NSW Premier's Spelling Bee
The Premier's Spelling Bee is an engaging way for NSW public primary school students to expand their vocabularies and improve their spelling. Designed for Stage 2 and 3, Stage 1 students are welcome to participate.
The program includes activities that encourage students to become more confident users of language through broadening their vocabulary, and promotes improved literacy skills in conjunction with the NSW English K to 10 syllabus.
2025 key dates
Stage | Dates | Term/Week |
---|---|---|
Enrolment opens | Monday 10 March | Term 1 Week 7 |
Enrolment closes | Friday 20 June | Term 2 Week 8 |
Regional names deadline | Monday 30 June | Term 2 Week 10 |
Regional Finals (online) | Monday 11 to Friday 22 August | Term 3 Weeks 4 and 5 |
State Finals Q Theatre Penrith | Friday 7 November (TBC) | Term 4 Week 4 |
2025 enrolments
School enrolments will open on Monday 10 March 2025 (Term 1 Week 7).
Teachers will be provided with the wordlists password upon school enrolment.
There are no entry fees for the bee.
2025 word lists
The program, wordlists and password are only available through participating public primary schools.
The 2025 word lists will be available on enrolment, via the confirmation email you will receive. Please read all copyright conditions carefully, so you may distribute the lists according to licence agreements.
There is a straightforward vocabulary word list and an annotated list supplying pronunciation, word group, meaning and example sentences. The lists may be useful in classroom practice as well as a resource for keen spellers.
The 2025 lists will become available to all enrolled public primary schools from Monday 10 March 2025, Term 1 Week 7.
Copyright notice
The NSW Premier’s Spelling Bee 2025 junior and senior word lists are for your personal use only. No part of this word list covered by copyright may be reproduced, copied, shared or made available on the internet, via email, on an intranet, or by any other means without written permission of the publisher.
Copyright © Macquarie Dictionary Publishers 2025 | macquariedictionary.com.au
2024 Poster
The 2024 artwork is 'The Realistic Bee', by Year 3 student Benjamin Ma, and is his Year 3 entry to 2023 Operation Art.
Resources
The spelling bee resource page contains a wide variety of resources available for use in the preparation of students for the Premier's Spelling Bee.
There are also a range of school resources available below to support the organisation of a spelling bee.
- Elimination sheet template (DOCX 71.17 KB)
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- Competition layout sample (DOCX 85.49 KB)
About the Bee
The Bee is open to students in NSW Public, Community and Central Schools in two categories.
- Junior Spelling Bee – Years 3 and 4 (Stage 1 are welcome)
- Senior Spelling Bee – Years 5 and 6
Please note – one Junior and one Senior student represent their school at regional finals. 2025 regional finals will be held using video connections. The senior and junior winning spellers from each regional will then go on to State finals.