Primary schools

The first year of primary school is called Foundation or Prep.

To start primary school, your child will need to turn five years old by 30 April in the year they start school.

Your child must be at school in the year they turn six years of age. This is the compulsory school starting age.

For information on when and how to enrol your child in Foundation (Prep), visit the Victorian Government website.

Your child has a right to enrol at their local government school. If your child lives within the school zone, they must be offered a place when seeking enrolment. 

To find your local primary school:

• visit the Find my School website
• enter your address
• select the school year you are looking to enrol you child in
• select primary under 'school type'.

Contact your local school to find out if they offer school tours or information sessions.

The Find my School website is the official and most up to date source of school zone maps in Victoria.

All government, primary, secondary and specialist schools can be found on this website.

Each year a small number of school zones may change. This can be due to:

• opening of new schools
• relocating schools
• changing the year levels offered
• improving school accessibility
• managing enrolment demand.

Always use the Find my School website to check school zones. The Department of Education does not endorse advice from real estate agents or other websites.

You have the choice to request enrolment for your child at a school that is not your local school.

If there is space for all students who apply, then your child should be offered a placement.

If the school you would like to enrol in has limited spaces, your application will be considered using the 'priority order of placement'. The priority order of placement prioritises students who live within the school zone and out of zone siblings. 

For more information on the Placement Policy, visit the Education Victoria website.

These schools are sometimes called private schools, independent schools or Catholic schools. They are not part of the government system and have their own enrolment process and costs.

You can learn more from the Catholic Education Office website and the Independent Schools Victoria website.

You can also get advice on choosing a non-government school from the Victorian Parents Council website.