Queensland · government schools · checked 22 October 2026
Prep 2028 and Year 7 2028 in Queensland
Queensland state schools enrol by direct contact with the school, and schools with an enrolment management plan only take students who live in their catchment. Prep is compulsory before Year 1, and Year 7 is the first year of high school.
Jump to: Prep 2028 · Year 7 2028 · check your zone · out of zone
Prep 2028
Contact your chosen state school during 2027. There are no waiting lists for Prep at state schools.
Who starts in 2028. Children who turn 5 by 30 June 2028 can start Prep in 2028, which means a birth date from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (the Department's age rule, applied to 2028). Early or delayed entry can be discussed with the principal. [1]
How Prep enrolment works
- The year before The Department encourages parents to contact their chosen school the year before Prep starts. [2]
- When you enrol Contact the school directly and give proof of your child's date of birth, such as a birth certificate, passport or visa. [1]
- Catchment schools If the school has an enrolment management plan, your child may only be able to attend if you live inside its catchment. [2]
Queensland does not publish one statewide Prep application date. Ask the school when it takes Prep 2028 enrolments. The official 2028 dates were not published when we checked on 22 October 2026; check the department site before you rely on any date.
Year 7 2028
Contact the local state high school directly. The Department suggests thinking about your preferences early in the year before.
Who starts in 2028. Students start Year 7 after 6 years of primary school (Prep to Year 6), so children in Year 6 in 2027 start Year 7 in 2028. [1]
How Year 7 enrolment works
- Early in 2027 Consider your preferences and check whether your child is eligible to attend the school you prefer. [1]
- During 2027 Go to information sessions at local high schools. [1]
- To enrol Contact the local secondary school directly. [1]
High schools with an enrolment management plan publish their catchment and enrolment dates on their own websites. The official 2028 dates were not published when we checked on 22 October 2026; check the department site before you rely on any date.
Check your zone: which Prep and Year 7 school is your address zoned to?
Type a street address in Victoria, NSW or Queensland. We show the government primary and secondary school zones it is in, from the official zone maps.
Your address goes from your browser straight to OpenStreetMap's address search to find it on the map. We never see it or store it. Address search © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Confirm with Queensland Schools Directory or the school before you enrol.
What if you are out of zone?
Checklist
- Check whether your preferred school has a catchment, and whether your address is inside it.
- Have proof of your child's date of birth and proof of address ready.
- Contact the school in 2027 to ask when it takes 2028 enrolments.
- Go to information sessions at local high schools during Year 6.
School zones by council in Queensland
The suburbs each government zone covers, with house prices and rents.
- Aurukun
- Balonne
- Banana
- Barcaldine
- Barcoo
- Blackall Tambo
- Boulia
- Brisbane
- Bulloo
- Bundaberg
- Burdekin
- Burke
- Cairns
- Carpentaria
- Cassowary Coast
- Central Highlands
- Charters Towers
- Cherbourg
- Cloncurry
- Cook
- Croydon
- Diamantina
- Doomadgee
- Douglas
- Etheridge
- Flinders
- Fraser Coast
- Gladstone
- Gold Coast
- Goondiwindi
- Gympie
- Hinchinbrook
- Ipswich
- Isaac
- Kowanyama
- Livingstone
- Lockhart River
- Lockyer Valley
- Logan
- Longreach
- Mackay
- Maranoa
- Mareeba
- McKinlay
- Moreton Bay
- Mornington
- Mount Isa
- Murweh
- Noosa
- North Burnett
- Paroo
- Pormpuraaw
- Quilpie
- Redland
- Richmond
- Rockhampton
- Scenic Rim
- Somerset
- South Burnett
- Southern Downs
- Sunshine Coast
- Tablelands
- Toowoomba
- Townsville
- Western Downs
- Whitsunday
- Winton
- Woorabinda
Can my child start Prep in Queensland in 2028?
Yes, if they turn 5 by 30 June 2028, which means a birth date from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023. Prep is compulsory before Year 1.
Is there a waiting list for Prep at state schools?
No. But a school with an enrolment management plan may only take children who live inside its catchment.
When do I enrol for Year 7 2028 in Queensland?
Contact the local state high school directly during 2027. Queensland does not publish one statewide date (checked 22 October 2026).
Sources
- Queensland Department of Education, Enrolling your child
- Queensland Department of Education, About Prep
Read on 22 October 2026. Rules and dates are set by the department and can change; check the department site and your school before you rely on them. Independent and Catholic schools run their own enrolment, often earlier.
Other states: Victoria · New South Wales · school zone finder