Select your country to see school term dates.
School term dates tell you when school is in session — as opposed to school holidays, which show when school is out. For parents managing work schedules around school pickup and drop-off, for businesses that see demand shift during school terms, and for anyone planning events or activities that depend on whether children are in school, knowing the term dates is just as useful as knowing the holidays.
Australian states run four school terms per year. Term 1 typically runs from late January to late March or early April. Term 2 runs from late April to late June. Term 3 runs from mid-July to late September. Term 4 runs from mid-October to mid-December. The exact dates vary by state — Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and other states each publish their own official calendars annually.
International term structures differ. The UK operates a three-term system (Autumn, Spring, and Summer terms) with half-term breaks mid-term. The US typically runs two semesters. New Zealand mirrors Australia's four-term structure but with dates offset to match its own academic calendar. Select your country and region above to see the specific term dates that apply to you.
Australian schools run four terms per year. Each term runs approximately 10 weeks, with two-week breaks between terms and a longer summer break of 6-8 weeks over Christmas and New Year. The exact length varies slightly by state and year.
Most Australian state schools return for Term 1 in late January or early February, depending on the state. Queensland typically starts earlier than NSW and Victoria. The exact date changes each year — select your state above for the current year's Term 1 start date.
In most Australian states, primary and secondary government schools follow the same term dates set by the state education department. Some states have slight variations — for example, Year 12 students in their final year may finish earlier than other year levels. Private schools may also run different dates.
UK schools run three terms — Autumn (September to December), Spring (January to March/April), and Summer (April to July). Each term has a one-week half-term break in the middle. The summer holidays run approximately 6 weeks from mid-July to early September, which is shorter than both Australian and US summer breaks.
Australian state education departments typically publish the following year's term dates in the second half of the current year — usually around July to September. This allows families and schools to plan ahead. This tool is updated when official dates are published.