Moving from primary to secondary school

Moving from primary to secondary school is an important step in a child’s education. In Victoria, students normally 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 seeking a place in Year 7 at a secondary school next year, you will need to:

1. download the 'Placement Information Pack for Government School Parents and Carers' (available Term 2, 2023) or you can also download the ‘Year 6 to Year 7 Application Form for Government School Parents and Carers’ (available Term 2, 2023) as a standalone document in landscape orientation. Your child's government primary school may also give you a copy of the pack or form.
2. use Find my School to locate your local secondary school or preferred school, and read about Enrolling in school.
3. complete the Application Form and return it to your child's primary school by (date to be confirmed)

If your secondary school preferences include a school or schools that are not your designated neighbourhood school, you should read about School zones and how they work and how applications are prioritised using the Department’s Placement Policy, as outlined on the Enrolling in school webpage.

Year 7 placement is decided by secondary schools. 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 (date to be confirmed).

All government secondary schools will host a Year 7 Orientation Day (for Year 6 students) on (date to be confirmed).

Moving from a non-government primary school or home schooling to a government secondary school

If your child is seeking a place in Year 7 at a secondary school next year, you will need to:

1. download the 'Placement Information Pack for Non-Government School Parents and Carers' (available Term 2, 2023) or you can also download the ‘Year 6 to Year 7 Application Form for Non-Government School Parents and Carers’ (available Term 2, 2023) as a standalone document in landscape orientation.
2. use Find my School to locate your local secondary school or preferred school and read about Enrolling in school.
3. complete the Application Form and return it to your preferred secondary school by (date to be confirmed).

If your secondary school preferences include a school or schools that are not your designated neighbourhood school, you should read about School zones and how they work and how applications are prioritised using the Department’s Placement Policy, as outlined on the Enrolling in school webpage.

You will receive notification of your child's Year 7 placement in a government secondary school on (date to be confirmed).

All government secondary schools will host a Year 7 Orientation Day (for Year 6 students) on (date to be confirmed).

Additional supporting materials – factsheet

A factsheet providing a summary of the Year 7 placement process has been developed to complement the detailed Placement Information Packs. The factsheet includes key dates in the process, Frequently Asked Questions and references to relevant policies. The factsheet is available in English, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Simplified Chinese.

Factsheet for Year 6-7 placement process (available Term 2, 2023)

• Factsheet - English (PDF, 651KB)
• Factsheet - English (DOCX, 1MB)
• Factsheet - Vietnamese (PDF, 651KB)
• Factsheet - Vietnamese (DOCX, 1MB)
• Factsheet - Arabic (PDF, 651KB)
• Factsheet - Arabic (DOCX, 1MB)
• Factsheet - Simplified Chinese (PDF, 651KB)
• Factsheet - Simplified Chinese (DOCX, 1MB)

Your child attends a government Prep to Year 9 or Prep to Year 12 school

If your child is staying at the same school, you do not need to make an application.

Contact your school for information about Year 7 orientation.

Moving to a non-government secondary school or registering for home schooling

Contact the secondary school to find out their enrolment process.

Visit Catholic Education Commission of Victoria and Independent Schools Victoria to find Catholic and independent schools.

For home schooling, find out about the requirements and how to register your child for home schooling.

Once your child is enrolled

Read our tips for starting secondary school to learn how you can support your child through the move.

Appealing a Year 7 enrolment

If a school decides not to accept your enrolment, you can appeal. This situation can happen if you request to enrol at a school outside of your school zone, and the school does not have enough places.

You can lodge a written appeal to the school. The timeline for appeals to the school is detailed in the 'Placement Information Pack'.

Appeals are considered by the school's placement committee and/or principal. They will check the priority order of placement and confirm your address. They will also consider appeals on compassionate grounds on a case-by-case basis.

If your appeal to the school is unsuccessful and you're not satisfied with the outcome, you can escalate the appeal to your local regional office. The timeline for appeals to the regional office is detailed in the 'Placement Information Pack'.

Appeals to the regional office are considered by a panel of senior department staff.