Information reviewed and edited by Isabella K. (qualified high school teacher)
Get ready to plan your 2024 vacations with the NSW School Holidays Guide! Check the key dates below to find out when does school start and finish for each school term in NSW in 2024.
2024 NSW School Holidays
| School Holidays | Starts | Finishes |
|---|---|---|
| First Day of School | 30 Jan 2024 (Tue) – Eastern 6 Feb 2024 (Tue) – Western | |
| Term 1 Holidays (Autumn) | 15 Apr 2024 (Mon) | 26 Apr 2024 (Fri) |
| Term 2 Holidays (Winter) | 8 Jul 2024 (Mon) | 19 Jul 2024 (Fri) |
| Term 3 Holidays (Spring) | 30 Sep 2024 (Mon) | 11 Oct 2024 (Fri) |
| Term 4 Holidays (Summer) | 23 Dec 2024 (Mon) | 30 Jan 2025 (Thu) |
Bookmark this page and keep up-to-date with all the latest school holiday and term dates for New South Wales schools.
2024 NSW Term Dates
| 2024 School Terms | First day for students | Last day for students |
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 (Eastern division) | Thursday 1 February 2024 | Friday 12 April 2024 |
| Term 1 (Western division) | Tuesday 6 February 2024 | Friday 12 April 2024 |
| Term 2 (Eastern and Western division) | Monday 29 April 2024 | Friday 5 July 2024 |
| Term 3 (Eastern and Western division) | Monday 22 July 2024 | Friday 27 September 2024 |
| Term 4 (Eastern and Western division) | Monday 14 October 2024 | Friday 20 December 2024 |
Note that the dates below represent official term dates however you should always check with your local school for the dates specific to you.
Checklist for planning your kid’s school holidays (Printable)
Public Holidays in NSW in 2024
For parents organising a family trip, it’s essential not only to be aware of school holidays but also to keep track of public holidays as well as the long weekends!
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan | Mon | New Year’s Day |
| 26 Jan | Fri | Australia Day |
| 29 Mar | Fri | Good Friday |
| 30 Mar | Sat | Day following Good Friday |
| 31 Mar | Sun | Easter Sunday |
| 1 Apr | Mon | Easter Monday |
| 25 Apr | Thu | Anzac Day |
| 10 Jun | Mon | Queen’s Birthday |
| 5 Aug | Mon | Bank Holiday* Applies to banks and certain financial institutions, |
| 7 Oct | Mon | Labour Day |
| 25 Dec | Wed | Christmas Day |
| 26 Dec | Thu | Boxing Day |
How to Transform Public Holidays into Super Long Weekends in NSW in 2024
To maximise your time off and create an extended weekend by combining annual leave with weekends and public holidays, we’ve prepared a guide to help you make the most of your annual leave allocation efficiently. Here are some smart strategies to consider.
Long weekend in Jan 2024 (9 days from 20 Jan to 28 Jan)
| Date | Take Leave? | Public Holiday/Weekend |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 20 January | Weekend | |
| Sunday, 21 January | Weekend | |
| Monday, 22 January | Take Leave | |
| Tuesday, 23 January | Take Leave | |
| Wednesday, 24 January | Take Leave | |
| Thursday, 25 January | Take Leave | |
| Friday, 26 January | Public Holiday – Australia Day | |
| Saturday, 27 January | Weekend | |
| Sunday, 28 January | Weekend | |
| Totals | Days of annual leave: 4 | |
| Total Days Off and Days of Annual Leave: 9 | ||
Long weekend in Mar and Apr 2024 (10 days from 29 Mar to 7 Apr)
| Date | Take Leave? | Public Holiday/Weekend |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, 29 March | Public Holiday – Good Friday | |
| Saturday, 30 March | Weekend | |
| Sunday, 31 March | Weekend | |
| Monday, 1 April | Public Holiday – Easter Monday | |
| Tuesday, 2 April | Take Leave | |
| Wednesday, 3 April | Take Leave | |
| Thursday, 4 April | Take Leave | |
| Friday, 5 April | Take Leave | |
| Saturday, 6 April | Weekend | |
| Sunday, 7 April | Weekend | |
| Totals | Days of annual leave: 4 | |
| Total Days Off and Days of Annual Leave: 10 | ||
Long weekend in Dec 2024 (12 days from 21 Dec to 1 Jan)
| Date | Take Leave? | Public Holiday/Weekend |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 21 December | Weekend | |
| Sunday, 22 December | Weekend | |
| Monday, 23 December | Take Leave | |
| Tuesday, 24 December | Take Leave | |
| Wednesday, 25 December | Public Holiday – Christmas Day | |
| Thursday, 26 December | Public Holiday – Boxing Day | |
| Friday, 27 December | Take Leave | |
| Saturday, 28 December | Weekend | |
| Sunday, 29 December | Weekend | |
| Monday, 30 December | Take Leave | |
| Tuesday, 31 December | Take Leave | |
| Wednesday, 1 January | Public Holiday – New Year’s Day | |
| Totals | Days of annual leave: 5 | |
| Total Days Off and Days of Annual Leave: 12 | ||
Don’t miss out on your FREE NSW Kids Vouchers
Here’s our handy reference guide for NSW school holidays in 2024. Whether you’re planning a holiday with kids, looking to avoid the crowds, these can have an impact on when you decide to go away, we all need to know when school’s out!
