This page compares official school term dates across every Australian state and territory. Each comparison is calculated directly from the same verified term and holiday dates published on this site’s individual state/year pages — nothing here is estimated.
What’s compared
- Term 1 start and Term 4 end dates — who goes back to school earliest and latest each year.
- Total instructional time — calendar weeks scheduled across the four terms.
- Summer holiday length — calendar days between the end of Term 4 and the start of the following year’s Term 1, where the end date has been published.
These are calendar-based calculations from official government term dates, not a count of individual school days or a measure of curriculum content. Independent, Catholic and private schools may use different dates — check with your school.
2026 snapshot
Term 1 2026 start date and today’s status for every state. For the full comparison, open the 2026 page below.
| State/Territory | Term 1 2026 starts | Status (9 Sep 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 27 January 2026 | Term 3 is currently running |
| New South Wales | 2 February 2026 | Term 3 is currently running |
| Queensland | 27 January 2026 | Term 3 is currently running |
| South Australia | 27 January 2026 | Term 3 is currently running |
| Western Australia | 2 February 2026 | Term 3 is currently running |
| Tasmania | 5 February 2026 | Term 3 is currently running |
| Australian Capital Territory | 30 January 2026 | Term 3 is currently running |
| Northern Territory | 29 January 2026 | Term 3 is currently running |
Comparison by year
Open a specific year for the full state-by-state table and rankings.