Placement in an ACT public school is based on a child’s place of residence. The ACT is divided into Priority Enrolment Areas (PEAs) which are defined geographical areas. Every child residing within a school’s PEA is guaranteed a place at that school (kindergarten to year 12). If a school has capacity after accepting students from its PEA, it may consider ACT students who live outside the PEA, subject to the enrolment criteria.
Applications can be considered from ACT residents and NSW residents from the region surrounding the ACT only. If you are moving to the ACT or region of NSW surrounding the ACT, you can submit your application once you have a local address. Note: schools will not be able to confirm the enrolment until proof of residence documents are sighted for the address provided on the enrolment application. The Education Directorate is unable to process applications that are not from the ACT or the NSW region surrounding the ACT.
Use the ACT Schools Map below to search by home address or by school name to confirm your local school.
Alternatively, you can check the PEA by suburb or school level. Please note that some suburbs are split across more than one PEA.
- 2024 Priority Enrolment Areas
- 2024-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-Primary-Schools.PDF (142.1 KB)
- 2024-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-Primary-Schools.DOCX (34.5 KB)
- 2024-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-High-Schools.PDF (124.2 KB)
- 2024-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-High-Schools.DOCX (24.3 KB)
- 2024-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-Colleges.PDF (111.8 KB)
- 2024-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-Colleges.DOCX (22.6 KB)
- 2023 Priority Enrolment Areas
- 2023-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-Primary-Schools.pdf (136.3 KB)
- 2023-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-Primary-Schools.DOCX (33.3 KB)
- 2023-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-High-Schools.pdf (111.8 KB)
- 2023-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-High-Schools.DOCX (22.6 KB)
- 2023-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-Colleges.pdf (111.9 KB)
- 2023-Priority-Enrolment-Areas-for-Colleges.DOCX (22.2 KB)
Priority Enrolment Area Shared Zones
Some suburbs are zoned to more than one school. PEA boundaries including Shared Zones are reviewed annually to balance expected enrolments and school capacities. You can use the ACT Schools Map to identify your local school, and where your residential address is in a Shared Zone, it will show multiple schools.
If you live in a Shared Zone, you are guaranteed a place for your child in one of the designated schools, but not necessarily the one which you pick as your first preference. Principals of Shared Zone schools work collaboratively in line with the Kindergarten to year 12 PEA Shared Zone Management Plan to balance enrolments within a Shared Zone, to ensure all schools can meet the needs of their students. You are welcome to apply to your preferred school. The principal will consider available capacity and student needs at the time the application is submitted, and an offer of place may be made. Otherwise, the application may be referred to the other Shared Zone school/s and you will receive an offer from that school. All students will be offered a place, and all of our schools are great schools.
Kindergarten to year 12 PEA Shared Zone Management Plan (42kb)
Priority Enrolment Area changes
Priority Enrolment Areas are reviewed annually, with changes made where they are the most reasonable response to establish new schools or changes in population and enrolment demand. Where possible, changes are notified in advance of the opening of the prospective year enrolment cycle to provide a level of certainty for families about enrolment options and to support smooth transitions between levels of schooling.
Priority Enrolment Area changes for the 2024 school year are outlined below.
Students already enrolled at an ACT public school can continue their enrolment and schooling at that school OR they may wish to enrol at a new school in their Priority Enrolment Area when it opens for enrolments.
Changes to Priority Enrolment Areas are published on this page before enrolments open in late April each year.
Priority Enrolment Area changes In place for the 2023 school year onwards
Shirley Smith High School – Kenny, East Gungahlin
- Enrolments for Shirley Smith High School in Kenny opened on 26 April 2023 ahead of the 2024 school opening.
- From 2024, residents of the following suburbs will be in the high school’s Priority Enrolment Area (PEA) and are guaranteed enrolment at the new school.
- Kenny (all)
- Throsby (all)
- Any future residential development (from 2024) in specific areas of Lyneham (Thoroughbred Park, Yowani & Kamberra), north of Thurbon Road, east of Sullivans Creek, east of Barton Highway, south of Randwick Road and west of Flemington Road.
- A One-Way PEA Shared Zone has been established for residents in the following suburbs. This means residents of these PEAs continue to be guaranteed enrolment at their existing PEA school, and also have the option to enrol at the new Shirley Smith High School.
