Victoria · government schools
No — Victoria government schools are in Term 3.
Tuesday 8 September 2026. Term 3 runs to Fri 18 Sep.
Victoria settles its term dates five years ahead by ministerial determination, so its calendar is the most predictable in the country — and its teachers go back a day before its students.
Saturday
19September 2026
Spring holidays begin
in 11 days- Last day of this term
- Fri 18 Sep
- Length of the next break
- 16 daysLast day of school to first day back
- Breaks left in 2026
- 2
- Applies to
- Government schoolsCatholic and independent set their own
Whose school holidays are these?
The department's calendar is not everybody's calendar
These are the dates for Victorian GOVERNMENT schools and kindergartens. Catholic and independent schools set their own calendars; most stay close to these dates and none is required to. Check your own school.
That is why a search for your state's school holidays turns up your state's education department, an independent schools association and somebody's individual school, all with slightly different dates. None of them is wrong. They are answering for different schools.
- Government schools — The dates in the tables on this page, set by the department.
- Catholic systemic schools — Catholic systemic schools are close to the government dates but not bound by them — dioceses set their own staff development days, and start and finish days can move by a day or two. Check your diocese or your school.
- Independent schools — Independent schools set their own calendar entirely. In practice most start a little earlier and finish a little earlier than the government dates, and their terms can be a few days shorter at each end. The only reliable source is your own school’s published calendar.
2026 at a glance
The school year on one screen: term breaks shaded, public holidays filled, today ringed. This is the view worth printing for the fridge.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
VIC school holidays in 2026
Measured the way a parent measures it: from the last day your child is at school to the first day they go back.
| Break | Last day | Back at school | Days off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn holidays | Thu 2 Apr | Mon 20 Apr | 17 |
| Winter holidays | Fri 26 Jun | Mon 13 Jul | 16 |
| Spring holidays | Fri 18 Sep | Mon 5 Oct | 16 |
| Summer holidays | Fri 18 Dec | Thu 28 Jan | 40 |
Term dates
| Term | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Wed 28 Jan – Thu 2 Apr | Thu 28 Jan – Thu 25 Mar |
| Term 2 | Mon 20 Apr – Fri 26 Jun | Mon 12 Apr – Fri 25 Jun |
| Term 3 | Mon 13 Jul – Fri 18 Sep | Mon 12 Jul – Fri 17 Sep |
| Term 4 | Mon 5 Oct – Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Oct – Fri 17 Dec |
The catches in VIC's calendar
Things the dates alone do not tell you
- Term 1 has two start dates: teachers return first and students the following day. The student date is the one on this page's table.
- Term dates are approved in five-year blocks, so Victoria's dates are settled further ahead than most — the 2026 to 2030 dates were approved in 2021.
Public holidays during the VIC school year
Term time has public holidays in it too, and they are not the same days as the school breaks — see public holidays in VIC, where every date is checked against Public Holidays Act 1993 (Vic) No 119/1993.
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead are Victorian term dates decided?
Five years at a time. The Minister determines them under Regulation 13 of the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017, in blocks — the 2026 to 2030 dates were approved on 28 June 2021.
That is unusual and genuinely useful. Most jurisdictions publish two or three years out; Victoria has already fixed the first day of Term 1 in 2030. If you are planning a wedding, a build or a long trip around a school calendar, Victoria is the state where you can.
When exactly does the Victorian school year start?
On two dates, depending on who you are. The term begins for teachers first and for students the following day — in 2026 that is Tuesday 27 January for staff and Wednesday 28 January for students.
The tables on this page use the student dates, because the question people are asking is when the children go back. If you are a teacher, add a day at the front of Term 1.
Do Victorian Catholic and independent schools use these dates?
They are not required to. The determination binds government schools and kindergartens; Catholic and independent schools publish their own calendars and set their own pupil-free days.
Victoria is a good illustration of why that matters for search: an individual Melbourne primary school ranks in the top ten for the state’s school holiday term, because parents are looking for one school’s dates rather than the state’s.
Verified
Term dates from Victorian Government, checked . Built for. These are government school dates — confirm with your own school before you book anything.