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School age

Parenting information on school aged children. Enrolling and starting school, your child's learning, services for parents.

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Going to school

  1. Term dates

    School term dates and holidays in Victoria.

  1. How to choose a school and enrol

    Questions to ask yourself, visit schools, when and how to enrol, moving from year 6 to 7.

  2. School zones

    ​How your closest government school is measured, neighbourhood zones and restrictions, enrolment orders for students.

  3. School costs and fees

    What you need to pay for, how to lower your costs and what you can do if you're having financial difficulties.

  4. School uniforms

    ​Rules for school uniforms, buy a uniform, get help with the cost of your child's uniform.

  5. Moving from primary to secondary school: information for parents

    The steps for parents to move their child from primary to secondary school.

  6. Tips for starting school

    ​Ways you can help your child have a positive start to school.

  7. Attendance and missing school

    What you must do if your child will miss school, truancy, if your child refuses to go to school.

  8. Travelling to school

    How your child can get to school and home again, support if you live in regional Victoria, students with a disability.

  9. Parents getting involved at school

    Volunteering at school, parent clubs, become a school council member.

  10. Types of school

    An overview of the different types of schools in Victoria.

  11. Changing schools

    How to make the move as smooth as possible for your child.

  12. Raise a complaints or concern about your school

    What to think about beforehand, how to make a complaint, use a support person, if you're not satisfied with the response.

  13. Selective Entry High Schools

    Eligibility, how to apply, sitting the entrance exam, practice tests.

  14. Find your school's funding

    How schools are funded by the government, find your school's funding.

  15. Mobile phones in schools

    Mobile phones in schools

  16. Reporting religious or racial discrimination and abuse in schools

    Information on how to report religious or racial discrimination in the school community.

Learning

  1. Repeating a year level

    Repeating a school year is sometimes thought of as a way for children or young person who are not performing as well as their peers to catch up or mature over an extra 12 months.

  2. Student reports and parent-teacher conferences

    When student reports are given out and what they include. What happens in a parent-teacher conference and how to prepare.

  3. Speak to your child in the language you know best

    Why it's important to speak in the language you know best. Tips for speaking, reading and writing in your language.

  4. How to build your child's literacy skills from birth to year 2

    How to give your child a good start with reading and language.

  5. How to build your child's numeracy skills from birth to year 2

    Tips on how to build your child's skills in maths, measurement and patterns.

  6. How to build your child's literacy skills from years 3 to 6

    How to help build your child's skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing during school years.

  7. How to build your child's numeracy skills from years 3 to 6

    Tips on how to build your child's skills in maths and numeracy during their school years.

  8. Home school your child

    What home schooling involves, your responsibilities, how to register for home schooling and get support.

  9. Combine school and home education

    ​How you can combine home schooling with subjects at a government school, your responsibilities, your child's attendance at school.

  10. Homework

    ​Types of homework your child may be given, how you can help them with homework, homework in secondary school

  11. Selective entry high school practice tests

    Use these practise tests to help prepare for the selective entry high school entrance exam.

  12. Student scholarships

    Payments to help you with the cost of your child's education. Available scholarships, how to apply and tips.

  13. Books for 2020 government school Prep students and their families

    The 2020 Prep bag contains five children’s books for every Prep student attending a Victorian Government school. Selected by a panel of teachers, librarians and literacy experts, these books are for families to keep and enjoy with their child at home.

  14. Find a language program

    The different services that offer language programs to children and young people.

Career planning

  1. Talk to your child about their career

    How to talk to your child and questions to ask.

  2. Study options in year 11 and 12

    VCE, VCAL and VET. Subjects and study structure, hands-on training, apprenticeships and work placements.

  3. If your child wants to leave school early

    Options for finishing year 12 out of school, who to speak to, the minimum leaving age.

  4. Study and training after your child leaves school

    Options for your child after they leave school, what to think about in years 11 and 12.

Services

  1. Help with school costs and fees

    Options if you're having financial difficulties.

  2. Services for carers

    Services, advice and financial support for non-parent carers.

  3. Family intervention services

    Family intervention Services offer consultation, counselling, skill development and education services including individual and group interventions.

  4. Child FIRST and family services

    Child FIRST (Child and family information, referral and support teams) are the entry point into family services located across Victoria.

  5. Parentline

    ​Phone counselling for parents and carers of children from birth to 18 years old

Behaviour

  1. If your child is suspended from school

    Reasons why, what the principal must do, what happens next, get advice and support from us.

  2. If your child has difficult behaviour

    Working with your child's school, things you can do at home, support for disabilities.

  3. Incidents at school

    What schools will do if there's an incident, seclusion and restraint, engagement policy.

  4. If your child is expelled from school

    Reasons why, intervention meetings, get support from the school, what happens next, appeal an expulsion.

Child development

  1. Making and keeping friends

    The role of friends, how you can talk to your child about their friends, ​social media, friendships when moving to secondary school.

Students with additional needs

Find out more about inclusive education

  1. Inclusive education

    ​​​​​​Information and services for families of children living with disability and additional needs.

Safety

  1. Bushfires 2020: Information for parents and carers

    Information on schools, child care and kindergartens affected by the 2020 bushfires. Where parents and carers can get help, counselling and support.

  2. Insect bites

    What to do if your child gets an insect bite.

  3. Preventing dog bites

    How to have your child and your dog interacting safely.

  4. Child protection

    What to do if you think a child is being abused, mandatory reporting.

Family health

  1. Looking after your child's wellbeing

    How to help build and sustain your child’s wellbeing at home

  2. Looking after your child's mental health

    Things you can do to help support your child's mental health

  3. Taking care of yourself

    Tips and resources about how to look after your own wellbeing

  4. Keeping your child active and eating healthy

    Maintaining wellbeing with physcial activity and healthy eating

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Frankston North’s newest child and family centre

Aldercourt Child and Family Centre will become Frankston North’s newest integrated early learning centre, through the Frankston North Education Plan.

Healthy meals for healthy learners

The food your child eats can have a major influence on their ability to learn and grow

Building better SunSmart habits

Make sun safety fun for your kids this summer

Travel advice for a new year of learning

Information about travelling on public transport, school bus networks and roads

Prep Bags 2021: Free books delivered to thousands of students

Children starting Prep at a Victorian government school will be welcomed with a bag of books and fun resources

Popular books for school starters

Help your child prepare for their first day of kindergarten or school with some popular books about starting school.

Improving VCE results at Bayswater Secondary College

Bayswater Secondary College is celebrating its success after ranking 9th in the top 10 schools for most improved VCE results in 2020.

Learning from home information for parents

Find advice, tips and resources to help parents and carers support their child’s continuity of learning from home.

Making the jump to high school

Advice for new Year 7 students about finding new friends, connections and pathways.

A SunSmart start to your child’s education

Starting school or kindergarten in summer means following SunSmart’s tips for protecting your child from the sun’s UV rays.

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