Saha

NSW staff development days 2027

The NSW Department of Education calls them school development days. These are the 2027 dates for NSW public schools. Independent and Catholic schools often set their own, so check your school's calendar.

2027 dates

Eastern division (most of NSW, including Sydney)

TermSchool development daysStudents
Term 1Thursday 28 January to Tuesday 2 FebruaryWednesday 3 February to Friday 9 April
Term 2Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 AprilThursday 29 April to Friday 2 July
Term 3Monday 19 JulyTuesday 20 July to Friday 24 September
Term 4Monday 20 DecemberMonday 11 October to Friday 17 December

Western division (schools in the far west of NSW)

TermSchool development daysStudents
Term 1Thursday 4 February to Tuesday 9 FebruaryWednesday 10 February to Friday 9 April
Term 2Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 AprilThursday 29 April to Friday 2 July
Term 3Monday 19 JulyTuesday 20 July to Friday 24 September
Term 4Monday 20 DecemberMonday 11 October to Friday 17 December

Source: NSW Department of Education, 2027 school calendar. The department notes that dates can change, and a small number of schools near the Victorian and Queensland borders follow different dates. Check with your school.

Planning a staff day that still matters in Week 5

Most schools can run a good staff day. The test comes weeks later, when timetables are full. Five things make the difference.

  1. Choose one practice, not five

    Pick one change you want to see in classrooms by mid-term and give the whole day to it.

  2. Let teachers learn it as students first

    Teachers who have sat in the student's seat know what the activity feels like, where it stalls and what to say when it does. A slide deck can't give them that.

  3. Book the follow-up before the day

    Put the check-ins in the calendar now, a short one in Week 3 and another in Week 6, before the term fills them.

  4. Decide what you'll look for in Week 5

    Agree on one or two things you expect to see in lessons, and ask each teacher to bring an example from their own class.

  5. Log the hours on the day

    NSW teachers need 100 hours of professional development related to the Standards in each maintenance period. Hand out a record mapped to the Standards so logging takes minutes.

NESA's professional development requirements

Where Saha fits

Saha runs once per term, then stays with your teachers through the term. Every teacher does a two-hour, hands-on session. Up to 15 opt in to coaching, with classroom evidence at 30, 60 and 90 days. Now booking Term 1 2027.

Book a 20-minute call

Questions about 2027 staff days

When are the 2027 staff development days for NSW public schools?

In the Eastern division, which covers most of NSW: Term 1, Thursday 28 January to Tuesday 2 February; Term 2, Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 April; Term 3, Monday 19 July; Term 4, Monday 20 December, after students finish. In the Western division the Term 1 days are Thursday 4 February to Tuesday 9 February, and the rest are the same.

When do students start school in NSW in 2027?

Wednesday 3 February in the Eastern division, and Wednesday 10 February in the Western division.

Are staff development days and school development days the same thing?

Yes. The NSW Department of Education calls them school development days. Many schools and teachers still call them staff development days, or SDDs.

Do independent and Catholic schools use the same dates?

Not always. Independent and Catholic schools often set their own calendars, so check with your school.

Take the staff day check: six questions on what happens after your staff days, with a short readout for your leadership team.