- Harrison (all) – Residents also continue to be guaranteed a place at Harrison School 7-10
- Forde (south of Helen Leonard Crescent and east of Amy Ackman Street) – Residents also continue to be guaranteed a place at Harrison School 7-10
- Franklin (all) – Residents also continue to be guaranteed a place at Harrison School 7-10
- Gungahlin (all) – Residents also continue to be guaranteed a place at Harrison School 7-10
- Mitchell (all) – Residents also continue to be guaranteed a place at Harrison School 7-10
- Watson (all) – Residents also continue to be guaranteed a place at Lyneham High School or Campbell High School*
- Downer (all) – Residents also continue to be guaranteed a place at Lyneham High School
- Ngunnawal (Kurrama Close, Margany Close and Jaru place only) – Residents also continue to be guaranteed a place at Harrison School.
College PEA Impacts
- There are no changes to College PEAs in Downer, Lyneham and Watson. These suburbs remain in PEA for Dickson College
- Kenny, Throsby, Harrison, Forde, Franklin, Gungahlin and Mitchel remain in the PEA Shared Zone for Gungahlin College and Dickson College*
*In line with the Kindergarten to Year 12 PEA Shared Zone Management Plan
Changes to Priority Enrolment Area map for Shirley Smith High School (1Mb)
Richardson Primary School – PEA clarification
- From 2024, Ackland Place, Beattie Crescent, Longman Street, Gonzaga Place, Onians Place, Tuck Place in Richardson will be included in the PEA for Richardson Primary School.
- This change brings the PEA in line with Calwell High School’s PEA which includes all of Richardson.
Caroline Chisholm School (preschool to year 6) – PEA clarification
- From 2024, Ackland Place, Beattie Crescent, Longman Street, Gonzaga Place, Onians Place, Tuck Place in Richardson will be included in the PEA for Richardson Primary School.
- This section was in the PEA for Caroline Chisholm School (P-6). This change brings the PEA in line with Calwell High School’s PEA which includes all of Richardson.
2024 PEA change impacts to established PEA
Harrison School
- Kenny and Throsby were in the PEA for Harrison School years 7-10. From 2024, this arrangement will cease as they will be included in the new PEA for the new Shirley Smith High School.
- From 2024 Harrison School years 7-10 PEA will be: Forde (south of Helen Leonard Crescent and east of Amy Ackman Street), Franklin, Gungahlin, Harrison, Mitchell, Ngunnawal (Kurrama Close, Margany Close and Jaru place only). Residents also have the option to enrol at Shirley Smith High School through the One-Way PEA Shared Zone.
Lyneham High School
- The existing Lyneham High School PEA will remain the same for 2024 however residents in Downer and Watson will also have the option to enrol at Shirley Smith High School through the One-Way PEA Shared Zone.
- However, any future residents arising from any residential development from 2024 in the area north of Thurbon Road, east of Sullivans Creek, east of Barton Highway, south of Randwick Road and west of Flemington Road will not be in Lyneham High School’s PEA.
Campbell High School
- Campbell High School PEA will remain the same for 2024 however residents in Watson will also have the option to enrol at Shirley Smith High School.
Future 2025 Priority Enrolment Area changes – to commence in time for 2025 enrolments
New High School at North Gungahlin in Taylor
- Enrolments for the new High School in Taylor will open in 2024 ahead of the new school opening in 2025.
- A name for the new school will be determined in 2024.
- The PEA for the new high school will be the same as for Margaret Hendry School.
- From 2025, residents of the following suburbs will be in the high school’s Priority Enrolment Area (PEA) and are guaranteed enrolment at the new school:
- Taylor (all)
- Moncrieff (all)
- Jacka (North of Appleford Ave)
Future 2025 PEA change impacts to established PEA – to commence in time for 2025 enrolments
Amaroo School (years 7-10)
- Moncrieff and part of Jacka (North of Appleford Ave) will be removed from the PEA for Amaroo School (years 7-10). Moncrieff and Jacka (north of Appleford Ave) will be included in the PEA for the new North Gungahlin High School.
- From 2025 Amaroo School PEA will be Amaroo, Bonner, Jacka (South of Appleford Ave) and Ford (North of Helen Leonard Crescent and West of Amy Ackman Street).
Gold Creek School (years 7-10)
- From 2025 Taylor will be removed from the PEA for Gold Creek School (years 7-10). Taylor will be included in the PEA for the new North Gungahlin High School.
- From 2025 Gold Creek School PEA will be Casey, Crace, Hall (as well as the surrounding rural area within ACT), Ngunnawal (excluding Kurrama Close, Margany Close and Jaru place only), Nicholls and Palmerston.
