If you have ever tried to book flights, plan annual leave and coordinate two kids at two different schools in the same week, you already know that the Victorian school calendar is not exactly intuitive. Government school term dates, independent school variations, public holidays that shift the working week, and long weekends that sneak up on you — it is a lot to hold in your head.
This guide pulls together the official Victorian Department of Education term dates alongside the full public holiday calendar for Victoria, so you can plan school pick-ups, family trips and rostered days off from one page. All term dates below are sourced directly from vic.gov.au, the official Victorian Government website, and cross-checked against Business Victoria’s published public holiday list.
A quick note before we dive in: the dates listed apply to Victorian government (state) schools. Catholic and independent schools generally follow a very similar calendar but can start a day or two later in Term 1 or finish a little earlier in Term 4, so it always pays to double-check the specific dates with your own school office.
Quick Summary: Victorian School Terms at a Glance
Here is the short version for anyone who just needs the headline dates before they book anything.
Term
Starts
Ends
Term 1
Tuesday 27 January (students start Wednesday 28 January)
Thursday 2 April
Term 2
Monday 20 April
Friday 26 June
Term 3
Monday 13 July
Friday 18 September
Term 4
Monday 5 October
Friday 18 December
2026 Victorian Government School Term Dates in Detail
Term 1: Late January to Early April
Term 1 kicks off on Tuesday 27 January for teachers, with students in Victorian government schools returning the next day, Wednesday 28 January. This is the longest stretch most families will do without a proper break, running right through until Thursday 2 April, when the autumn holidays begin. Because Term 1 lines up with Australia Day (Monday 26 January) landing just before the term starts, some families extend their summer trip into a long weekend before school goes back.
Term 2: Late April to Late June
Term 2 begins Monday 20 April and finishes Friday 26 June. This term includes ANZAC Day and the King’s Birthday public holiday, giving working parents a couple of natural breathers in an otherwise steady run of school weeks. The winter school holidays begin the day after Term 2 finishes.
Term 3: Mid-July to Mid-September
Term 3 runs from Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September. This is peak flu-season territory in Victorian classrooms, and also when a lot of the state’s football finals build-up happens, culminating in the AFL Grand Final public holiday that falls just after this term wraps up.
Term 4: October to Mid-December
Term 4 is the longest of the year, running from Monday 5 October to Friday 18 December — roughly eleven weeks without a mid-term break. For Year 12 students, this term looks quite different: VCE classes effectively wrap up in early-to-mid October, with the remainder of the term given over to swot vacs and written examinations before the long summer break begins.
Term Lengths Compared: A Quick Visual
Term 4 stands out as noticeably longer than the other three, which is exactly why so many families and teachers feel like the final stretch of the year drags on. Here is how the four terms compare in approximate length.
Victorian School Holiday Dates for 2026
These are the actual break periods between terms — the dates most families use for booking travel, camps and childcare.
Holiday Period
Dates
Length
Summer holidays (end of prior year)
Through to Tuesday 27 January
—
Autumn (Easter) holidays
Friday 3 April – Sunday 19 April
Around 2.5 weeks
Winter holidays
Saturday 27 June – Sunday 12 July
Around 2 weeks
Spring holidays
Saturday 19 September – Sunday 4 October
Around 2 weeks
Summer holidays
Saturday 19 December – late January (following year)
Around 5–6 weeks
The autumn break is a genuinely useful one to know about early, because it overlaps with the Easter long weekend (Good Friday through Easter Monday), which means accommodation and flights across regional Victoria book out fast. If a trip to the snow, the coast or interstate is on the cards, aim to lock it in well before Term 1 finishes.
Victoria observes 13 public holidays across the year — more than most other states, mainly thanks to Melbourne Cup Day, the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, and the Saturday and Sunday of Easter all being gazetted holidays. The full official list, published by Business Victoria, is below.
