Anyone who has tried to plan a family holiday around school terms knows the trick is getting the dates nailed before flights sell out. For Queensland parents looking at 2025, the official Education Queensland calendar sets the year from 27 January through 11 December, and this guide covers the exact term dates, public holiday overlaps, and private school differences so you can lock in your plans without guesswork.

4 related posts

QLD state school terms in 2025: 4 terms ·
Summer holiday length: 6–7 weeks ·
Public holidays in QLD 2025: 10 ·
Pupil‑free days: Vary by school

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

The official term dates from Education Queensland form the backbone of the calendar. Below are the key facts.

Fact Value
Official source education.qld.gov.au – Term Dates 2025 (Education Queensland – state government authority)
Total school weeks 40 (10 per term)
Summer break length 6 weeks (14 Dec – 26 Jan)
Pupil‑free days Vary; typically 2–4 per year per school
Public holidays overlap Easter and Anzac Day fall within Term 1 and Term 2 (Queensland Government – official public holiday calendar)

What are the QLD school holiday dates in 2025?

Official QLD state school holiday dates 2025

  • Summer holidays: mid‑December 2024 to late January 2025 (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Term 1: 27 Jan – 2 Apr 2025 (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Term 2: 20 Apr – 26 Jun 2025 (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Term 3: 13 Jul – 18 Sep 2025 (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Term 4: 6 Oct – 12 Dec 2025 (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Pupil‑free days vary; check school calendars (Education Queensland – official term dates)

Difference between state, private, and Catholic school holidays

“Term dates for Queensland state schools are set by the department.”

– Queensland Department of Education (official term‑dates page)

The implication: If you have children in private or Catholic schools, you cannot rely solely on the state calendar – booking the family trip a week early could mean pulling kids out of class.

The upshot

Queensland families who use only the official state dates risk booking holidays that conflict with private‑school term start or pupil‑free days. Always cross‑check with your school’s calendar a month before booking.

The pattern: official state dates provide a reliable baseline, but private and Catholic sectors pull in different directions. Plan accordingly by verifying with your school.

Do all QLD schools have the same holiday dates?

State school standard dates

  • State schools follow the Education Queensland calendar (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • All state schools in Queensland use these dates, with minor local variations for pupil‑free days (Education Queensland – official term dates)

Private school variations

  • Private and independent schools often adjust term breaks by up to one week (Independent Schools Queensland – representative body for independent schools)
  • Some start Term 1 earlier in January; others extend the summer break (KIS Academics – independent analysis of QLD term dates)

Catholic school calendars

  • Catholic schools typically align with state dates but may have additional pupil‑free days (Queensland Catholic Education Commission – diocesan schools authority)
The catch

If you assume all Queensland schools follow the same calendar, you could end up booking a family holiday that clashes with a private school’s later start – and face a full week of missed classes.

The pattern: uniform state dates provide a reliable baseline, but private and Catholic sectors pull in different directions. For parents with children in different school systems, the mismatch is where planning gets tricky.

What months are school holidays in Australia?

Australian school year structure

QLD vs other states

  • QLD holidays fall in the same broad periods but start/end dates differ from NSW, VIC, etc. (Officeworks – school holiday calendar for QLD)

Why this matters: interstate relatives may be on different schedules – a family reunion in April might hit QLD’s Term 1 break but fall inside a NSW term.

How long is Australia’s summer break?

Typical summer break duration across states

  • Summer break in Australia is approximately 6–7 weeks (Officeworks – Australian school holiday resource)
  • Most states end the school year in December and resume in late January (Education Queensland – official term dates)

QLD summer holiday specifics

  • QLD summer break runs from mid‑December (approx. 12 Dec) to late January (26 Jan) (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Total length: 6 weeks (Education Queensland – official term dates)

The trade‑off: a six‑week summer break gives long holiday windows, but it also means that if you wait until school finishes to book, you’ll pay premium January prices.

What are the public holiday dates in Queensland for 2025?

QLD public holidays 2025

  • New Year’s Day: 1 Jan (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)
  • Australia Day (observed): 27 Jan (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)
  • Good Friday: 18 Apr (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)
  • Easter Monday: 21 Apr (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)
  • Anzac Day: 25 Apr (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)
  • Labour Day: 5 May (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)
  • King’s Birthday: 14 Oct (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)
  • Christmas Day: 25 Dec (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)
  • Boxing Day: 26 Dec (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)

How public holidays affect school calendars

  • School term start/end dates may shift if a public holiday falls on a school day (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Easter and Anzac Day both fall within Term 1 and Term 2 in 2025, creating long weekends that some schools treat as pupil‑free days (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)

The pattern: public holidays add extra days off, but they don’t shorten the total teaching weeks – teachers and schools decide how to handle the lost days.

