Online enrolment

This year, our school is using VicStudents, an online system for new enrolments in Victorian government schools.

VicStudents is available at select schools, for students who are enrolling in a Victorian government school for the first time. This includes Foundation (Prep) enrolments for 2026. 

VicStudents has been assessed by the Department of Education to a high degree of security in line with the Victorian Protective Data Security Standards and is compliant with ISO 27001, the leading international standard for information security. 

2026 Foundation (Prep) enrolments

The Department of Education has released the statewide Foundation (Prep) enrolment timeline for the 2026 school year.

The timeline advises families when and how to enrol their child into Foundation (Prep) at a Victorian government primary school, including Essex Heights Primary School. The timeline also applies to online enrolment.

All government primary schools will follow the timeline in 2025 to support Foundation (Prep) enrolments for the 2026 school year.

You can find information and resources about the timeline, including factsheets and a poster at: Enrolling in Foundation (Prep).

You will be able to apply to enrol your child in Foundation (Prep) 2026 at Essex Heights Primary School from 22 April 2025.

What you need to do:

1. Contact our school between 9.30am and 2.30pm by phone on 9807 4944 to book a school tour or to learn more about our school and the enrolment application process.
2. Download the Foundation (Prep) enrolment information pack from Enrolling in Foundation (Prep) (available from 22 April 2025). 
3. Submit your online application for Foundation (Prep) by Friday 25 July 2025.
4. You will be notified of the outcome of your application between Monday 28 July and Friday 8 August 2025. If you receive an enrolment offer, you should respond to the offer on VicStudents by Friday 22 August 2025.
5. Take part in enrolment information and transition sessions during Term 4, 2025.
6. Prepare your child to start Foundation (Prep) from Wednesday 28 January 2026.

Enrolment applications submitted after 25 July 2025 will be processed by our school as they are received, in accordance with the department’s Placement Policy.

To commence online enrolment 

Visit students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/ to create an account and complete the online application form. Please ensure that all documents required are attached to the application.

If applying for Foundation (Prep) 2026, applications open on VicStudents from 22 April 2025.

A Quick Reference Guide to using the online system is available here. [If possible, schools can include a link to the Parent/Carer Quick Reference Guide, in a location that is available to parents/carers. Otherwise, this sentence can be deleted]. 

Using a paper form

If you prefer not to use VicStudents, you can choose to enrol using a paper form instead. Please contact us to arrange this.

Overview for Foundation (Prep) 2026 enrolment at EHPS

• Friday 7 March - Tours commence; attendance recommended so you're ready to make an informed decision to an enrolment offer. Conducted twice weekly on Wednesday and Friday from 9.30am to 11am. Phone our Office between 9.30am and 2.30pm weekdays during school terms to secure place.
  
  
• Find My School, the official website confirming school zones for the 2026 school year is updated at the end of Term 1. Check Find My School to confirm school zone. You are guaranteed placement at EHPS if you live in our school zone (verifiable by 100 point address check). If you don’t live in the EHPS zone (that is, EHPS is not your designated neighbourhood school) your out of zone application will be considered, but you must give consideration to other schools in the event that EHPS cannot offer placement.
   
• Term 2 (from 22 April) - Foundation (Prep) information pack for parents available (link above). Enrolment applications open for Foundation (Prep) 2026; lodge digital application on VicStudents portal for enrolment at EHPS. 
  Before starting your digital enrolment application, you must ensure you have each of the enrolment supporting documents ready to upload with your application - each original document is to be saved as a PDF and named as follows "CHILD'S NAME 2026 NAME OF DOCUMENT", e.g. "Jane Smith 2026 Birth Certificate". 

  To commence online enrolment, visit the VicStudents portal - https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/ - to create an account and complete the online application form (between 22 April 2025 and 25 July 2025), including the following supporting documents, using the naming convention described above:

  • Birth Certificate (official Births, Deaths & Marriages certificate. Certificates issued overseas must be in English or a certified translated copy provided).

  • Passport (if held).

  • Visa Grant Notice (if applicable).

  • Residential Address Check - documents to the minimum value of 100 points from the listed documents. EHPS has an Enrolment Management Implementation Plan imposed by the Department of Education requiring applicants to verify their eligibility for placement. 
    
    

• Friday 25 July - Due date for Foundation (Prep) 2026 applications. Placement applications considered in accordance with Department of Education Placement Policy.
   
• By Friday 8 August - Advice from EHPS of placement outcome advised by email. 
  
  
• By Friday 22 August - Offered place must be accepted to secure place.
  
  
• Term 3 - optional transition sessions for children enrolled for Foundation (Prep) in 2026 at EHPS after placements are confirmed. 
  
  
• Term 4 – Transition program (three transition sessions and an orientation day) for children enrolled in Foundation (Prep) in 2026.
  
  
• 2026 - enrolment commences (dates from 28 January subject to confirmation):
  • Wednesday 28 January - start of Term 1; student-free day.
  • School entry assessment (compulsory one hour interview at school) - conducted at start of Term 1 in weeks 1 and 2.
  • First day at school (start at designated time between 9am and 10am, finish at 1.30pm) - week 2 Term 1.
  • Attend school from 8.50am to 2.30pm - to end of week 2 Term 1.
  • Commence attending school fulltime from 8.50am to 3.30pm - week 3 Term 1. 

Department of Education Foundation (Prep) 2026 process and timeline factsheet 

Information for parents about digital enrolment application for Foundation (Prep) 2026 at EHPS (applications open 22 April 2025) 

2026 Placement Appeal information and form (available from 28 July 2025)