Secondary School Enrolment
During the first half of your child's Year 6, you will be asked to nominate the secondary school your child will attend in Year 7. For many students this will be the closest secondary school to their home. However, some parents choose to send their child to a different secondary school. This may be because of the curriculum that is available, or because the school may have a specific focus, such as music.
It is a good idea to consider your preferences early in the year and see if your child is eligible to attend the school you prefer. Sometimes, residential boundaries affect whether your child can attend a particular secondary school. It is better to know of any restrictions before deciding on a school.
Parents are encouraged to attend information sessions at local schools to assist them to choose a school for their child.
Parents of Year 6 students will be asked to complete enrolment forms for the secondary school of their choice early in the year. This enables secondary schools to plan for the following year. Your child's Year 6 coordinator can help you with questions and the appropriate paperwork.
Transition from primary to secondary school
The transition from primary to secondary school is an exciting time for students and their parents. It is the next stage in a lifelong educational journey leading to new experiences and challenges. The more informed everyone is, the more likely the experience will be positive for you and your child.
After the relatively familiar surroundings of the primary school (where there is usually one main classroom teacher for each child and one or two specialist teachers), it can be a bit daunting moving to a secondary school where there are many more teachers, new surroundings, and a different approach to timetabling.
Secondary schools have different ways of introducing primary students to their school. Most students settle in very quickly. Sometimes, it's the parents who are more bewildered and wonder how the secondary system works.
Primary and secondary schools cooperate to ease students through the transition period. Often, secondary students revisit their old primary school to tell Year 6 students what secondary school is like. This is sometimes taken a step further and a buddy system is encouraged, where secondary students are teamed up with primary school students and regularly meet face-to-face or communicate by email.
Steps are also taken to prepare children for the different teaching methods of secondary schools. Many primary schools have a team of teachers working with Years 5 and 6 students, so students become familiar with working with a range of teachers rather than just one. Teachers from secondary schools often visit local primary schools to take small groups for lessons or to talk about secondary school.
Orientation days at secondary schools
As part of the transition from Year 6 to Year 7, students in government secondary schools participate in an orientation day. All government schools hold this orientation day on the same day (often the second Tuesday of December). It may include a school tour, meeting fellow students and teachers, and taking part in special lessons and activities.
Select Entry Accelerated Learning
Some secondary schools offer Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) programs to students capable of working at a faster pace than their peers.
Work in core subjects is accelerated for SEAL students, allowing them to complete Years 7 to 10 in three years and to do more VCE subjects in Years 11 and 12, or even a university subject.
Enquiries about SEAL programs should be made the year before your child’s Year 7 placement. Entrance exams are usually held in May and each school determines its own selection criteria.
More information
For more information, you can contact the school, see: Schools Online (http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/schoolsonline) or Region
See also: Gifted Education