Six key items, one pattern: official dates are stable, but private/Catholic variations and public‑holiday overlaps demand individual verification.

School type Term dates (2025) Notes
State (public) Term 1: 27 Jan – 2 Apr
Term 2: 20 Apr – 26 Jun
Term 3: 13 Jul – 18 Sep
Term 4: 6 Oct – 12 Dec		 Official dates per Education Queensland (Education Queensland – state government authority)
Private / Independent May vary by up to 1 week from state dates Consult individual school calendar (Independent Schools Queensland – representative body for independents)
Catholic Typically align with state dates May have extra pupil‑free days (Queensland Catholic Education Commission – diocesan schools authority)

Timeline: Key dates for Queensland school year 2025

  • 14 Dec 2024 – Summer holidays begin (approx.) (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • 27 Jan 2025 – Term 1 starts (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • 2 Apr 2025 – Term 1 ends (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • 20 Apr 2025 – Term 2 starts (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • 26 Jun 2025 – Term 2 ends (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • 13 Jul 2025 – Term 3 starts (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • 18 Sep 2025 – Term 3 ends (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • 6 Oct 2025 – Term 4 starts (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • 12 Dec 2025 – Term 4 ends / summer break begins (Education Queensland – official term dates)

The implication: with such a fixed timeline, the only real unknowns are the pupil‑free days and the private‑school adjustments – which can upend carefully made plans.

What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear

Confirmed facts

  • State school term dates published by Education Queensland for 2025 (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Public holiday dates gazetted by Queensland Government for 2025 (Queensland Government – official public holidays list)

What’s unclear

  • Exact pupil‑free days – vary per school and region (Education Queensland – official term dates)
  • Private school holiday variations – check individual school calendars (Independent Schools Queensland – representative body for independents)
  • Catholic school extra pupil‑free days not published centrally (Queensland Catholic Education Commission – diocesan schools authority)

“Independent schools may adjust term dates; confirm directly with the school.”

– Independent Schools Queensland (official guidance for independent schools)

The trade‑off: you can plan your year confidently around state dates, but one missed pupil‑free day or a private‑school divergence can force a scramble. The safest approach: pin the official calendar on your fridge, then call your school office for the fine print.

For Queensland families, the choice is clear: bookmark the official calendar and check your school’s website for specific pupil‑free days, or risk missing a critical date and scrambling for leave.

Additional sources

codecamp.com.au, education.qld.gov.au, studiosity.com, australia.com, brisbaneshs.eq.edu.au

For a detailed breakdown of the previous year’s schedule, refer to our guide on Queensland school holidays 2024-2025.

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Frequently asked questions

Can QLD school holidays change?

State school term dates are set by the Department of Education and rarely change after publication. However, pupil‑free days and event‑specific closures can be added by individual schools. Always verify with your school a few weeks before each term break (Education Queensland – official term dates).

Are QLD private school holidays the same as state?

Not always. Private and independent schools often adjust their term dates by up to one week. Some start Term 1 earlier, others finish later. If your child attends a private school, check its individual calendar well ahead of booking family holidays (Independent Schools Queensland – representative body for independents).

What are the exact QLD school term dates for 2025?

Term 1: 27 Jan – 2 Apr; Term 2: 20 Apr – 26 Jun; Term 3: 13 Jul – 18 Sep; Term 4: 6 Oct – 12 Dec. These are the official state school dates published by Education Queensland (Education Queensland – official term dates).

How many weeks are QLD school holidays in 2025?

Total holiday weeks across the year: approximately 12 weeks of term breaks plus 6–7 weeks of summer holidays. Each term break is about 2 weeks, with summer break running 6 weeks from mid‑December to late January (Education Queensland – official term dates).

When is the winter school break in QLD?

The winter break (July holidays) runs from Saturday 27 June to Sunday 13 July 2025. This is the break between Term 2 and Term 3 (Education Queensland – official term dates).

Are there any pupil‑free days in QLD schools 2025?

Yes, most schools schedule 2–4 pupil‑free days per year for staff training and curriculum planning. These are set by individual schools and are not listed on the central state calendar. Check your school’s website for exact dates (Education Queensland – official term dates).

Do QLD school holidays include public holidays?

Public holidays such as Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Labour Day, and the King’s Birthday are separate from school holidays. When a public holiday falls within a school term, students get the day off but it does not extend the term break (Queensland Government – official public holidays list).