Enrolment & Transition

IMPORTANT 2025 ENROLMENT INFORMATION - Student Insight Digital Enrolment 

This year our school will use an online system for new enrolments to Victorian government schools called VicStudents.

 

VicStudents will be available for students who are enrolling in a Victorian Government School for the first time. This includes Foundation (Prep) enrolments for 2025. 

 

The link to enrol via VicStudents will be available from the beginning of Term 2 (April 15).

 

VicStudents has been assessed by the Department of Education to a high degree of security in line with the Victorian Protective Data Security Standards and is compliant with ISO 27001, the leading international standard for information security. 

 

 

School Entry Age in Victoria: A child must be five years of age by 30 April 2024 to be eligible for enrolment in a Victorian Government School.

From Pre-School to School

The transition from early childhood education to school is supported by:

Building relationships with local pre-schools and childcare centers

  • Fostering a child’s relationships with teachers and other children
  • Building on the learning experiences that the child brings with them
  • Welcoming the family unit to the Eastwood community

If you would like to enrol in 2025 please book a tour on this website.

 

Our school is growing as fast as our community. If you’re considering enrolling your children next year, check our school zone at findmyschool.vic.gov.au

 

Using the website

How can I find my local school?                                         

Visit findmyschool.vic.gov.au and type in your home address. The website will then locate your designated neighbourhood school.

 

How can I help someone who cannot access the internet or speak English, find their local school?

Those requiring translation assistance can call their regional office on 1300 338 691. Free translation services are available.

Those without internet access can call the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) hotline on 1800 896 950 for assistance to locate their designated neighbourhood school.

 

My child is in primary school but I want to know my local secondary school, can I find this on the website?

Yes, all public schools, including primary, secondary and specialist schools, can be found on findmyschool.vic.gov.au. Type in your address and click on the ‘Secondary schools’ tab to find your current secondary school zone.

The Department reviews school zones on a regular basis. As such, your school zone may change in the time period between your child enrolling in primary school and secondary school.

 

Are all schools on the website?

All public primary, secondary and specialist schools are on findmyschool.vic.gov.au

 

Do you have a map of Catholic and independent schools?

For more information on Catholic schools you can contact the Catholic Education Office or visit: https://www.cem.edu.au/SchoolSearch.aspx

 

For independent schools that are members of Independent Schools Victoria you can visit: https://www.is.vic.edu.au/who-we-are/member-school-details

 

What do these changes mean?

Is the Department of Education and Training/the Victorian Government changing its enrolment rules for parents who want to send their children to public schools?

 

There are no changes to the Department’s Placement Policy or the relevant legislation that guides every Victorian child’s right to enrol in a government school, the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic).

 

Under the Placement Policy, schools are required to prioritise enrolment for students living in that school zone. This has not changed, and the Department always seeks to ensure the policy is applied consistently across the state.

 

Parents who want to send their children to schools located outside of their school zone still have this choice. However, students enrolling at a school from within the school zone will have first priority. This is consistent with current policy.

 

For more information, see: Placement Policy

 

Enrolment zones/determining designated school

How did the Department decide this was my child’s designated school?

Designated neighbourhood schools are generally the public school within closest proximity to the student’s permanent residential address, unless the Minister for Education or Regional Director has restricted the zone of the school.

Closest proximity is calculated as the nearest school by straight line distance in metropolitan areas (including Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo), or the nearest school by shortest practical route (in regional areas).

 

What is a Designated Neighbourhood School (DNS)?

In Victoria, all children are entitled to be enrolled at their designated neighbourhood school as a right under the legislation. Designated neighbourhood schools are generally the public school within closest proximity to the student’s permanent residential address, unless the Minister for Education or Regional Director has restricted the zone of the school.

For children residing in metropolitan areas, Ballarat, Bendigo or Geelong, the designated neighbourhood school is usually the nearest public school in a straight line from your child’s permanent residential address. In any other area of Victoria, it is the nearest school by the shortest practicable route by distance.

 

When a new school is established, zones for neighbouring schools are adjusted to accommodate the new school. The Department works closely with schools to address the changing demographics of the local population. This process also occurs when there is any change to provision of education offered by the Government in an area as a result of a school closing or merging, or the addition or removal of a year level offered by a particular school, as approved by the Minister for Education.

 

Which schools have zone maps?

All public primary and secondary schools, including Prep/Foundation to Year 9 and multi-campus schools have zone maps. This does not include schools with specific enrolment criteria including English Language Schools and Select Entry Schools. Specialist schools also do not have zones and have special enrolment criteria.  You can see all Specialist schools by clicking on the ‘specialist’ button.

 

What are the zones for specialist schools?

Specialist schools are an important part of Victoria’s education landscape but do not have zones as they are not designated neighbourhood schools under the legislation. You can still search for specialist schools on findmyschool.vic.gov.au

Specialist schools do have designated transport zones. If you are considering enrolment at a specialist school, contact the school directly for information about designated transport zones.

For more information, see:

What is the legislation that gives my children the right to enrol in their designated neighbourhood school?

Your child or children are guaranteed the right to enrol in their local school by the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic), specifically S 2.2.13 (1), which states, “A child of compulsory school age is entitled to be enrolled at his or her designated neighbourhood Government school.”

 

Can I enrol my child at a school that is not the designated neighbourhood school?

Children of school age have the right to be enrolled at their designated neighbourhood school. They can attend another public school of their choosing if that school has the capacity and accepts their enrolment.

 

Section 2.2.14 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) states “A child of compulsory school age may be enrolled at a Government school which is not the child's designated neighbourhood Government school if there is sufficient accommodation for the child at that school.”

 

My child already attends a school that is not their designated neighbourhood school. Do I need to do anything?

If your child is already enrolled at that school, you do not need to do anything further. Your child will maintain their existing enrolment.

 

Can I still choose which school my child attends, or does my child have to attend their designated neighbourhood school?

You can still request enrolment at a school that is not your designated neighbourhood school.

 

That school can only accept your enrolment if there is sufficient capacity at the school. 

 

If a school has some capacity, but not enough to fit everyone from outside its zone, the school uses the Placement Policy to determine enrolments. For more information, see: Placement Policy

 

What is the Priority Order of Placement?

The Department’s Placement Policy indicates that where there are insufficient places at a school for all students who seek entry, students are enrolled in the following priority order:

  1. Students for whom the school is the designated neighbourhood school.
  2. Students with a sibling at the same permanent address who are attending the school at the same time.
  3. Where the Regional Director has restricted the enrolment, students who reside nearest the school.
  4. Students seeking enrolment on specific curriculum grounds.
  5. All other students in order of closeness of their home to the school.
  6. In exceptional circumstances, compassionate grounds.

For more information, see: Placement Policy

 

What are ‘compassionate grounds’ and how are they assessed?

The Placement Policy recognises there are exceptional circumstances where a student may be unable to attend their designated neighbourhood school, or where on compassionate grounds, the student should be offered a place at another public school.

Applications for enrolment on compassionate grounds are considered by the enrolling school, per the Placement Policy.

For more information, see: Placement Policy

 

 A full information pack and Application to enrol forms are available from the school offic

 

Regards,

 

Rukshana Verzijl

Principal

Eastwood Primary & Deaf Facility

Ph: 9870 6103

 

 


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