If you have ever tried to book a flight, a caravan site or even just a dentist appointment during the SA school break, you already know timing is everything. South Australian families juggle four terms a year, a run of public holidays that don’t always line up neatly with the weekend, and school calendars that shift slightly depending on whether your child goes to a government, Catholic or independent school. This guide pulls all of that together in one place, sourced from the South Australian Department for Education and SafeWork SA, so you can plan camps, flights and rostered days off without second-guessing yourself.
South Australia School Term Dates
South Australian government schools run on a four-term calendar, with the school year opening in late January and wrapping up in December. Independent and Catholic schools broadly mirror this structure but often add their own pupil-free days or shift the start by a day or two, so it always pays to double-check with your child’s actual school before locking in travel.
Term
Start Date
End Date
Approx. Weeks
Term 1
Tuesday, 27 January
Friday, 10 April
11 weeks
Term 2
Monday, 27 April
Friday, 3 July
10 weeks
Term 3
Monday, 20 July
Friday, 25 September
10 weeks
Term 4
Monday, 12 October
Friday, 11 December
9 weeks
SA School Holiday Break Dates
Between each term sits a break, and these are the dates that actually matter for booking flights, accommodation or securing a spot in a school holiday program before it fills up.
Holiday Break
Dates
Length
Autumn holidays
Saturday, 11 April – Sunday, 26 April
16 days
Winter holidays
Saturday, 4 July – Sunday, 19 July
16 days
Spring holidays
Saturday, 26 September – Sunday, 11 October
16 days
Summer holidays
Saturday, 12 December – Wednesday, 27 January
47 days
The summer break is by far the longest stretch, which is exactly why family accommodation around the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Adelaide Hills books out so early each December.
South Australia Public Holidays
On top of the school breaks, South Australia observes its own mix of national and state-specific public holidays. A few quirks are worth knowing: Anzac Day does not get a substitute Monday when it lands on a weekend here, and Proclamation Day (South Australia’s version of Boxing Day) is observed on 26 December, with an extra public holiday added on the following Monday because the actual date falls on a Saturday this year.
How the Public Holidays Line Up With School Breaks
Adelaide Cup Day falls right in the middle of Term 1, which is a handy long weekend without needing to touch a holiday break at all. Easter usually lands close to the start of the autumn break, occasionally overlapping with it depending on the lunar calendar, so families heading interstate over Easter should double-check whether the school break has technically started yet. If you’re chasing quieter, less crowded getaways, the source data on South Australia itself is worth a browse on Wikipedia before you pick a region, and you can confirm any public holiday detail directly with SafeWork SA, the official state authority on the topic.
Making the Most of the School Holidays
Every SA break is a chance to get out of the routine without necessarily leaving the state. A short Adelaide-based holiday treat, like booking the kids (or yourself) in for a pamper session at one of the best nail salons in Adelaide, is a low-effort way to mark the start of a break. Families willing to cross the border for the longer breaks often head toward Victoria’s coastline, and a place like Anglesea is consistently popular; this rundown of things to do in Anglesea is a solid starting point if the winter or spring break lines up with a road trip.
If the summer break turns into a bigger interstate trip, food ends up being half the itinerary for most families. A stop in Melbourne pairs well with an evening at one of the best beer gardens in Melbourne for the adults, while a Sydney leg of the trip is rarely complete without queuing for a famous Emperor’s Puffs cream puff in Chinatown. None of it needs to be expensive; the point of a school break is simply to break the routine for a week or two.
The dates above apply to South Australian government (public) schools. Many independent and Catholic schools follow a near-identical calendar, but it is common for individual schools to add student-free days at the start or end of a term, or to finish a day or two earlier before a break. If your child attends a non-government school, treat the table above as a guide and check the specific school calendar before booking anything that can’t be changed.
Looking Ahead
Term dates are set well in advance, so if you’re already planning next year’s leave, Term 1 of the following year is scheduled to start on 27 January and Term 4 wraps up on 10 December. These dates can shift slightly from what’s published here if the Department for Education issues updates, so it’s worth a quick check closer to the time, particularly for families booking flights a year out.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do SA school holidays start?
The first break of the year, the autumn holidays, begins the day after Term 1 finishes on 10 April, so the break runs from 11 April through to 26 April.
How many weeks of school holidays does South Australia get each year?
Across the four breaks, SA students get roughly 12 to 13 weeks off school each year, with the summer break making up almost half of that total on its own.
Do private and Catholic schools in SA follow the same holiday dates?
Mostly, yes, but not always exactly. Many independent and Catholic schools run pupil-free days or adjust their term boundaries slightly, so always confirm with the school directly rather than assuming the government school dates apply.
Is Anzac Day a public holiday in SA if it falls on a weekend?
No. Unlike some other states, South Australia does not add a substitute Monday when Anzac Day lands on a Saturday or Sunday. You can read more general background on the origins of the day on Wikipedia if you’re after the full history.
Why does SA get an extra public holiday on 28 December?
Because Proclamation Day (South Australia’s Boxing Day equivalent) falls on 26 December, which is a Saturday. When that happens, an additional public holiday is added on the following Monday so the day off isn’t lost to the weekend.
Where can I download an official copy of the SA school calendar?
The Department for Education publishes downloadable PDF and iCal versions of the official term calendar on its website, which is the most reliable source if you want to import the dates straight into your phone or family calendar.
Disclaimer
This article is intended as a general planning guide only. School term dates, holiday breaks and public holidays are set by the South Australian Department for Education and the South Australian Government and can be revised or updated after publication. Independent, Catholic and private school dates may differ from those listed here. Always confirm current dates directly with your child’s school or the relevant government website before making bookings, travel arrangements or leave plans.
