Secondary schools

Finding the right secondary school for your child can have a big impact on their academic future.

Explore our useful resources and information to help guide your family's decisions.

Moving from primary to secondary school

For information on how to enrol and support your child moving from a government primary school to a secondary government school, visit the Victorian Government website

Information provided on the Victorian Government website includes:

  • steps to enrol your child in secondary school
  • orientation day details
  • tips for starting secondary school
  • how to appeal a Year 7 enrolment
  • fact sheets in a range of languages.

Find your local government secondary school

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 secondary school:

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

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

Get to know your local school

Contact your local school, and any other schools you are considering, before you submit an application.

Staff can provide tours, classroom visits and information about their school. Most schools welcome enquiries and will organise a tiime for you and your child to visit.

Schools can also indicate if they have spare places for students who don't live within the school zone.

School zones

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.

Going to a school outside your zone

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

Year 7 placement is decided by secondary schools using the Education Department's Placement Policy.

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.

Selective entry high schools

Victorian selective entry high schools provide for academically high-achieving students in years 9 to 12.

For further information on the locations of these schools and entry requirements, visit the Victorian Government website.

Non-government schools

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.