Relocating to Melbourne
Every student is known, every family is welcomed, every graduate is courageous and community minded. Lauriston offers an education that endures a lifetime.
A Lauriston Girls’ School education is an education for life. A holistic education, rooted in academic excellence and community belonging, and highly valued by families across Australia and internationally. We balance high academic standards with a rich cocurricular program, and Lauriston students develop confidence, curiosity and a sense of purpose.
Situated in the established inner southeast suburb of Armadale, we offer a comprehensive education from Prep to Year 12 within a supportive and progressive all-girls setting. Our dedicated Blairholme Early Learning Centre also welcomes boys and girls from six weeks old through to kindergarten, offering a seamless learning journey.
Our community is characterised by a ‘one size fits one’ outlook, where every student is nurtured as an individual. Educators are dedicated to both the professional and holistic development of each student in their care, and our dual pathways of the VCE and the International Baccalaureate are designed so each student can pursue an education that suits her strengths and ambition.
A defining feature of a Lauriston education is the transformative Year 9 Howqua program. Set in the Victorian high country, students undertake a full academic curriculum in this unique residential setting. Underpinned by decades of research on this important developmental stage of adolescence, Howqua develops independence, resilience and a deep connection with both community and environment.
David, current Year 9 Parent
Relocation Support
Lauriston welcomes families from across Australia and internationally, and our Enrolments team is here to answer any enquiries about what we offer or about the application process.
Life at Lauriston
Moving to Melbourne and living around Armadale
Currently ranked as the world’s fourth most liveable city by the EIU, Melbourne is renowned for its vibrant arts scene, sports culture, multicultural cuisine and excellent public transport.
Lauriston Girls’ School is in Armadale, in Melbourne’s established inner southeast, an area highly regarded for its leafy streets, beautiful heritage homes and strong sense of community. With easy access to public transport, local parks, shopping precincts and cafes, Armadale offers a convenient and welcoming setting for families seeking both lifestyle and educational excellence in a well-connected and supportive neighbourhood.
Education in Victoria and Australia
If your family is moving to Melbourne, this section explains how schooling works in Victoria, how it compares to the system you know, and where Lauriston fits.
National framework
Australia follows a national curriculum framework, with core content and standards developed at a federal level and adapted by each state. Learn more about the Australian Curriculum via the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).
Government, Catholic and independent schools
In Australia, schools sit broadly across three sectors. Government schools are funded and run by the state and are usually allocated by where you live. Catholic schools belong to a systemic network with a faith-based focus and lower fees. Independent schools are privately governed and set their own fees, programs and character. They range widely, from single-sex to coeducational and from faith-based to secular.
You will also hear some schools described as ‘grammar’ schools. In Australia this is a traditional name rather than a separate kind of school. Grammar schools are independent schools, and the term usually reflects a school’s history rather than a different curriculum or structure.
Lauriston is an independent girls’ school. We are privately governed, set our own academic and cocurricular program, and educate girls from Prep to Year 12, with coeducational early learning at Blairholme from six weeks of age.
School structure
- Primary School (also called Junior School): Prep to Year 6.
- Secondary School (also Senior School): Year 7 to Year 12
Lauriston offers a broad and balanced curriculum across all year levels.
The Australian school year, and arriving partway through it
The Australian school year follows the calendar year, running from late January to December, with breaks between each of the four terms and a longer summer holiday across December and January. This differs from much of the northern hemisphere, where the school year often begins in August or September.
If you are moving from the United States, Singapore, China or elsewhere, your child may have already completed part of a school year before you arrive. Our Admissions team will look at where your child is in her current system and help place her in the year level that fits, so the move feels like a continuation rather than a restart.
Senior school pathways
In Years 11 and 12, students in Victoria typically complete the VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education) or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Lauriston offers both pathways. Learn more via the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).
VCE and how it compares to your state
Every Australian state and territory has its own senior secondary certificate for Years 11 and 12. They go by different names, but they are all nationally recognised and all lead to an ATAR for university entry. If your family is moving from interstate, your child continues toward the same university entrance rank under Victoria’s certificate, the VCE.
