If you want to know if your school is having a pupil free day (often called a student free day) and when exactly the pupil free days land for your state, you will find them listed easily below. Remember these are on top of public holidays and school holiday dates!
Because I am a teacher and a mum, I work these out well in advance so I know exactly when I need to plan my holidays. Now you can too! No more wondering ‘is it a pupil free day today?’
Pupils free days Queensland 2024
Parents and carers of kids at state school in Queensland do not need to send their kids to school on the following days in 2024:
- Thursday 18 January
- Friday 19 January
- Thursday 11 April
- Friday 12 April
- Friday 30 August
Find the full term dates for Queensland here.
Pupil free days New South Wales 2024
Parents and carers of kids at state school in NSW may have the following days off as pupils free days (double check with your individual school) in 2024:
- Wednesday 24 January
- Thursday 25 January
- Friday 26 April
- Friday 28 June
- Friday 19 July
- Friday 27 September
- Friday 11 October
- Friday 13 December
Find the full term dates for New South Wales here.
Student free days in Australian Capital Territory
These are the student free days in the ACT when students do not need to come to school:
- Monday 29 January
- Monday 29 April
- Monday 22 July
- Monday 14 October
Find the full term dates for ACT here.
Pupil free days Victoria 2024
The Victoria government allocate 4 days to student free days in state school across the state. School councils may only schedule the student-free days subject to the following requirements:
- the first day of Term 1 each year must be a student-free day in all government schools to allow for appropriate planning to take place for the arrival of students. In 2024 29 January will be a student free day.
- one student-free day is to be nominated for assessment and reporting
- school councils have the flexibility to schedule 2 additional student-free days based on local school needs
- if the principal determines to hold a common professional practice day (PPD) for teachers at the school, school councils will also schedule an additional, fifth student-free day, for use as a common PPD.
Contact your school for the list of pupil free days in Victoria.
Find the full term dates for Victoria here.
Pupil free days South Australia 2024
Public schools schedule student-free days for mandatory staff training and development. Additionally, schools may close on locally significant days. Out-of-school hours care (OSHC) is provided on these occasions. For information on student-free day dates and planned closures, get in touch with your school.
Find the full term dates for South Australia here.
Pupil free days Western Australia 2024
In WA pupil free days are called School Development Days and these are days when teachers, school leaders and support staff can hone and improve their skills. Children do not attend school on these days.
While three days are scheduled over the Christmas/New Year break, an additional three days are scheduled throughout the school year. The dates are different for each school and are chosen in consultation with the school council/board and the school community.
You ca going to need to talk with your school to find out when its school development days have been rostered for 2024.
Find the full term dates for Western Australia here.
Pupil free days Tasmania 2024
Tasmania has set student free days as per below:
- Thursday 28 March: Years 11 & 12 (Statewide)
- Friday 7 June: Kindergarten – Year 10 (Statewide)
- Friday 6 September: Years 11 & 12 (Statewide)
- Friday 25 October: Kindergarten – Year 10 (South)
- Friday 1 November: Kindergarten – Year 10 (North)
Find the full term dates for Tasmania here.
Pupil free days Northern Territory 2024
Northern Territory has pupil free days in 2024 on these dates:
- Monday 29 January