Local schools
A local school is the designated neighbourhood government school of a child, determined by the school zone they live in. All eligible children have the right to attend their local school. A child’s local school is generally the government school that is closest to their permanent address.
All local schools have a school zone which is the designated area for enrolment.
If your child lives in metropolitan Melbourne, Ballarat, Bendigo or Geelong, their local school is usually the nearest government school in a straight line from their permanent address.
In any other area of Victoria, it is usually the nearest school by the shortest practical route by road.
Find your local government school
To find your local school and other government schools in your area:
- Visit Find my School
- Enter your child’s permanent address under ‘Enter your address to get started’
- Select the school year you are looking to enrol your child in under ‘Enrolment year’
- Select primary, secondary or specialist under ‘School type’
- The map will show your address, your local school, and the contact details for the school
- The website will also show you the 5 closest schools to your address.
The Find my School website is the official and most up to date source of school zones in Victoria.
To find Catholic or independent schools in Victoria, visit Victorian Catholic Education Authority(opens in a new window) or Independent Schools Victoria(opens in a new window).
Right to enrol at your local school
Your child has a right to enrol at their local school. This right is set out in the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. This means, that if your child lives within the school zone, they must be offered a place when seeking enrolment.
Applying to a school outside of your zone
You can apply to enrol at a school that is not your child’s local school, and the school should enrol your child if there is a place available.
Where there are limited places available at a school, applications from outside the school’s zone are prioritised in line with the department’s Placement Policy. For more information on the Placement Policy, visit: Enrolling in school.
School zone changes
The Find my School website shows the school zones for enrolment in the current and following school years.
Each year, a small number of school zones may change. Changes may be due to the opening of new schools, changing provision at existing schools (e.g. relocation of a school), improving school accessibility, or managing enrolment demand.
You should always use the Find my School website to check school zones. The Department of Education does not endorse zones advice from real estate agents or other websites.
Other school types
Some government schools do not have school zones as they are not considered local schools. These include specialist schools for students with disability(opens in a new window), flexible learning schools, language schools and selective entry schools(opens in a new window). For more information about the different types of schools, refer to: Types of schools(opens in a new window).
All government schools can be found on Find my School(opens in a new window).
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
For answers to frequently asked questions about school zones and enrolment at Victorian government schools, including specialist schools, refer to the enrolment frequently asked questions:
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