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Victoria · government schools · checked 22 October 2026

Prep 2028 and Year 7 2028 in Victoria

Applications for Prep and Year 7 at Victorian government schools open in Term 2 of the year before, so families starting in 2028 apply in 2027. The Department has not published the 2028 dates yet; below is its official timeline for 2027 entry, which the 2028 round is likely to follow.

Jump to: Prep (Foundation) 2028 · Year 7 2028 · check your zone · out of zone

Prep (Foundation) 2028

Apply to your zoned primary school from Term 2 2027. The suggested deadline last year was the end of July.

Who starts in 2028. Children who turn 5 by 30 April 2028 can start Prep in 2028 (the Department's age rule, applied to 2028). [1]

Official timeline for Prep 2027 (the latest published)

  1. Monday 20 April 2026 Applications open at the start of Term 2. Apply to the school, online or on the paper form, as the school advises. [1]
  2. Friday 31 July 2026 Suggested deadline. Schools still take later applications, for example from families who move or arrive in Victoria. [1]
  3. After the deadline The school tells you the outcome and asks you to accept the place. Each school sets its own dates, so ask yours. [1]

If the 2028 round follows the same pattern, Prep 2028 applications open at the start of Term 2 2027, around late April 2027. 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

Your child applies through their primary school in Year 6, in a short window in April and May 2027 if the pattern holds.

Who starts in 2028. Children in Year 6 in 2027 start Year 7 in 2028. [2]

Official Year 6 to 7 placement timeline for Year 7 2027 (the latest published)

  1. By Thursday 2 April 2026 School zones for the next school year go live on Find My School. [2]
  2. Monday 20 April to Friday 8 May 2026 Hand the Year 7 application to your child's primary school. You can list up to 3 government secondary schools. [2]
  3. Wednesday 24 June 2026 Placement offers. If none of your preferences can take your child, they are offered a place at their local (zoned) school. [2]
  4. Friday 17 July 2026 Appeals to the preferred secondary school due, on the form sent with the offer. [2]
  5. Tuesday 11 August 2026 Return the acceptance slip to the primary school. [2]
  6. Tuesday 18 August 2026 Appeals to the Regional Director due, if the school appeal failed. Outcomes by Friday 16 October 2026. [2]
  7. Tuesday 8 December 2026 Orientation day at secondary schools for Year 6 students. [2]

If the 2028 round follows the same pattern, Year 7 2028 applications run for about three weeks from the start of Term 2 2027, and the zones for 2028 appear on Find My School before that. 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 Find My School (Department of Education, Vic) or the school before you enrol.

What if you are out of zone?

  • A government school must offer a place to students who live in its zone, and to out-of-zone students with a brother or sister already at the school. [2]
  • It can take out-of-zone students when it has room. When places are limited it follows the Department's placement policy order. [2]
  • Zones can change from one year to the next. Check your address against the zones for the year your child starts, not the year you apply. [3]

Checklist

  • Check which zone your address is in for the year your child starts.
  • Go to school tours, which many schools run in Term 1 of the year before.
  • Have your child's birth certificate and proof of address ready.
  • Put the application dates in your calendar once the Department publishes them.
  • Keep a copy of every form and offer letter, in case you need to appeal.

School zones by council in Victoria

The suburbs each government zone covers, with house prices and rents.

When do Prep 2028 enrolments open in Victoria?

The Department has not published the 2028 dates (checked 22 October 2026). For Prep 2027, applications opened on Monday 20 April 2026 with a suggested deadline of Friday 31 July 2026.

When do I apply for Year 7 2028 in Victoria?

The 2028 dates are not published yet (checked 22 October 2026). For Year 7 2027, families applied through their primary school from Monday 20 April to Friday 8 May 2026, and offers came on Wednesday 24 June 2026.

Which school zone applies to my child?

The zone for the school year your child starts. Victoria publishes next year's zones on Find My School before applications open, and some zones change each year.

Sources

  1. Department of Education (Vic), Enrolling in primary school for 2027 (factsheet)
  2. Department of Education (Vic), Year 6 to 7 placement information pack for parents and carers, 2026-27
  3. Find My School (Department of Education, Vic)

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: New South Wales · Queensland · school zone finder · zones that changed for 2027