Planning guides
Original guides to help you plan around Australian school terms, holidays and public holidays. More guides are added over time — state and year pages remain the main reference for exact dates.
How Australian
school terms workWhy term dates differ by state, and how holiday breaks are
calculated.
School holiday
planning guidePractical tips for booking travel and coordinating childcare
around school holidays.
Public
holidays inside 2026 school holidaysWhich 2026 public holidays fall inside a
break, state by state.
When do schools
go back in Australia?Every 2026 return-to-school date, term by term, for every
state.
Australian long
weekends 2026Every 2026 public holiday that creates a long weekend, state by
state.
Pupil-free days
explainedWhat each state calls them, and who actually sets the dates.
Vacation care and
school holiday programsHow OSHC and vacation care work, and how the Child Care
Subsidy applies.
Moving
interstate with school-aged kidsWhy term dates don’t line up between
states, with a real 2026 example.