Public Holiday
Date
New Year’s Day
Thursday 1 January
Australia Day
Monday 26 January
Labour Day
Monday 9 March
Good Friday
Friday 3 April
Saturday before Easter Sunday
Saturday 4 April
Easter Sunday
Sunday 5 April
Easter Monday
Monday 6 April
ANZAC Day
Saturday 25 April
King’s Birthday
Monday 8 June
Friday before the AFL Grand Final
Friday 25 September
Melbourne Cup Day
Tuesday 3 November
Christmas Day
Friday 25 December
Boxing Day
Saturday 26 December (additional holiday Monday 28 December)
A couple of things worth flagging: ANZAC Day falls on a Saturday in 2026 and, unlike some public holidays, it is not shifted to the following Monday — Victoria commemorates it on the actual day regardless of the weekend. Boxing Day, on the other hand, does get a substitute day, so Monday 28 December is an additional public holiday because 26 December falls on a Saturday.
Long Weekends to Circle in the Calendar
For families juggling annual leave against school terms, these are the natural long-weekend opportunities in 2026:
Australia Day weekend — Saturday 24 to Monday 26 January, right before Term 1 starts.
Labour Day weekend — Saturday 7 to Monday 9 March, mid-way through Term 1.
Easter — Friday 3 to Monday 6 April, a four-day weekend that runs straight into the autumn school holidays.
King’s Birthday weekend — Saturday 6 to Monday 8 June, in the back half of Term 2.
AFL Grand Final weekend — Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September, right before the spring school holidays begin.
Melbourne Cup Day — Tuesday 3 November is a stand-alone holiday rather than a long weekend, but taking the Monday off turns it into a four-day break during Term 4.
What to Do With the Kids During Each Break
Knowing the dates is only half the job — the harder part is filling that first rainy Tuesday of the holidays without repeating the same trip to the shopping centre. A few ideas we come back to for each type of break:
Autumn and Spring Holidays
Both the autumn and spring breaks land right in the sweet spot for regional day trips, when the weather is mild enough for a full day outdoors without the summer crowds. The Yarra Valley is a reliable option — our guide to cherry blossom season in the Yarra Valley covers the best farms to visit if the spring break lines up with blossom season, including which ones are genuinely worth the drive with young kids in tow.
If you would rather stay closer to home, Fritsch Holzer Park in Hawthorn East is one of the better-kept-secret picnic and play spots in the eastern suburbs — plenty of open grass for kids to burn off energy without the crowds of the bigger inner-city parks.
Winter Holidays
The July break is the trickiest to plan outdoor activities around, simply because Melbourne’s weather is unreliable at best. On the milder days, a family hit-up at one of the city’s free public tennis courts is a cheap, easy way to get everyone moving between the rainy stretches — several of the courts on that list sit right next to playgrounds, which makes life easier if you have kids of different ages.
Summer Holidays
The long summer break is when Victorian families tend to head down the coast, and Anglesea is one of the more relaxed options along the Great Ocean Road — close enough for a straightforward drive from Melbourne, but without the peak-season chaos of the busier surf towns further along.
A Note for Families With a Year 12 Student
If you have a VCE student in the house, Term 4 does not follow the same rhythm as the rest of the school year. Classes for Year 12 students effectively wind down in early-to-mid October, and the remainder of the term is taken up with study periods and the written examination block, which typically runs from late October through to mid-November. Results and ATAR release generally follow in mid-December, just as the rest of the school population starts the long summer break. If this applies to your household, it is worth checking the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s own key dates page directly, since exact examination dates are published separately from the general school calendar each year.
Do Catholic and Independent Schools Follow the Same Dates?
Mostly, yes — but not exactly. Catholic Education Melbourne and most independent schools base their calendars on the government school term dates, which keeps things simple for families with kids at more than one type of school. The differences tend to be small: a later Term 1 start by a day or two, or Term 4 finishing a week or so earlier once exams and reports are wrapped up. If your children attend different school systems, it is worth grabbing both calendars at the start of the year and marking the gaps, because those extra days at either end are exactly the ones that catch working parents out.
Daylight Saving and Weather Through the School Year
Victoria’s daylight saving period runs from the first Sunday in October through to the first Sunday in April, which means it lines up almost exactly with the start of Term 4 and the end of Term 1. Practically, that means school pick-up in October and November happens in much brighter conditions than pick-up in June or July, when clocks have gone back and afternoons are noticeably darker by 5pm. If you are planning after-school sport, outdoor birthday parties or evening school events, it is worth keeping this shift in mind alongside the term dates themselves — a 5pm start in Term 2 or Term 3 looks and feels very different to the same time slot in Term 4.
