For Parents
Independent schools provide choice, diversity, innovation and excellence in education and enable families to choose an education that best meets the needs of their child and family. South Australian Independent schools educate students within a curriculum underpinned by a diverse range of religious beliefs (Anglican, Baptist, Christian, Christadelphian, Greek Orthodox, Islamic, Lutheran, Seventh-day Adventist, Uniting) and educational philosophies (Montessori, Waldorf Steiner). The sector also includes a number of secular schools and a special school which educates students with severe disabilities.
Choosing the Right School for Your Child
Choosing the right school for your child can be a challenging task. A clear sense of the kind of school and education you are seeking will make the process easier. Schools will have information they can send to you about curriculum, fees, ethos, etc. A visit to the school can also help. All schools should welcome this visit.
Search our Member Schools
To learn more about our schools and assist you in finding the appropriate school for your child, you can search through our schools by location, gender, religion, and/or year level. We have included email and website links to schools for further information. All information is kept as accurate as possible. It is subject to modification, and changes are made on a regular basis.
Term Dates
Individual schools should be contacted for details of their own particular arrangements. Some schools may commence Term 1 a week early, and take a three week break in either April or July.
2024 Term Dates
2024 |
Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Term 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term Dates | 29 January – 12 April or 5 February – 12 April |
29 April – 28 June or 29 April – 5 July |
22 July – 27 September | 14 October – 6 December or 14 October – 13 December |
| Exeat Dates | 17-18 February, 9-11 March 28 March-1 April |
18-19 May, 8-10 June | 10-11 August, 31 August – 2 September | 2-3 November, 23-24 November |
| Department for Education & Catholic Education SA Term Dates |
29 January – 12 April | 29 April – 5 July | 22 July – 27 September | 14 October – 13 December |
2024 Public Holidays
| Monday 1 January: New Year’s Day Friday 26 January Monday 11 March: Adelaide Cup Day Friday 29 March: Good Friday Monday 1 April: Easter Monday |
Thursday 25 April: Anzac Day Monday 10 June: King’s Birthday & Volunteers’ Day Monday 7 October: Labour Day Wednesday 25 December: Christmas Day Public Holiday Thursday 26 December: Proclamation Day |
2025 Term Dates
2025 |
Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Term 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term Dates | 28 January – 11 April or 3 February – 11 April |
28 April – 27 June or 28 April – 4 July |
21 July – 26 September | 13 October – 5 or 12 December |
| Exeat Dates | 7-10 March 29-30 March |
17-18 May, 6-9 June | 9-10 August, 29-31 August 1 September, 6-7 September |
31 October – 2 November |
| Department for Education & Catholic Education SA Term Dates |
28 January – 11 April | 28 April – 4 July | 21 July – 26 September | 13 October – 12 December |
2025 Public Holidays
| Wednesday 1 January: New Year’s Day Monday 27 January (in lieu of 26 January) Monday 10 March: Adelaide Cup Day Friday 18 April: Good Friday Monday 21 April: Easter Monday |
Friday 25 April: Anzac Day Monday 9 June: King’s Birthday & Volunteers’ Day Monday 6 October: Labour Day Thursday 25 December: Christmas Day Public Holiday Friday 26 December: Proclamation Day |
2026 Term Dates
2026 |
Term 1 |
Term 2 |
Term 3 |
Term 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term Dates | 27 January – 2 April or 2 February – 10 April |
20 April – 26 June or 27 April – 26 June or 27 April – 3 July |
20 July – 25 September | 12 October – 4 December or 12 October – 11 December |
| Exeat Dates | 14-15 February, 7-9 March |
16-17 May, 6-8 June | 8-9 August, 29-30 August | 31 October – 1 November 21-22 November |
| Department for Education & Catholic Education SA Term Dates |
27 January – 10 April | 27 April – 3 July | 20 July – 25 September | 12 October – 11 December |
2026 Public Holidays
| Thursday 1 January: New Year’s Day Monday 26 January: Public Holiday Monday 9 March: Adelaide Cup Day Friday 3 April: Good Friday Monday 6 April: Easter Monday |
Saturday 25 April: Anzac Day Monday 8 June: King’s Birthday Monday 5 October: Labour Day Friday 25 December: Christmas Day Public Holiday Monday 28 December: Proclamation Day |
How the Australian Government Funds Independent Schools
Australian Bushfires: Resources for Families
Dealing with the impact of the Australian Bushfires will be a significant challenge for many. Please consider the following resources related to the wellbeing of children and adults during this difficult time: Australian Bushfires – Wellbeing Resources for Families
The Australian National University (ANU) has also released a series of factsheets on how to protect yourself and others from bushfire smoke:
What is bushfire smoke and how harmful is it
How to protect yourself and others from bushfire smoke
How to monitor local conditions
Parent Initiatives in Education (PIE) Grants Program
The PIE Grants Program aims to support parent groups to increase the participation of parents/carers in their child’s school community. The AISSA administers the program on behalf of the South Australian Minister for Education, Training and Skills.
