Schools in Adelaide / South Australia
Children in Adelaide and the rest of South Australia are legally obliged to be educated between the ages of six and sixteen.
In practice, most children spend longer in school than this.
School Opening Times in Adelaide / South Australia
High School (Secondary School) Opening Times
High school hours are generally Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 3.30 pm.
Primary School (Elementary School) Opening Times
The primary school day is slightly shorter, beginning at about 8.45 am and ending at about 3.15 pm.
School Terms in Adelaide / South Australia
Schools in Adelaide have four terms.
Each term lasts 10 weeks or so followed by two weeks of holiday.
The long summer vacation runs from mid-December until late January.
School Term Dates in Adelaide / South Australia
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | 29 Jan – 12 Apr | 28 Jan – 09 Apr | 27 Jan – 09 Apr |
| Term 2 | 29 Apr – 5 Jul | 27 Apr – 3 Jul | 27 Apr – 2 Jul |
| Term 3 | 22 Jul – 27 Sep | 20 Jul – 25 Sep | 19 Jul – 24 Sep |
| Term 4 | 14 Oct – 13 Dec | 12 Oct – 11 Dec | 11 Oct – 10 Dec |
 | |||
Starting Primary School / Elementary School in Adelaide, South Australia
Primary schools in Adelaide (South Australia) accept children aged five and upwards. Children are not legally required to attend school until they are aged six.
In practice, children usually start school at the start of whichever term follows their fifth birthday. Hence there are four intakes of reception year children every year.
The current education policy is that children starting primary school should stay for between 11 and 14 terms in the junior primary school. (Four terms equals one school year.) This can be varied in exceptional circumstances.
Starting Terms in Adelaide
| Term Child Begins School | Normal Number of Terms in Junior Primary Classes |
|---|---|
| Third Term | 14 terms |
| Fourth Term | 13 terms |
| First Term | 12 terms |
| Second Term | 11 terms |
Between which ages do children attend primary school in Adelaide / South Australia?
Children attend primary school from their reception year until the end of year seven. For most children, this means they attend primary school from age five to age eleven or twelve.
Do school students in Adelaide wear a school uniform?
Whether or not a school has a uniform is determined by each school’s council. In practice the great majority of Adelaide’s schools have a uniform and children are required to wear it.
High Schools / Secondary Schools in Adelaide, South Australia
Students begin high school in Year 8.
They are able, if they wish, to leave when they reach the age of 16, provided they continue to undertake some form of education or training, for example an apprenticeship, until age 17.
High school is split into Junior high school: Years 8 – 10 and Senior high school: Years 11 – 12.
Qualifications
Students in Years 11 and 12 aim for a qualification. This are likely to be the SACE (South Australian Certificate of Education), although a number of schools offer the International Baccalaureate.
The SACE has two stages – Stage 1, which most students do in Year 11 and Stage 2, which most students do in Year 12.
To gain the SACE, students must complete enough subjects to earn a minimum of 200 credits.
Students gain 10 credits for each semester (6 months) of study in a particular subject. Students also gain credit for learning outside of school, including vocational training, university studies, community service and some employment.
Choosing your Child’s School in Adelaide/South Australia
Your first choice is whether you wish to send your children to a government school or a private/independent school.
Adelaide has slightly fewer than 100 private schools. If you should choose a private school, you need not set up home close to the school.
If you choose a particular government school, you will need to ensure you live in the school’s zone. Each school will be able to tell you its zone or you should be able to find zones on the internet.
The more popular the school, the more likely that its zone will be strictly enforced.