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How schools work in Victoria

How schools work in Victoria: Foundation (Prep) starting age, school zones and Find my school, selective entry high schools, parent payments and Virtual School Victoria.

Victoria has government, Catholic and independent schools across Melbourne and the regions. This guide explains how government schooling is organised, from starting Foundation to the VCE, with links to the Victorian Government's own pages for the detail.

Starting school

The first year of school in Victoria is Foundation, also called Prep. To start Prep in a given year, a child must turn 5 by 30 April that year, and school is compulsory from age 6 until 17. Early entry is rare: it needs a written request, is decided by the department's regional director, and is generally considered only for children at least 4 years and 6 months old by 30 April. For 2027, applications for Prep at government schools ran from 20 April to 31 July 2026. See enrolling in Foundation (Prep) (opens in a new tab).

How the years are organised

Primary school runs from Prep to Year 6, and secondary school from Year 7 to Year 12. Senior students study for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), including the VCE Vocational Major, a two-year applied learning program; the Victorian Pathways Certificate is a separate option.

Enrolment and school zones

Every Victorian government school has a school zone, and eligible students have the right to enrol at their local school regardless of how full it is. Find my school (opens in a new tab) shows the zone and designated neighbourhood school for any address. Schools may ask for documents such as a rental agreement or contract of sale to confirm your permanent address.

When a school has limited places for students from outside its zone, it gives priority first to students with a sibling at the same address attending the school at the same time, then to other students in order of how close they live.

For Year 7 in 2027, applications were due during Year 6, on 8 May 2026, and families were told the outcome on 24 June 2026.

Government, Catholic and independent schools

Non-government schools, sometimes called private, independent or Catholic schools, have their own enrolment processes and costs. See government, Catholic or independent schools.

Selective entry and high-ability schools

Victoria has four selective entry high schools: Nossal High School in Berwick, Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee, The Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and Melbourne High School. They take students into Year 9, through an exam sat in June of Year 8, with about 1,000 places a year; students can sit the exam only once. See selective entry high schools (opens in a new tab).

Other government schools are designed for high-ability students in particular fields, including John Monash Science School (Years 10 to 12), the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (Years 7 to 12), Elizabeth Blackburn Sciences (Years 11 and 12) and Maribyrnong Sports Academy. Each manages its own entry. In Victoria, "specialist schools" means schools for students with disability and high needs.

Fees and parent payments

Government schools provide free instruction in the curriculum. You are not required to make voluntary contributions, and a school cannot refuse your child instruction in the curriculum if you do not. Extra-curricular items, such as camps and excursions, are user-pays, and you choose whether to pay for them. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps eligible families with these costs. From 2027, schools with a bring-your-own-device program must offer at least one device option costing no more than $980 including GST.

Virtual School Victoria

Virtual School Victoria teaches Victorian students who cannot access full-time mainstream schooling, through online classes, for students who meet its eligibility requirements.

NAPLAN and My School

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in Victoria, as everywhere in Australia, sit NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, conventions of language and numeracy each March; in 2027 the testing window is 10 to 22 March.

Each school's profile on My School (opens in a new tab) shows its NAPLAN results alongside its enrolments, staff and finances. Read results with care: they reflect the students a school enrols as well as its teaching, and a visit tells you far more. Our guide to My School, NAPLAN and ICSEA explains how to read a profile.

Schools in Victoria on Schools Near Me

We list 2,310 schools in Victoria: 1,586 government, 493 Catholic and 231 independent, including special schools. See every school in Victoria, or filter by sector: government, Catholic or independent.

The council areas with the most schools are Casey (96), Greater Geelong (85), Yarra Ranges (78), Hume (72) and Wyndham (71).

Common questions

When can my child start Prep in Victoria?
In the year they turn 5, as long as they turn 5 by 30 April that year. School is compulsory once a child turns 6.
Is my child guaranteed a place at our zoned school?
Yes. Eligible students have the right to enrol at their local government school regardless of capacity. Use Find my school to check the zone for your permanent address.
When do students sit the selective entry exam in Victoria?
In June of Year 8, for entry to Year 9 at one of the four selective entry high schools the following year. Students can sit the exam only once.
Do I have to pay voluntary contributions at a Victorian government school?
No. Instruction in the curriculum is free, voluntary contributions are optional, and a school cannot refuse your child instruction if you do not contribute.

Sources

We check guides against official sources. Rules can change, and some details vary by area, so check with the source before you act.

Last updated 1 November 2026.