How students are assessed
Australian education uses a balanced assessment approach, including coursework, projects, presentations and exams. There is a strong focus on developing the whole student, including wellbeing, leadership and cocurricular engagement.
Year levels and starting school
Formal year levels begin at Prep, then run from Year 1 through to Year 12.
In Victoria, a child must turn five on or before 30 April to be eligible to start Prep.
The comparison table below is a guide to the year level your child may move into, based on her current year level and whether her date of birth falls before or after 30 April.
Lauriston welcomes enrolments throughout the year, subject to availability. If you’re considering a mid-year start, we encourage you to get in touch with our Enrolments team to discuss your child’s transition.
| Age | Australia | Canada | China | England & Wales | France | India | Japan | Korea | Malaysia | New Zealand | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3* | 3YO Kinder | Pre-school | Pre-school | Nursery | PS | Kindergarten | Kindergarten | Kindergarten | Playgroup | Pre-school | Pre-K |
| 4 | 4YO Kinder | Pre-school | Pre-school | Nursery | MS | Kindergarten | Kindergarten | Kindergarten | Kindergarten | Pre-school | Pre-K |
| 5 | Prep | Kindergarten | Pre-school | Reception | GS | Kindergarten | Kindergarten | Kindergarten | Kindergarten | Year 1 | Kindergarten |
| 6 | Year 1 | Grade 1 | Year 1 | Year 1 | CP | Grade 1 | Grade 1 | Grade 1 | Star 1 | Year 2 | Grade 1 |
| 7 | Year 2 | Grade 2 | Year 2 | Year 2 | CE1 | Grade 2 | Grade 2 | Grade 2 | Star 2 | Year 3 | Grade 2 |
| 8 | Year 3 | Grade 3 | Year 3 | Year 3 | CE2 | Grade 3 | Grade 3 | Grade 3 | Star 3 | Year 4 | Grade 3 |
| 9 | Year 4 | Grade 4 | Year 4 | Year 4 | CM1 | Grade 4 | Grade 4 | Grade 4 | Star 4 | Year 5 | Grade 4 |
| 10 | Year 5 | Grade 5 | Year 5 | Year 5 | CM2 | Grade 5 | Grade 5 | Grade 5 | Star 5 | Year 6 | Grade 5 |
| 11 | Year 6 | Grade 6 | Year 6 | Year 6 | Sixième | Grade 6 | Grade 6 | Grade 6 | Star 6 | Year 7 | Grade 6 |
| 12 | Year 7 | Grade 7 | Year 7 | Year 7 | Cinquième | Grade 7 | Lower 1 | MS 1 | Form 1 | Year 8 | Grade 7 |
| 13 | Year 8 | Grade 8 | Year 8 | Year 8 | Quatrième | Grade 8 | Lower 2 | MS 2 | Form 2 | Year 9 | Grade 8 |
| 14 | Year 9 | Grade 9 | Year 9 | Year 9 | Troisième | Grade 9 | Lower 3 | MS 3 | Form 3 | Year 10 | Grade 9 |
| 15 | Year 10 | Grade 10 | Year 10 | Year 10 | Seconde | Grade 10 | High 1 | HS 1 | Form 4 | Year 11 | Grade 10 |
| 16 | Year 11 | Grade 11 | Year 11 | Year 11 | Première | PU 1 | High 2 | HS 2 | Form 5 | Year 12 | Grade 11 |
| 17 | Year 12 | Grade 12 | Year 12 | Year 12 | Terminale | PU 2 | High 3 | HS 3 | Form 6 | Year 13 | Grade 12 |
| 18 | Year 13 |
*Families with children born between 01 January and 30 April can choose which year to start three year old Kindergarten. These children can start in the same year they turn three, or in the year they turn four years of age. Source: Victorian Government
Table source: Australian Educational Assessment Services
Families should use this table as a guide only. Lauriston Girls’ School has taken reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of information provided; however, it accepts no responsibility or liability for errors, omissions, or inaccuracies arising from information supplied by third parties.
Contact Enrolments
Our Enrolments team is here to help your family make a confident move to Melbourne. Speak with us about year level placement, enrolment timing and the support available as you settle in.
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