In the ACT, primary school runs to Year 6 and high school starts in Year 7. High school covers Years 7 to 10. For Years 11 and 12, students move again, to a college.
That means the high school decision comes up during Year 6, and the application window is earlier in the year than many families expect.
Priority enrolment areas
Every ACT public school has a priority enrolment area, or PEA. It's based on your home address. Every ACT child from Kindergarten to Year 12 is guaranteed a place at their local school within their PEA.[1]
A few details matter:
- Shared zones. Some suburbs sit in the PEA of more than one school. If you live in one, your child is guaranteed a place at one of those schools, but not necessarily the one you'd prefer.[1]
- Out-of-area places. A school with room left after its PEA families can take students from elsewhere, following the enrolment criteria.[1]
- Check your address. The ACT Government's school finder shows which schools your address belongs to.[2]
When to apply
Applications for the next school year open in May. For students starting at a new school in 2027, enrolments opened on Monday 4 May 2026. Families who applied by 5 June 2026 receive an offer from 3 August 2026. Later applications get an offer later in the year.[3]
So for Year 7, the application goes in during Term 2 of Year 6. Expect the same rhythm each year, but check the dates when the government announces them.
Gifted and talented students
The ACT has no selective government high schools and no statewide entry test.[5] Public schools support gifted students under the Education Directorate's gifted and talented policy, and schools set their own entry criteria for any specialist classes they run.[4] If that's of interest, ask the high schools you're looking at what they offer and how students are chosen.
Catholic and independent schools
Non-government schools handle their own enrolments, and many start a year or more ahead. Several Canberra independent schools also offer academic scholarships with a test, usually sat in Year 6. Our guide to scholarship tests covers those.
A simple timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Year 5 | Look up your PEA high school. Visit open days if you're weighing up other schools, and note any scholarship registration dates. |
| Early in Year 6 | Many scholarship tests are sat. Independent school applications may already be due. |
| May to early June of Year 6 | Apply for your ACT public high school. Applying by the early June date gets the first round of offers. |
| From August of Year 6 | Offers arrive. Most high schools run transition days in Term 4. |
Dates move a little each year. Use this as a guide and check each school's own page.
Getting ready for the work
Year 7 brings more teachers, more subjects and more independence, all at once. The children who settle fastest tend to arrive with solid Year 5 and 6 maths and the stamina to read longer texts. Fractions, decimals, percentages and written explanations all carry straight over.
Ready for Year 7
Study Compass finds the Year 5 and 6 gaps that make high school maths and English harder, then plans short daily lessons to close them.
Start freeSources
- ACT Education Directorate, Priority enrolment area. https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/enrolling-in-a-public-school/priority_enrolment_area (accessed 23 October 2026).
- ACT Government, Find a school in your priority enrolment area. https://www.act.gov.au/education-and-training/find-a-school-and-enrol/find-a-school-in-your-priority-enrolment-area (accessed 23 October 2026).
- ACT Government media release, ACT public school enrolments open for 2027. https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/yvette-berry-mla-media-releases/2026/act-public-school-enrolments-open-for-2027 (accessed 23 October 2026).
- ACT Education Directorate, Gifted and talented students policy. https://www.education.act.gov.au/publications_and_policies/School-and-Corporate-Policies/access-and-equity/gifted-and-talented/gifted-and-talented-students-policy (accessed 23 October 2026).
- SBS, Australia's selective entry school admissions explained. https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/australia-s-selective-entry-school-admissions-explained (accessed 23 October 2026).
Curriculum documents get updated. Always check the official source before making a decision. Study Compass isn't affiliated with or endorsed by ACARA, ACER, Edutest or the ACT Education Directorate.