How do we change schools in Australia?

Families change schools after a move, for a better fit or for a new job in another state. Public schools take new students all year, but your address decides your local school, private schools usually want a term’s notice, and moving state in Years 11 and 12 needs careful timing.

Catchments and moving house

Most states give each public school an area around it. Children living there are entitled to a place; others can apply only if there’s room.

• NSW: local students have priority. Schools take out-of-area students only if they have places, using criteria such as siblings at the school or medical reasons. Many schools accept out-of-area applications online
• Victoria: every child has a right to a place at their designated neighbourhood school, generally the nearest one to your permanent address. Find it by typing your address into the Find my School website. Zones are reviewed every year
• Check the zone for the exact address before you sign a lease, not the agent’s description
• Schools ask for proof of address, such as your lease, a rates notice or a utility bill

Enrolling mid-year in a public school

You can enrol in a public school at any point in the year. Contact the school directly: the principal handles enrolments all year. Expect to provide:

• Proof of your new address
• Your child’s two most recent school reports
• Their birth certificate or passport, and your visa
• An immunisation history statement, for a child new to the state system
• The school may ask you in for a meeting before your child starts

Leaving a private school

Enrolment contracts at independent and Catholic schools often require a full term’s notice in writing before your child leaves. Without it, the school may charge a term’s fees instead. Some schools charge only if they lose money, for example if they can’t fill the place, and some heads can waive the fee.

• Read your contract for the notice rule and the deadline, often the first day of a term
• Give notice in writing as early as you can, and keep a copy
• In 2022 a Canberra tribunal found one school’s notice clause unfair, but that ruling was about one contract and doesn’t bind other schools

Moving interstate

Each state has its own rules, so check these before you move.

• Starting ages differ. A child must usually turn 5 by 31 July to start school in NSW, but by 30 June in Queensland. A child may end up a year ahead or behind after a move. Ask the new school about the right year
• Curriculum differs. States teach their own version of the curriculum, and NSW writes its own syllabuses. Topics may not line up
• Records follow your child. Schools share an Interstate Student Data Transfer Note, so the new school gets basic information from the old one

Years 11 and 12

Each state runs its own Year 12 certificate, and switching is hardest in Year 12. Talk to the new school’s senior coordinator before you commit to a move date.

The ATAR, the ranking universities use, is accepted across Australia, whichever certificate it comes from.

If you’re on a temporary visa

Some states charge public school fees to children of temporary visa holders, and the rules change when you cross a state border. A move can start or stop fees.

• NSW: many temporary visa holders apply through the Temporary Residents Program and pay a yearly fee. Children of 482 visa holders can be exempt at eligible regional schools if they live in the region with the sponsored parent
• Victoria: fees depend on the visa subclass. Some dependants enrol through the International Student Program
• ACT: fees apply unless your visa category is listed as exempt, and you can ask for a waiver in hardship

See the fees by state in How do schools work in Australia? and confirm with the state department before you move.