College PEA impacts
- There are no changes to College PEAs for Taylor, Moncrieff and Jacka. They remain in area for Gungahlin College and Dickson College*
* In line with the Kindergarten to Year 12 PEA Shared Zone Management Plan
Future Priority Enrolment Area changes – to commence in April 2025 for 2026 enrolments
Strathnairn Primary School (ECEC – 6)
- Enrolments for the new primary school in Strathnairn will open in 2025 ahead of the new school opening in 2026.
- From 2026, residents of the following suburbs will be in the primary school’s Priority Enrolment Area and are guaranteed enrolment at the new school:
- Strathnairn (all)
- Macnamara (all)
- Ginninderry Stage 3 (all)
- Part of Holt (West of the golf course bounded by Fullston Way and Lionel Rose Street).
Whitlam Primary School (ECEC-6)
- Enrolments for the new primary school in Whitlam will open in 2025 ahead of the new school opening in 2026.
- From 2026, residents of the following suburbs will be in the primary school’s Priority Enrolment Area and are guaranteed enrolment at the new school:
- Molonglo North (Whitlam and Molonglo Valley ‘Stage 3 East’)
Future 2026 Priority Enrolment Area change impacts to established Priority Enrolment Areas, to commence in April 2025 for 2026 enrolments
Macgregor Primary School (P- 6)
- Strathnairn will be removed from the PEA for Macgregor Primary School (Kindergarten – 6). Strathnairn will be included in the PEA for the new Strathnairn primary school.
- This means from 2026 Macgregor Primary School PEA will be Macgregor.
Kingsford Smith School (P - 6)
- Holt (West of the golf course bounded by Fullston Way and Lionel Rose Street) will be removed from the PEA for Kingsford Smith School (P – 6). Holt (West of the golf course bounded by Fullston Way and Lionel Rose Street) will be included in the PEA for the new Strathnairn primary school.
- Strathnairn will be removed from the PEA for Kingsford Smith School (Kindergarten – 6). Strathnairn will be included in the PEA for the new Strathnairn primary school.From 2026 Kingsford Smith School PEA will be Higgins and Holt (west of the golf course bounded by Fullston Way and Lionel Rose Street).
Evelyn Scott School (P - 6)
- Whitlam will be removed from the PEA for Evelyn Scott School (P - 6), Whitlam will be included in the PEA for the new Whitlam Primary School.
- From 2026 Evelyn Scott School PEA will be Denman Prospect, Molonglo and Wright (north of Opperman Ave is a shared PEA with Charles Weston School).
Frequently asked questions
I am moving to Canberra. How do I know which school my kids should go to? | As soon as you know what your residential address in Canberra will be, you can submit an online enrolment form . You can find out which school is your local school using the ACT Schools Map. Applications from outside of the ACT region cannot be processed. If your ACT residential address is only temporary, you will still be able to enrol at the local school for that address. If you subsequently move to a different part of Canberra, you will have the choice of continuing your child/ren at the current school or moving them to your new local school. |
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I live in a shared zone. What does that mean? | Some suburbs are zoned to more than one school. If you live in a ‘shared zone’, you are guaranteed a place for your child in one of the designated schools, but not necessarily the one which you pick as your preferred school. In areas with a shared Priority Enrolment Area, the principals of the local schools will be able to provide more information about which school will have enough places to accept your application. |
I live in a One-Way PEA Shared Zone. What does that mean? | Some suburbs are zoned to more than one school. If you live in a ‘one-way PEA Shared Zone’, you are guaranteed a place for your child in their PEA, and also have the option to apply to enrol through the one-way Shared Zone at the designated one-way Shared Zone school. This arrangement is not reciprocated as the Shared Zone does not go both ways. For example, residents of Majura PS can enrol at either Majura Primary or Ainslie Primary through the one-way Shared Zone, however residents of Ainslie Primary PEA are not offered enrolment at Majura Primary. |
Why is proof of residential address required when I enrol my child? | Enrolment in a school is determined by the address you give on the enrolment form. You are only guaranteed enrolment at a school if you live in a school's Priority Enrolment Area (PEA) and your residential address can be confirmed by the school. The Directorate has implemented a points-based verification process for Proof of Residential Address at all schools in the ACT. Find out more at What Happens Next? |
For assistance
If you require further information about your PEA contact the Education Directorate on (02) 6205 5429 or email education.enrolment@act.gov.au.