Pupil-Free Days NT 2027: Teacher and Student Dates
Check the NT's 2027 teacher and student start dates, the pupil-free planning framework and why Gunbalanya families need their school's own calendar.
The NT's 2027 government-school calendar separates teacher starts from student starts. The published teacher dates are 25 January, 12 April, 12 July and 4 October; check your school's pupil-free arrangements. Gunbalanya follows a separate flexible calendar.
NT teacher and student dates in 2027
| Term | Teachers start | Students start |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Monday 25 January | Wednesday 27 January |
| Term 2 | Monday 12 April | Tuesday 13 April |
| Term 3 | Monday 12 July | Tuesday 13 July |
| Term 4 | Monday 4 October | Tuesday 5 October |
These are the teacher and student dates in the official NT term calendar. They are shown separately so a teacher commencement date is not mistaken for your child's first day.
How the pupil-free framework applies
The NT Educators 2024–2027 Enterprise Agreement provides a compulsory professional-learning day before students start the year, and one on the first day of Terms 2, 3 and 4 unless otherwise approved. Confirm any approved variation with your school.
It also provides a pupil-free day on the last day of Term 4, with flexibility for the principal to substitute equivalent planning arrangements earlier. The central 2027 calendar has students finishing Thursday 9 December and teachers finishing Friday 10 December; ask the school how its end-of-year arrangements apply.
Gunbalanya and local attendance arrangements
Gunbalanya's flexible school year is arranged separately with its community. Families there should use the school's own calendar rather than the dates in the table.
For other NT government schools, confirm your child's start and finish dates, then add the school's approved pupil-free dates to the NT term planner. Check Catholic and independent school calendars separately.
Official sources
Checked 20 September 2026: the NT Government school term calendar and the NT Educators 2024–2027 Enterprise Agreement. The official approval bulletin confirms the agreement commenced on 7 November 2024.
See pupil-free days by state for the other public-school systems.
Frequently asked questions
Do NT students return on the teacher start date?
No. The 2027 calendar lists separate dates. In Term 1 teachers start Monday 25 January and students start Wednesday 27 January; the later terms have Tuesday student starts.
Is Friday 10 December 2027 a normal student day?
The central NT calendar lists Thursday 9 December as the student finish and Friday 10 December as the teacher finish. Confirm your school's arrangements, since the agreement allows flexibility for the final planning day.
Do the published dates apply to Gunbalanya?
Gunbalanya follows a flexible school year arranged separately. Use the school's own confirmed dates rather than this table.
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