Moving from primary to secondary school is an important step in a child’s education. In Victoria, students start secondary school when they reach Year 7.
Steps to enrol your child in secondary school
Moving from a government primary school to a government secondary school
If your child is in Grade 6 in 2026 and attends a Victorian government primary school, you will need to:
- Read the Year 6 to 7 Placement Information Pack for Parents and Carers, which will be provided by your child's primary school by Wednesday 22 April 2026. The pack also includes the Year 7 application form.
- Use the Find my School website to locate your local secondary school or preferred government school, and read about School zones and Enrolling in school.
- Complete the application form and return it to your child's primary school by Friday 8 May 2026.
Before applying, make sure you contact the school to learn about their enrolment application process. The school will tell you whether to complete this application form or provide you with a link if they are using online enrolment (VicStudents(opens in a new window)).
Year 7 placement is decided by secondary schools using the Department of Education's Placement Policy. However, all communication about your child's placement must be with the Year 6 Coordinator or Transition Coordinator at your child's primary school until the placement is confirmed.
You will receive notification of your child's Year 7 placement offer on Wednesday 24 June 2026.
All government secondary schools will host a Year 7 Orientation Day (for Year 6 students) on Tuesday 8 December 2026.
Moving from a non-government primary school or home schooling to a government secondary school
If your child is in Grade 6 in 2026 and attends a non-government primary school or is home-schooled, you will need to:
- Use the Find my School website to locate your local secondary school or preferred government school, and read about School zones and Enrolling in school.
- Contact a government secondary school to learn more about the school. By Wednesday 22 April 2026, schools will provide a copy of the Year 6 to 7 Placement Information Packs.
The pack will include the Year 7 application form. - Complete the application form and submit it to your preferred secondary school by Friday 8 May 2026.
You will receive notification of your child's Year 7 placement in a government secondary school on Wednesday 24 June 2026.
All government secondary schools will host a Year 7 Orientation Day (for Year 6 students) on Tuesday 8 December 2026.
Moving to a non-government secondary school or registering for home schooling
If your child is enrolling in a non-government secondary school, contact the secondary school directly to find out about their enrolment process.
Visit Catholic Education Commission of Victoria(opens in a new window) and Independent Schools Victoria(opens in a new window) to find Catholic and independent schools.
For home schooling, find out about the requirements and how to register your child for home schooling.
Additional supporting materials
Factsheet
A factsheet summarising the Year 7 placement process will be available to complement the Information Pack (available from Term 2, 2026).
The factsheet will include key dates in the 2026-27 enrolment process and Frequently Asked Questions. It's available in English and 10 other languages.
English
Arabic
Burmese
Simplified Chinese
Dari
Hakha Chin
Hazaragi
Khmer
Pashto
Farsi
Vietnamese
Appeals
If you were unsuccessful in your application to a secondary school, you can appeal. To appeal an enrolment decision, you should lodge a written appeal with the school using the Appeal Form. For further information and to access the Appeal Form, refer to the pack below, also available on the Enrolling in school(opens in a new window):
- Appeals information pack for parents and carers (DOCX, 77KB)
- Appeals information pack for parents and carers (PDF, 268KB)
Once your child is enrolled
Read our tips for starting secondary school to learn how you can support your child through the move.
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