Plan
Provision planning and enrolment management
Corporate
Corporate staff are responsible for provision planning. Provision planning assesses forecast demand needs and makes recommendations to government on where additional funding is required to meet demand for school places. This includes planning for new schools or identifying when additional school capacity at existing school sites may be required to support future demand.
Corporate staff work with schools to support enrolment management activities. This includes supporting schools impacted by zone changes and advice to ensure adherence to the Placement Policy, including supports for key points of transition.
Corporate staff are responsible for reviewing appeals escalated from schools, ensuring compliance with the Placement Policy, and assessing the adequacy of the school’s consideration. A panel of senior regional staff provides advice and recommendations to the regional director, who makes the final decision on the appeal.
Principals
Principals must adhere to the department’s Enrolment policy. If a primary or secondary school is not able to accept all applications due to existing or future capacity concerns, the principal must manage enrolment applications in accordance with the ‘priority order of placement’ set out in the Placement Policy subsection of the Enrolment policy.
Schools where the minister or delegate has approved specific entry criteria (including specialist and select entry schools) have local enrolment policies that apply in place of the Placement Policy. The remainder of the department’s Enrolment policy still applies to these schools, unless stated otherwise.
More information can be found in the Enrolment policy on PAL.
School councils
School councils are not responsible for provision planning and enrolment management.
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Facility area schedules
Corporate
Corporate staff are responsible for determining the school size and facilities a school requires to deliver its curriculum for a certain number of enrolled students. These decisions are based on the facility area schedules which promote equity across the Victorian government school education system.
Principal
To ensure the school environment is appropriate to meet the school’s curriculum needs and asset management practices, principals are responsible for following relevant department policies dealing with management of proposed and existing facilities.
School councils
To ensure the school environment is appropriate to meet the school’s curriculum needs and asset management practices, school councils are responsible for following relevant department policies dealing with management of proposed and existing facilities.
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Land acquisition and leasing property
Corporate
All land acquired for educational purposes is acquired in the name of the Minister for Education. Corporate staff have delegated authority to act on the minister’s behalf in acquiring land and property.
Only the Minister for Education (delegated to corporate staff) has the legal ability to enter into a lease of land or premises under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic). All such leases must be for a purpose recognised under the Act.
All acquisitions and leases of land must be consistent with the Victorian Government Land Transactions Policy and Guidelines.
Principal
Principals have no legal authority to acquire or lease land or premises.
Principals may notify corporate staff (via their regional office) where land adjacent to an existing school becomes available for purchase or lease.
School councils
School councils do not have any legal authority to acquire land or lease land or premises. However, school councils may resolve to contribute funds towards a purchase of land or lease effected in the name of the minister.
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State budget investment and funding allocations
Corporate
Corporate staff are responsible for providing advice to the government on where and when to invest in the government school infrastructure portfolio. It is the government’s responsibility to make decisions on where funding is allocated.
Corporate staff are responsible for implementing the government’s investment strategy and associated allocations of funding.
Principal
Principals are not responsible for making state budget investment decisions or the associated allocation of funding. Where funding is allocated directly to a school, principals must ensure state funding is spent in accordance with the department’s relevant policies.
The Finance Manual — Financial Management for Schools sets out the key obligations and conduct expected of principals in relation to financial management.
School councils
School councils are not responsible for making state budget investment decisions or the associated allocation of funding.
Where the government allocates funding, school council must ensure that all monies are expended for proper purposes relating to the school.
The Finance Manual sets out the key obligations and conduct expected of school councils in relation to financial management.
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Asset management planning for capital works projects
Asset Management Plans (AMPs) for capital works are completed when a school receives funding to undertake a new capital works project. AMP Phase 1 focuses on the educational directions of the school and current sufficiency, condition, and functionality. AMP Phase 2 focuses on the asset management and infrastructure needs over a 5-year period that will support the educational directions outlined, and optimises infrastructure funding by defining projects, budgets, timelines and cash flow.
Corporate
Corporate staff are responsible for prescribing and managing planning requirements, funding and policy parameters, and the issue resolution process for school asset management plans for planning and delivery of capital works.
Corporate staff are also responsible for supporting schools in their completion of asset management plan processes.
Principal
Principals are responsible for completing Phase 1 of the Asset Management Plan for a capital works project in accordance with the department’s policies and guidance.
Phase 1 Asset Management Plans are expected to have school principal endorsement prior to submission to the regional office.
Principals are responsible for working with the project control group and architect on the Asset Management Plan Phase 2.
Phase 2 Asset Management Plans are expected to have school principal endorsement prior to submission to the VSBA.
School councils
Phase 1 Asset Management Plans for capital works projects are expected to have received school council endorsement prior to submission to the relevant regional office and then VSBA for approval. Governance arrangements for school councils engaged in asset management planning are explained in the Asset Management Planning Guidance.
Phase 2 Asset Management Plans for capital works projects are expected to have received school council endorsement prior to submission to the VSBA.
Links
- Asset Management Planning – School Upgrades policy
- Capital Building Projects in Schools policy
- Everything you need to know about a school building project fact sheet
Modular Classrooms Program
Corporate
Corporate staff are responsible for administering the state-wide Modular Classrooms Program including the transfer of buildings to meet existing and future demand.
Principal
Principals must clean and maintain modular classrooms and facilities in the same way as permanent buildings, ensuring fixtures remain within modular buildings (as they must remain in the building if transferred) and ensuring that no structural changes are made to these buildings (see ‘Cleaning’ section below for further details’).
Principals are further responsible for supporting corporate staff to install, transfer or remove modular buildings, as required.
Principals are also responsible for the timely and accurate provision of enrolment data into department systems and raising capacity issues with regional staff.
Principals are responsible for applying to the Accessible Buildings Program, if an accessibility ramp is required.
School councils
School councils do not have responsibilities associated with the allocation and transfer of the department’s modular buildings. However, school councils should be aware that cleaning and maintenance responsibilities for the modular buildings are the same as those for permanent facilities.
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Reviewed 16 March 2026