Enrolment

Year 6 to 7 placement

Each year, the department releases Year 6 to 7 placement information for schools and parents/carers, including:

• a statewide placement timeline
• placement information packs.

All Victorian government primary and secondary schools must follow the processes set out in the statewide placement timeline and information packs for 2025 to 2026.

When placing students in Year 7, schools must not:

• create or use forms other than those supplied by the department
• communicate with parents/carers regarding the status or outcome of placement applications prior to the date specified in the timeline
• undertake testing or hold interviews with prospective families before parents/carers receive placement offers
• share student information (including CASES21 student data transfer, NAPLAN results and teacher judgement reports) before parents/carers accept offers.

Placement timeline for 2025 to 2026

The statewide placement timeline for 2025 to 2026 (DOCX) (staff login required) for Victorian government schools has been developed to assist all government primary and secondary schools with the placement of students in Year 7.

This timeline includes activity descriptions and an overview of responsibilities to assist school staff with key dates.

Placement information packs for 2025 to 2026

Year 6 to 7 placement information packs are available by the beginning of Term 2 for students commencing Year 7 the following year.

Year 6 to 7 placement information packs: guidance for government schools

The information pack provides guidance to manage Year 7 applications.

To ensure all Year 6 students are placed in a secondary school for Year 7, primary and secondary schools must:

• download the Year 6 to 7 placement information pack for Victorian government schools 2025 to 2026, once available
• follow the procedures and meet the deadlines as outlined in the pack
• once families have accepted placement offers, complete the student data transfer (PDF) (staff login required) process through CASES21 for every Year 6 student.

Victorian government secondary schools must apply the department’s Placement Policy when enrolling students in Year 7.

Year 6 to 7 placement information packs: guidance for parents and carers

The Year 6 to 7 placement information pack for parents and carers provides guidance to assist families of Year 6 students moving to a government school in 2026.

The parent/carer information pack is available for download from the Moving from primary to secondary school website from the start of Term 2, 2025.

Year 7 application process

From the first week of Term 2, 2025, primary schools must distribute the parent/carer placement information pack to all Year 6 families. The pack will include the application for Year 7 placement.

All families with Year 6 students at Victorian government schools must complete the application for Year 7 placement 2026 and submit to their primary school as specified within the statewide timeline. This includes students who are:

• continuing at a P–12 school
• offered a place at a non-government school, or
• intend to register for home schooling.

Primary schools should take reasonable steps to follow up with parents/carers to confirm their child’s Year 7 placement for 2026. Reasonable steps may include contacting the parents/carers via phone call, email, or scheduling a meeting. If these attempts are unsuccessful, staff must advise the family, in writing, that an application form will be completed by staff on their behalf and sent to their designated neighbourhood school.

Students at non-government schools

Families of Year 6 students at non-government schools wanting to enrol at a Victorian government school in 2026 may approach secondary schools directly if their child’s primary school is not supporting the statewide placement process. Non-government families must use the Application for Year 7 Placement 2026 available in the parent/carer information pack.

For direct submissions from these families, secondary schools must acknowledge receipt of the application form and advise families, in writing, that if their child is not successful in gaining a Year 7 placement at their preference/s, their form will be forwarded to their designated neighbourhood school.

Late applications

Primary schools must continue to manage late applications until the end of the school year, including applications from families who have moved permanent residence and have a change of preference to align with their new school zone.

Secondary schools must offer placement to late applications from students residing within their school zone. Where a school has sufficient accommodation, placement should also be offered to late applications from students residing outside their school zone in line with the Placement Policy.

Transfer of student information

Once a parent/carer accepts a placement offer, government primary and secondary schools must transfer student information via the CASES21 student data transfer.

For more information, refer to the chapter 24 of the CASES21 Administration User Guide (PDF) (staff login required).