Regional Victoria: Anything Different to Check?
The term dates and public holidays above apply consistently across Victoria, including regional government schools — there is no separate calendar for country areas. The one exception worth knowing about is the non-metropolitan public holiday: in place of Melbourne Cup Day, some regional councils substitute a local holiday tied to their own agricultural show or community event. If you live outside metropolitan Melbourne, it is worth a quick check with your local council or school to confirm whether Cup Day applies in your area or whether a different local date has been gazetted instead.
A Few Practical Planning Tips
Book accommodation for the autumn (Easter) break early — it is one of the busiest travel windows of the year because it combines a public holiday long weekend with the start of school holidays.
Check your child’s specific school calendar for curriculum days and student-free days, which are set locally and are not included in the government term dates above.
If you are coordinating leave with a partner, the King’s Birthday and AFL Grand Final weekends are good candidates for a genuine break without burning a full week of annual leave.
Keep an eye on childcare and OSHC (Outside School Hours Care) vacancy windows for the winter and spring breaks — these fill up faster than people expect, especially in the inner and eastern suburbs.
For the summer holidays, remember that many workplaces effectively shut down between Christmas and New Year, so plan family activities around that quieter week if you are trying to avoid the busiest tourist periods.
Disclaimer
This guide is intended as general information only and is based on term dates and public holidays published by the Victorian Government at the time of writing. School term dates, curriculum days and public holidays can be amended by the relevant authorities, and individual schools (particularly Catholic and independent schools) may set their own variations. Always confirm current dates directly with the Victorian Department of Education, your child’s school, or the official Business Victoria public holidays page before finalising travel bookings, leave requests or care arrangements. This article does not constitute legal, financial or educational advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Victorian government school students go back in 2026?
Term 1 for Victorian government schools starts on Tuesday 27 January (a curriculum day for staff), with students returning the following day, Wednesday 28 January.
How many weeks of school holidays do Victorian students get?
Victorian government school students get four holiday breaks a year: a shorter autumn and winter break, a shorter spring break, and a longer summer break of around five to six weeks. In total, that adds up to roughly twelve to thirteen weeks off across the year.
Are the Victorian public school holidays the same as NSW or Queensland?
No. Each Australian state and territory sets its own government school term dates, so while the overall structure is similar (four terms, four breaks), the exact start and finish dates vary from state to state. You can compare all jurisdictions on the Australian Government’s school term dates page.
Is Melbourne Cup Day a public holiday across all of Victoria?
Yes. Melbourne Cup Day (the first Tuesday in November) is a gazetted public holiday across the whole of Victoria, not just metropolitan Melbourne, unless a non-metropolitan council has arranged an alternative local holiday instead.
Does ANZAC Day get moved to the following Monday if it falls on a weekend?
No. Victoria commemorates ANZAC Day on the actual date it falls, even when that is a Saturday or Sunday. There is no substitute public holiday added to the following Monday, which differs from how some other public holidays are treated.
Why is Term 4 so much longer than the other terms?
Term 4 has to fit in the end-of-year curriculum, school reports, presentation nights and, for Year 12 students, the VCE examination period — all before the long summer break begins. That combination of tasks is why it consistently runs longer than Terms 1, 2 and 3.
Do Catholic and independent schools in Victoria have different holiday dates?
They are usually very close to the government school calendar but can differ by a few days at the start of Term 1 or the end of Term 4. Always confirm directly with your child’s school rather than assuming the dates match exactly.
Where can I find the official Victorian public holiday list?
The full, official list is maintained by Business Victoria and is available at business.vic.gov.au. For a broader overview of how Victoria fits into the national holiday calendar, Wikipedia’s public holidays in Australia page is a useful general reference.
What are curriculum days and student-free days?
Curriculum days (sometimes called pupil-free days or professional practice days) are extra days set by individual schools for staff planning and training, separate from the official term dates. Most Victorian government schools use around four of these across the year, and the exact dates are set locally rather than centrally, so they will not appear on any state-wide calendar. Always check your own school’s newsletter or calendar for these, since they affect when your child is actually required at school even within a normal term.
