Enrolments
Starting School
Starting school page contains information for families on how to enrol their child in a Victorian government school and outlines the timeframes for submitting Foundation (Prep) enrolment applications for the 2025 school year.
Information Pack for Parents/Carers
Going to your local school
Most parents send their child to the public school closest to where they live.
The designated neighbourhood school is measured by a straight line from your permanent address, if you live in:
- metropolitan Melbourne
- Ballarat
- Bendigo
- Geelong.
If you live in another area, it's measured by the shortest practical route by road and considers access issues.
If your child lives at multiple addresses, their permanent address is where they spend most of their weekdays.
Your child has a right to enrol in their designated neighbourhood school. This right is set out in the Education Reform Act 2006.
A small number of schools have restricted zones to respond to local population growth.
Going to a non-local school
You have the choice to enrol your child at a school outside of your designated neighbourhood zone. The school may accept this enrolment as long as it has enough space.
Once the school is full, it cannot accept enrolments from outside its neighbourhood zone. This is outlined in the Department of Education’s Placement policy. Chalcot Lodge Primary School follows this policy to manage and accept enrolments.
Always use findmyschool.vic.gov.au to check school zones. We cannot endorse advice from real estate agents or other websites.
Chalcot Lodge Primary School Designated Placement Area
Application Form Download
Form to enrol in a Victorian Government School