT Education Directorate.
Northern Territory: no territory-wide pupil-free days on the term dates page of the NT Department of Education and Training.
Student-free days in Victorian government schools
The department sets the rules for student-free days, while schools choose the dates. Each school council may endorse up to five days a year. The first day of Term One is a student-free day in every government school. The principal must let families know the dates; check your school's calendar.
Each year school councils may endorse up to 5 student-free days (when student instruction does not occur) for professional development, school planning and administration, curriculum development and student assessment and reporting.
The first day of Term 1 each year must be a student-free day in all government schools to allow for appropriate planning to take place for the arrival of students.
Principals must inform parents and the broader school community of the scheduling arrangements for student-free days (using community language notices where necessary).
Questions and answers
Are pupil-free days the same for every school?
Not always: some dates are set by the department and others by individual schools. A centrally published day may apply across government schools, while other days are chosen locally; Catholic and independent schools can have their own arrangements.
Are pupil-free days part of the school holidays?
No. Pupil-free days are staff working days when students do not attend, so they are listed separately from school holidays. They can affect a child's return to class even when a published term has begun.
Why are some states absent from the pupil-free-day list?
There may be no centrally published dates to list because schools choose their own days, or the department may not yet have released the relevant calendar. The page notes explain what is available; a missing entry does not mean students attend every day of term. Check with your school.