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Pupil-Free Days NSW 2026: School Development Days

NSW's 2026 school development days (SDDs): the Department's default dates for each term, why your school can move them, and how to check.

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NSW public schools hold 8 school development days in 2026, and the Department of Education publishes a default date for each of them. The January, April and July days have already run. Monday 12 October is the last one, and your school can still move it.

Planning next year? See the 2027 NSW school development days, including both divisions.

NSW's 2026 school development days

These are the Department's published defaults for Eastern Division schools, which covers most of the state. Each cluster sits immediately before students return, so a development day rarely takes a day out of a normal teaching week.

NSW default school development days and student return dates for 2026, Eastern Division
TermDefault development daysStudents return
Term 1Tuesday 27 to Friday 30 JanuaryMonday 2 February
Term 2Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 AprilWednesday 22 April
Term 3Monday 20 JulyTuesday 21 July
Term 4Monday 12 OctoberTuesday 13 October

Western Division schools, in the far west of the state, run Term 1's four days a week later, Tuesday 3 to Friday 6 February, and students return on Monday 9 February. Terms 2, 3 and 4 match the Eastern Division exactly.

For the full term calendar behind these dates, see NSW school term dates or the 2026 school holidays guide.

Why the published date isn't a guarantee

The Department sets the dates every public school is expected to use, then tells parents to check locally anyway. A principal who wants a different day consults the school community and notifies their Director, Public Schools NSW, rather than simply following the calendar.

What a school development day is, and why there are eight

School development days, or SDDs, are days when teachers and school leaders do professional learning, planning and administration while students stay home. NSW public schools moved to 8 a year from 2025, up from 5, under the 2024 award changes.

Four of the eight are quarantined for classroom teachers' own programming and assessment work rather than whole-school training. That's why some of the January block looks quiet from the outside: staff are working on their own classes.

How to confirm your own school's date

  1. Read the school newsletter or parent app (Sentral, Skoolbag or Compass) early in Term 1, when most schools confirm the year's dates.
  2. Check the school website calendar, where development days usually sit alongside excursions and assemblies.
  3. Ring the office if a date is missing, or looks different from the Department's default.
  4. Line the confirmed date up against NSW public holidays and the NSW calendar to see whether it stretches into a longer break.

Why NSW's model differs from Queensland's

Both states publish a statewide list. The difference is what a school may do with it. Queensland lists staff development dates in its annual calendar and has separate guidance on flexible professional-development arrangements. NSW publishes development dates but also warns that some dates may vary locally.

School development days in NSW compared with Queensland's statewide pupil-free dates
RuleNSWQueensland
Days a year8, from 20256 published for 2027
Statewide dates publishedYes, by the DepartmentYes, by the Department
Local confirmationCheck any variation with your schoolCheck your school's professional-development arrangements

Queensland's 2027 list is already out: see QLD pupil-free days 2027, or pupil-free days by state for how the other six states and territories decide.

Frequently asked questions

What are pupil free days in NSW?

School development days, in the Department's wording. Staff work, students stay home, and public schools hold eight of them a year, mostly clustered before a term starts.

Does NSW have statewide pupil-free dates in 2026?

Yes, as a default. The Department publishes 27 to 30 January, 20 and 21 April, 20 July and 12 October for Eastern Division schools, then asks parents to confirm with their own school, because a principal can move one.

When is the last NSW school development day in 2026?

Monday 12 October. Students in both the Eastern and Western divisions come back the next day, Tuesday 13 October, so that is the last school development day of 2026.

What are school development days and how many does NSW have?

Eight a year for public schools, up from five before 2025. Four sit before Term 1, two before Term 2, and one each before Terms 3 and 4.

Why do schools have pupil free days?

To give staff a full day for work that can't happen with a class in the room: curriculum planning, assessment moderation, reporting and whole-staff training. An hour after school doesn't cover it.

Do Catholic and independent schools in NSW follow the same pupil-free schedule?

No. The eight-day framework applies to NSW public schools under the teachers' award. Catholic and independent schools set their own staff development days, so confirm each school separately.

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