Skip to content
Schools Near Me
School sign in
Your state or territory

How schools work in the Northern Territory

How schools work in the Northern Territory: Transition starting age, priority enrolment areas, the move to Year 7 to 12 schools, fees, Schools of the Air and boarding.

The Northern Territory has government, Catholic and independent schools in Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs, regional towns and remote communities. This guide explains how government schooling is organised, with links to the NT Government and its Department of Education and Training for the detail.

Starting school

The first year of school in the NT is Transition. A child who turns 5 on or before 30 June can start Transition at the beginning of that school year; a child who turns 5 after 30 June starts the following year. Preschool is for children who are 4 by 30 June, and in very remote areas children can start preschool from age 3. Preschool and Transition are recommended but not compulsory.

School becomes compulsory from the year a child turns 6 before 30 June. Students must complete Year 10 and then stay in approved education, training or employment until they turn 17. See the age your child attends school (opens in a new tab).

How the years are organised

Primary school runs from Transition to Year 6. Secondary schooling in the NT has had middle schools for Years 7 to 9 and senior schools for Years 10 to 12, but the department is moving its town schools to Years 7 to 12: in 2026 Dripstone, Nightcliff, Sanderson and Rosebery began operating as Years 7 to 10 schools and will become full Years 7 to 12 schools in 2028, and Darwin Middle School and Darwin High School merged in February 2026. In Alice Springs a new Years 7 to 12 college opens in 2028. Senior students work towards the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET). See the secondary reform program (opens in a new tab).

Enrolment and priority enrolment areas

Students who live in a government school's priority enrolment area get priority, and no eligible child living in the area is denied a place at their local school. Schools near capacity decline applications from outside their area. The department publishes priority enrolment area maps (opens in a new tab) for Darwin, Palmerston, rural areas and Alice Springs. You enrol online and then provide documents at the school.

Government, Catholic and independent schools

Government, Catholic and independent schools in the NT each have their own enrolment processes. See government, Catholic or independent schools.

Fees and contributions

NT government schools do not charge a fee for standard curriculum resources. Schools can charge for optional extras such as excursions, camps and music lessons, and uniforms, required from Transition to Year 9, are charged for. Voluntary contributions are donations for a stated purpose, and a child is not disadvantaged if a family does not pay. See school fees and contributions (opens in a new tab).

Distance education and boarding

The NT has three schools of distance education: Alice Springs School of the Air, from preschool to Year 9; Katherine School of the Air, for isolated primary and middle school students in the northern half of the Territory; and the NT School of Distance Education, for Years 10 to 12. See distance and online learning (opens in a new tab).

From Year 8, students from remote communities can study in their community, attend a regional high school with residential facilities in Katherine, Tennant Creek or Nhulunbuy, board in Darwin or Alice Springs, or board interstate, sometimes with a scholarship. The department's Transition Support Unit helps families with visits, travel and costs. See remote secondary school choices (opens in a new tab) and our guide to boarding schools.

NAPLAN and My School

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the Northern Territory, as everywhere in Australia, sit NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, conventions of language and numeracy each March; in 2027 the testing window is 10 to 22 March.

Each school's profile on My School (opens in a new tab) shows its NAPLAN results alongside its enrolments, staff and finances. Read results with care: they reflect the students a school enrols as well as its teaching, and a visit tells you far more. Our guide to My School, NAPLAN and ICSEA explains how to read a profile.

Schools in the Northern Territory on Schools Near Me

We list 194 schools in the Northern Territory: 150 government, 18 Catholic and 26 independent, including special schools. See every school in the Northern Territory, or filter by sector: government, Catholic or independent.

The council areas with the most schools are Darwin (41), Alice Springs (18), Palmerston (14), Barkly (13) and MacDonnell (13).

Common questions

When can my child start Transition in the NT?
At the beginning of the school year in which they turn 5, as long as they turn 5 on or before 30 June. Transition is recommended but not compulsory; school becomes compulsory from the year a child turns 6 before 30 June.
Are there still middle schools in the Northern Territory?
The NT is moving its town secondary schools to Years 7 to 12. Several Darwin and Palmerston schools began running Years 7 to 10 in 2026 and become full Years 7 to 12 schools in 2028, and Alice Springs gets a Years 7 to 12 college in 2028.
What are the options for secondary school in remote NT communities?
From Year 8, students can study in their community, attend a regional high school with residential facilities in Katherine, Tennant Creek or Nhulunbuy, board in Darwin or Alice Springs, or board interstate. The Transition Support Unit helps with visits, travel and costs.
Do NT government schools charge fees?
Not for standard curriculum resources. Schools can charge for optional extras such as camps and excursions, and for uniforms, and they may ask for voluntary contributions, which no child is disadvantaged for not paying.

Sources

We check guides against official sources. Rules can change, and some details vary by area, so check with the source before you act.

Last updated 1 November 2026.