Priority Enrolment Area shared zones
Find out how we prioritise enrolment applications if you live in a Priority Enrolment Area shared zone.
Some suburbs have more than one school assigned to their Priority Enrolment Area (PEA). These suburbs are in PEA shared zones.
If you live in a PEA shared zone:
- your child is guaranteed a place at one of the schools
- you can apply to any school in your area but you may not get your preferred school.
Schools in your zone may be in high demand. They may not have places available for everyone who applies.
How schools decide who gets priority
If any school in your shared zone:
- has more applicants than places available, the school gives priority in order of who lives closest. This is measured in a straight line from a child's home to the school.
- runs out of places (reaches capacity), your application is sent to the nearest school in your zone with places available.
Sometimes, other factors determine whether a child is accepted at a school. This is usually only if the school has places available (subject to capacity).
For example, your child's application will be prioritised if:
- they have a sibling attending the school already
- there are legal reasons why the child needs to attend a particular school (not subject to capacity)
- there are student wellbeing reasons for them to attend a particular school.
When all schools reach capacity
Sometimes all schools in a shared zone run out of places (reach capacity).
You will still get offered a school in your shared zone, but it may not be your preferred school.
How your application is prioritised depends on whether you live in a Type 1 or Type 2 shared zone.
Type 1 shared zone
If you live in a Type 1 shared zone, this means the schools in your zone are either all Category A schools or all Category B schools.
If all schools in a Type 1 shared zone are full (at capacity):
- your application is prioritised based on how close you live to the schools (when measured in a straight line from your home)
- you will be offered a place at your nearest school.
Type 2 shared zone
If you live in a Type 2 shared zone, this means the schools in your zone are a mix of Category A and Category B schools.
If all schools in a Type 2 shared zone are full your application will be directed to a Category B school that's closest to your home (when measured in a straight line from your home to the school).
Category A and Category B schools
For enrolment purposes, public schools are grouped into Category A or Category B schools.
- Alfred Deakin High School
- Amaroo High School
- Amaroo Primary School
- Aranda Primary School
- Arawang Primary School
- Belconnen High School
- Canberra College
- Charles Conder Primary School (including Tharwa Preschool)
- Curtin Primary School
- Evelyn Scott School (preschool to year 6)
- Forrest Primary School
- Franklin School
- Fraser Primary School
- Garran Primary School
- Giralang Primary School
- Gungahlin College
- Hawker Primary School
- Lyneham High School
- Lyneham Primary School
- Majura Primary School
- Macgregor Primary School
- Maribyrnong Primary School
- Mawson Primary School (a)
- Mount Rogers Primary School
- Ngunnawal Primary School
- North Ainslie Primary School
- Red Hill Primary School
- Taylor Primary School
- Telopea Park High School (a)
- Throsby School (preschool to year 6)
- This school will accept students outside its area, who meet school-specific requirements, into the French Stream. This is only if the school has places available. Otherwise, this is considered a Category A school.
- Ainslie School
- Aunty Agnes Shea High School
- Bonython Primary School
- Calwell High School
- Calwell Primary School
- Campbell High School
- Campbell Primary School
- Canberra High School
- Caroline Chisholm High School
- Caroline Chisholm Primary School
- Chapman Primary School
- Charles Weston School
- Charnwood-Dunlop School
- Dickson College
- Duffy Primary School
- Erindale College
- Evatt Primary School
- Evelyn Scott School (years 7 to 10)
- Fadden Primary School
- Farrer Primary School
- Florey Primary School
- Gilmore Primary School
- Gold Creek School (Preschool to Year 6)
- Gold Creek School (Years 7 to 10)
- Gordon Primary School
- Gowrie Primary School
- Harrison Primary School
- Harrison High School
- Hawker College
- Hughes Primary School
- Kaleen Primary School
- Kingsford Smith High School
- Kingsford Smith Primary School
- Lake Tuggeranong College
- Lanyon High School
- Latham Primary School
- Macquarie Primary School
- Margaret Hendry School
- Melba Copland Secondary School (Years 7 to 10)
- Melba Copland College (Years 11 to 12)
- Melrose High School
- Miles Franklin Primary School
- Mount Stromlo High School
- Monash Primary School
- Namadgi High School
- Namadgi Primary School
- Narrabundah College
- Neville Bonner Primary School
- Palmerston District Primary School
- Richardson Primary School
- Shirley Smith High School
- Strathnairn Primary School
- Theodore Primary School
- Torrens Primary School
- Turner School
- UCSS College Lake Ginninderra
- UC High School Kaleen
- Wanniassa High School
- Wanniassa Hills Primary School
- Wanniassa Primary School
- Weetangera Primary School
- Yarralumla Primary School (b)
(b) This school will accept enrolments outside its area for the bilingual program under Criterion 4, subject to school-specific eligibility criteria, after all in-PEA demand has been met.
Gungahlin College and Dickson College PEA shared zone
Gungahlin College and Dickson College are in a PEA shared zone.
If you live in this zone, you can apply to enrol in either college.
Gungahlin College is in high demand. It accepts students who live in the Gungahlin district before considering other applications.
If you are not offered a place at your preferred college, you will get offered a place at the other one.
Contact us
Email
education.enrolment@act.gov.au
Call
02 6205 5429