Participant information 2026

All rehearsal resources and important documents can also be found on your item's Google Classroom. You will also be able to communicate with other teachers in your item if you wish to coordinate transportation and other logistics regarding rehearsals and show week.

Term 1

Week 11 – applications

All applications for staff and students are submitted.

Term 2

Week 1–7 – panel review

Applications are reviewed by the selection panel and places are filled.

Week 8 – results sent

Results are sent to all applicants and successful students and school groups are offered their places.

You are here – offers accepted

The main contact teacher for each group completes the acceptance form. Due Friday 3 July (last day of term)

Term 3

Week 1–3 – student information

You will be sent forms to collect the following information:

• t-shirt sizes
• deeds of consent
• School Bytes student confirmation
• student measurements (dance only).

Week 3 – teacher information week

Teachers can attend an online information session for their respective categories and talk directly to the creative team and ask questions.

Week 4 – final confirmations  

All the following details need to be confirmed by Fri 14 August:

• final numbers
• t-shirt orders
• student measurements (dance only)
• School Bytes student upload (this can be altered after completion).

Term 4

Week 1–7 – item rehearsals

Students will participate in 2–3 item rehearsals throughout Term 4 guided by the Schools Spec team with assistance from all supervising teachers.

Week 4 – Tuesday 3 November 2026 – first combined rehearsal

Tue 3 November – a mass dance rehearsal with Sydney metro schools at Afterpay Arena where your item will rehearse in costume on the arena floor and run through the finale.

Week 7

Show week

December

Broadcast on Channel 7

2027 applications open

Updated risk management plans will be available later this year.

Below you will find a link to our current risk management plans for rehearsal venues. These are to be used to supplement the NSW Department of Education’s excursion planning and management policy and your school’s excursion procedure. You will still need to develop your own plan that includes travel and accommodation where appropriate.

Access our current risk assessments. These are currently being updated.

To participate in the 2026 Schools Spectacular, students must complete a deed of consent. The school and contact teacher are responsible for keeping each student's deed and will sign a form declaring that all students have submitted the documentation. You do not need to forward the deed of consents to the Schools Spectacular team.

Please download the deed of consent document through the link below and distribute these to your participating students:

2026 Schools Spectacular – deed of consent

All students will receive an Original – 2026 Schools Spectacular t-shirt. You must fill out a separate form for each category your school has been accepted for. Please follow the link below to complete your group's t-shirt order:

T-shirt order form

We kindly ask that all t-shirt orders be placed by Friday 14 August 2026. Supervising teachers will also receive a Schools Spectacular t-shirt and this must be ordered through the teacher t-shirt section on the order form.

The quantity of your t-shirt order must match the number of students you have been allocated for the category/the number of attending teachers outlined on the acceptance form. If you wish to purchase additional student or teacher t-shirts, you can place an order through the online store.

All dancers receive a costume, and it is the organising teacher’s responsibility to record accurate measurements of each participating student. You will need to access your item's costume measurement spreadsheet via Google Classroom.

This document will automatically save, so once you have entered your student’s information, it is safe to close.

We’ll be using School Bytes again this year to manage student and staff attendance and participation. Every school must register their students on School Bytes by the end of Term 3. You are able to change students around if you need to after.

Refer to the teachers' guide for uploading students into School Bytes.

Please make sure your details are up to date so we can communicate with you during show week, you can do this by selecting your name in the top right corner of the screen.