Moving from primary to secondary school

Information for parents and carers on how to enrol and support their child moving from primary to secondary school.

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

  1. download the Year 6 to 7 Placement Information Pack 2024-25. The pack includes the application form. Your child's primary school may also give you a copy of the pack.
  2. use Find my School to locate your local secondary school or preferred school, and read about School zones and Enrolling in school.
  3. complete the application form and return it to your child's primary school by Friday 10 May 2024.

Year 7 placement is decided by secondary schools using the Department’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 17 July 2024.

All government secondary schools will host a Year 7 Orientation Day (for Year 6 students) on Tuesday 10 December 2024.

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 Year 6 to 7 Placement Information Pack 2024-25. The pack includes the application form.
  2. use Find my Schoolto locate your local secondary school or preferred school and read about School zones and Enrolling in school.
  3. complete the application form and return it to your preferred secondary school by Friday 10 May 2024.

You will receive notification of your child's Year 7 placement in a government secondary school on Wednesday 17 July 2024.

All government secondary schools will host a Year 7 Orientation Day (for Year 6 students) on Tuesday 10 December 2024.

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(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

A factsheet summarising the Year 7 placement process is available to complement the Year 6 to 7 Placement Information Pack for Parents and Carers.

The factsheet includes key dates in the 2025 enrolment process and Frequently Asked Questions.

Factsheet for Year 7 placement process

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(opens in a new window) 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.

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