Applications for the 2025 Program are open until 2 December 2024. Further information can be found in the SA Independent School Sector 2025-Parent Initiatives in Education Guidelines and Application Form.
The grants are intended to support schools and preschools and their communities to develop innovative projects or new initiatives which will:
- encourage and promote greater participation of parents and caregivers who are not well represented in their school and preschool decision making; and/or
- increase parent and caregivers’ understanding of what children are learning and how they can support their child’s learning and education at home and through positive relationships with educators.
For more information please contact the AISSA on +61 8179 1400 or email grants@ais.sa.edu.au.
Scholarships: South Australian Co-operative Entry Program
The South Australian Co-operative Entry Program (ACEP) is for Year 8 scholarship entry to Independent and Catholic schools. Some schools offer this scholarship for students entering Year 7. The scholarship testing is organised by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). For details of schools participating in the ACEP test and registration details, please visit www.acer.edu.au/acep or telephone (03) 9277 5749.
School Governance
AISSA is committed to assisting its member schools to undertake effective and professional governance arrangements through a major annual conference, workshops and on an individual school basis as required. There have been substantial developments in governance theory and practice in recent years of which boards need to be aware if they are to lead their schools successfully into the future. AISSA understands that effective governance is critical to the growth, health and innovative spirit of the sector and for education provision as a whole.
NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program (NAP) assists governments, education authorities and schools to determine whether young Australians are reaching important educational goals. The NAP includes:
- The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)
- Three-yearly NAP sample assessments in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy
- International sample assessments.
Every year, students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 take part in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). NAPLAN was introduced in 2008 and is part of the NAP.
- NAPLAN Online Information Brochure for Parents and Carers
- NAPLAN on Paper Information Brochure for Parents and Carers
Useful Resources for Parents
AISSA Member Schools Code of Social Conduct
Bushfires and your child’s Independent school or preschool 2023-24
Policy Statement – Government Funding Principles
the Raising Children Network
Children and young people’s sexual behaviour in Schools and Early Learning Centres – a guide for parents and carers
Child Protection Training for Volunteers
If your volunteer work is with children (under 18 years), under current SA legislation, you are a mandated notifier. This means you need to understand how to notify and report child abuse. All ongoing volunteers (people who help out more than once at any school) must do mandatory notification training. This includes people on School Boards/Councils. The training has been updated and is now called Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Education and Care. We call it RRHAN-EC for short.
New or existing volunteers who have not already done so will need to undertake the free online RRHAN-EC Fundamentals course.
The course is available on the government learner management system called Plink. You need to create a Plink account using the Non-Department for Education staff log-in option and then select volunteer. You can ask your school leader/contact person for help getting Plink set up. If you have technical issues accessing the course please email office@ais.sa.edu.au.
When you have completed the course you will have access to your certificate which can then be presented to the school, who will keep a record of your training completion. You may use this for other schools/sites where you also volunteer but not for paid employment.
This three-year RRHAN cycle will end in 2024 when you will be asked to complete another update course if you are still volunteering in schools. More information for volunteers is available on the Department for Education’s website.
National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
The National Principles reflect the ten child safe standards recommended by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, with a broader scope that goes beyond child sexual abuse to cover other forms of harm to children and young people. In February 2019, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) endorsed the National Principles which aim to provide a nationally consistent approach to creating organisational cultures that foster child safety and wellbeing across all sectors in Australia, including schools and Early Learning Centres. All states are currently working towards implementing them and the AISSA is part of the SA education cross sector reference group. Parent information can be found here.
National Student Wellbeing Program 2023 – 2027
The National Student Wellbeing Program (2023 – 2027) aims to support schools in promoting the wellbeing of students by providing funds which contribute to the maintenance or establishment of Chaplaincy and/or Student Wellbeing Services in the school. The National Student Wellbeing Program has replaced the National School Chaplaincy Program (2019 – 2022).
The list of South Australian Independent schools participating in the 2023 National Student Wellbeing Program can be found here. Additional information about the Program can be found in the SA Independent School NSWP Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions 2023-2027.