2026 enrolment cycle
Plan your private school visits — month-by-month guide
When Australian private schools run open days, by month + year level entry point. Plus how far in advance to apply.
Open day calendar by month
February
LowYear 11 / VCE / HSC late entry tours
Examples: Most independents accept individual tour requests
March
HighYear 7 entry open days (peak)
Examples: Sydney Grammar, Cranbrook, MGS, Scotch College, Knox, Newington
April
HighYear 7 entry second-round + Year 5/6 transition
Examples: Geelong Grammar, Brisbane Grammar, Christ Church Perth
May
MediumMusic + sport scholarship audition days
Examples: Bialik College, Methodist Ladies' College, Wesley College
June
MediumMid-year primary school tours + Year 5 entry
Examples: Most preparatory schools run Term 2 tours
July
Medium-highWinter open days + boarding open days
Examples: Geelong Grammar, TKS Canberra, NEGS Armidale, Toowoomba Grammar
August
HighPrimary school open day + Year 7 second-round
Examples: Almost all major independents
September
HighFinal Year 7 tours before October application deadline
Examples: Last-minute tours for Year 5 students applying for Year 7
October
LowYear 7 application deadline; tours rare
Examples: Most applications now closed
November
LowLate tours for following-year Year 11 entry
Examples: Senior + IB Diploma late-entry tours
When to apply by year-level entry point
| Year level | When to apply | Open days typically |
|---|---|---|
| Prep / Year 1 (age 5) | Apply 4-5 years ahead — birth waitlist common at top schools | Term 2 (June) + Term 3 (August) |
| Year 3 (age 8) | Apply ~2 years ahead | Term 2 + Term 3 |
| Year 5 (age 10) | Apply 1–2 years ahead | Term 1 (March) + Term 3 (August) |
| Year 7 (age 12) — major entry point | Apply 18+ months ahead. Scholarship testing Year 5–Year 6. | Term 1 (March-April peak) + Term 3 (Aug-Sept) |
| Year 9 (age 14) | Apply 12 months ahead | Term 1 |
| Year 11 (age 16) | Apply 6–12 months ahead. Often Year 11 IB entry round. | Term 4 of preceding year |
Tactics for booking open days
- Book early in the cycle. Tours fill within 24–48 hours of opening at marquee schools. Set calendar alerts for school admissions pages from late January.
- Group visits efficiently. Most cities have clusters — eastern Sydney (Cranbrook, Ascham, Kambala, SCEGGS Darlinghurst), inner Melbourne (Scotch, MGS, Wesley, Trinity Kew), Brisbane (Grammar, Churchie, BBC) — book back-to-back where possible.
- Ask about private tours. If your dates don't align with the published open day, most schools will arrange a 30-minute personal walkthrough on request — often more revealing than a public open day.
- Stay overnight for boarding. Boarding schools strongly encourage prospective families to stay in the boarding house. Take it up — see our boarding guide.
- Per-school dates: Each provider page on this site links to the school's website, where the current open day schedule is published. A consolidated calendar across our 215 schools is on our 2026 roadmap.