School holidays in other states
Our Top tips for saving money when booking a holiday
Booking in advance can often help save money when it comes to travel. Here are some general guidelines:
| Travel Type | Recommended Booking Lead Time (To Save Money) |
|---|---|
| Domestic Flights | 1-3 months |
| International Flights | 2-8 months |
| Peak Season Flights | Closer to 6-8 months |
| Midweek Travel (Flights) | Consider Tuesdays or Wednesdays |
| Hotels | 1-3 months |
| Vacation Rentals | Several months |
| Hostels/Budget Accommodations | Few weeks to a month |
| Peak Season/Special Events (Accommodations) | Book well in advance |
What To Do in Each School Term
Term One – Tips
This is a very important term as this is when the children start school. Yes, it’s time for your children to get motivated and go to school. This is probably the busiest school term of the year.
– Normally in the January school holidays it’s time to get ready for school.
– All the school supplies have to be bought.
– Normally schools will send out a list of what parents need to get. It’s always best to be prepared for that first day of term one to make it less stressful.
– Also in the January school holidays falls Australia Day so if you are planning a barbeque with friends it’s best to organise it a couple of weeks beforehand.
– There are also plenty of festivals to go to as well if you feel like venturing out.
– Make sure that you take a hat and sunscreen as you don’t want to come back as red as a tomato!
– If you want to plan an Easter getaway now is the time to do it as well as a lot of stuff gets booked out in advance for the Easter long weekend.
– Normally in the January school holidays it’s time to get ready for school.
– All the school supplies have to be bought.
– Normally schools will send out a list of what parents need to get. It’s always best to be prepared for that first day of term one to make it less stressful.
– Also in the January school holidays falls Australia Day so if you are planning a barbeque with friends it’s best to organise it a couple of weeks beforehand.
– There are also plenty of festivals to go to as well if you feel like venturing out.
– Make sure that you take a hat and sunscreen as you don’t want to come back as red as a tomato!
– If you want to plan an Easter getaway now is the time to do it as well as a lot of stuff gets booked out in advance for the Easter long weekend.
Term Two – Tips
In the April school holidays, a lot of councils and a lot of different places have school holiday activities. Some are free and some are paid.
– There are really some great programs that the museums and galleries do for children.
– A lot of shopping centres also offer activities for children as well.
– April is also the time for Easter! Chocolate time! But we can’t forget the religious significance for many faiths of Easter as well!
– If you are planning to spend Easter with family make sure you plan it well beforehand otherwise there are bound to be disagreements in plans.
– We also can’t forget another really important date in April and that’s Anzac Day. Lest We Forget.
– There are plenty of children’s activities to do on Anzac Day and you could even take them to an Anzac Day March if there is one on.
– There are really some great programs that the museums and galleries do for children.
– A lot of shopping centres also offer activities for children as well.
– April is also the time for Easter! Chocolate time! But we can’t forget the religious significance for many faiths of Easter as well!
– If you are planning to spend Easter with family make sure you plan it well beforehand otherwise there are bound to be disagreements in plans.
– We also can’t forget another really important date in April and that’s Anzac Day. Lest We Forget.
– There are plenty of children’s activities to do on Anzac Day and you could even take them to an Anzac Day March if there is one on.
Term Three – Tips
In the June and July school holidays, it is normally very cold so movies in bed with a cup of warm milk would be nice to warm you up.
– Even checking out the snow would be great as it’s snow time in Victoria in these months. Do you want to build a snowman?
– Also this is the time to book your Christmas holiday. Six months in advance would probably be the best as again a lot of stuff gets booked out well in advance.
– So many places to go. Do you want to stay in Victoria or travel interstate or travel overseas? So many decisions to make.
– Again there would be heaps of school holiday activities in Winter to do. There would be Winter festivals to go to.
– If you are planning to do a big Christmas as well, it would be best to start planning Christmas at this time as well, to make it stress free.
– Even checking out the snow would be great as it’s snow time in Victoria in these months. Do you want to build a snowman?
– Also this is the time to book your Christmas holiday. Six months in advance would probably be the best as again a lot of stuff gets booked out well in advance.
– So many places to go. Do you want to stay in Victoria or travel interstate or travel overseas? So many decisions to make.
– Again there would be heaps of school holiday activities in Winter to do. There would be Winter festivals to go to.
– If you are planning to do a big Christmas as well, it would be best to start planning Christmas at this time as well, to make it stress free.
Term Four – Tips
Again like Term one this is also a big term when everything is getting finished off for the school year.
– You can start finalising Christmas plans in the September and October school holidays.
– Also planning for New Year’s Eve is another big one. Some people have a quiet New Year’s Eve and some people like a big one.
– There are plenty of children’s festivals that do activities on New Years Eve.
– Camping is another great activity to do at this time of year because it’s not too hot or cold.
– I think it’s also great to include the children if they are old enough to plan school holidays. It teaches them planning skills and how to organise things.
– You can start finalising Christmas plans in the September and October school holidays.
– Also planning for New Year’s Eve is another big one. Some people have a quiet New Year’s Eve and some people like a big one.
– There are plenty of children’s festivals that do activities on New Years Eve.
– Camping is another great activity to do at this time of year because it’s not too hot or cold.
– I think it’s also great to include the children if they are old enough to plan school holidays. It teaches them planning skills and how to organise things.