In this article
WA public holidays in Perth 2026
Perth schools close on Western Australia public holidays. Several fall during the school terms in 2026 and shape the long-weekend calendar:
| Public holiday | Date 2026 |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January |
| Labour Day | Monday 2 March |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday 5 April |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April (additional holiday Monday 27 April) |
| Western Australia Day | Monday 1 June |
| King's Birthday | Monday 28 September |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December |
| Boxing Day | Saturday 26 December (additional holiday Monday 28 December) |
Western Australia keeps a different calendar from the eastern states in two places that matter for Perth families. Labour Day falls in early March rather than October, and the King's Birthday holiday lands in late September, near the end of Term 3, rather than in June. Western Australia Day on the first Monday of June gives a long weekend in the middle of Term 2. Some remote regional towns, such as Karratha and Port Hedland, move the King's Birthday holiday to a local date.
WA public school term dates 2026
Perth sits within the single Western Australia school zone, so there is no regional split in term dates as there is in the eastern states. The Department of Education sets first and last days for students, with school development days for staff at the start of each term. The 2026 student dates are:
| Term | Dates (students) |
|---|---|
| Term 1 2026 | Mon 2 February to Thu 2 April |
| Autumn holiday | Fri 3 April to Sun 19 April |
| Term 2 2026 | Mon 20 April to Fri 3 July |
| Winter holiday | Sat 4 July to Sun 19 July |
| Term 3 2026 | Mon 20 July to Fri 25 September |
| Spring holiday | Sat 26 September to Sun 11 October |
| Term 4 2026 | Mon 12 October to Thu 17 December |
| Summer holiday 2026-27 | Fri 18 December 2026 to late January 2027 |
Teachers return ahead of students on school development days, which sit at the start of each term. The summer holiday is around six weeks, shorter than the northern-hemisphere summer, but it falls across the hottest part of the Perth year and the festive season. The autumn holiday begins right after Term 1 and brackets the Easter and Anzac Day cluster, so it is the most travel-heavy break of the year.
Choosing a school in Perth?
Independent, Catholic and international schools all run the WA four-term year. Our school finder lists Perth schools by curriculum, fee tier and area.
Independent and international school term dates
Unlike Gulf or European cities, Perth does not run a large northern-hemisphere international sector. Almost every school in the city, public, Catholic, independent and international, follows the Western Australia January to December year, so a relocating family does not face the calendar split common in Dubai or Sao Paulo. Independent schools, including the long-established Perth colleges along the Stirling Highway corridor, set their own term dates within the Association of Independent Schools of WA framework. These typically start a few days before the public schools in late January or early February and finish a week or so earlier in early December, keeping the same four-term shape with slightly longer breaks between terms.
The handful of genuinely international schools in Perth, including those serving the resources-sector expatriate community, teach their curriculum on the southern-hemisphere Australian calendar rather than a home-country one, so their term dates stay close to the WA pattern. Schools offering the International Baccalaureate also sit on the January to December year. The headline for parents is reassuring: whichever sector you choose in Perth, the holidays will broadly line up. To compare programmes, see our curriculum guides, and for the wider national view our Australia schools guide.
Planning the year
Three practical notes for Perth families. First, school fees at independent and international schools are billed by term, four times a year, with the first and largest invoice due before the early-February start, so budget for it over the summer. Second, the long summer holiday across December and January is peak travel season, and because Perth is one of the world's most isolated cities the long-haul fares to Europe and Asia over Christmas need booking months ahead. Third, the cooler winter holiday in July sits outside the European school break, which can make northern-hemisphere family visits better value and less crowded. For the wider context, our Perth city guide covers where school-age families settle across the western and riverside suburbs.
Common questions
When do schools break up in Perth? WA public school students finish the 2026 year on Thursday 17 December, the start of the summer holiday. Shorter breaks fall between each term in April, July and late September.
How long is the summer holiday in Perth? Around six weeks. In 2026-27 it runs from Friday 18 December 2026 to late January 2027, with public schools returning at the start of February.
When does the 2026 school year start in Perth? WA public school students returned for Term 1 on Monday 2 February 2026, on a January to December year.
Do international schools in Perth follow a different calendar? Mostly no. Almost all Perth schools follow the Western Australia January to December year, so holidays line up across sectors.