Our FAQs

Established on the current site close to station pier on Port Phillip in 1889, it continues its long and proud practice of providing a broad quality education to meet the needs of our culturally diverse mix of students. Its historical aspect has resulted in very strong community links spanning generations.

Port Melbourne Primary School has a current enrolment of approximately 620 students from grades Prep to Year 6.

Curiosity – We want to learn, be creative and find out more about the world around us. We take chances and are open to new learning.

Kindness – We look after ourselves, others, and the environment. We demonstrate kindness by showing compassion, consideration, understanding and patience.

Courage – We strive to be courageous by taking risks, trying new things and being responsible for our actions. We stand up for ourselves and others.

Resilience – We are able to respond to challenging situations through reflection, engagement and perseverance using a growth mindset.

School council meetings would normally be open to the school community. Visitors or observers can be present at a council meeting with the agreement of the principal and a decision of council. There may be times when, for the purpose of confidentiality or other reasons, a council meeting needs to be closed. The school council determines the need for a closed meeting. Please contact the school before attending a school council meeting. You can view the Victorian Education and Training website for further information on School Council Meetings.

Yes, absolutely! Any contribution from the community is greatly appreciated and goes towards our ability to continue to provide the best facilities and programs to all our students. Please follow this link to donate today.

Yes. You can find all the school’s annual reports here.

As a community member you can support the school in many ways. You can attend one of our community events, make a donation, become a member of the school council or become a community partner supporting activities and initiatives. Talk to us today for more information and opportunities.

To be a part of our council, you don’t need any particular qualifications or experience – we look for enthusiastic parents who want to help improve the learning outcomes and school environment for all students. Learn more about our school council and visit the Victorian Education and Training website for full coverage of the School Council Election process.

Port Melbourne Primary School conforms all our school policies from the Victorian Government Schools governance and operational policies. You can read all our school policies here.

2027 Foundation (Prep) enrolments

The Department of Education has released the statewide Foundation (Prep) enrolment timeline for the 2027 school year.

The timeline advises when and how you can enrol your child into Foundation (Prep) at a Victorian government primary school, including Port Melbourne Primary School.

Applications for Foundation (Prep) in 2027 open on Monday 20 April 2026.

What you need to do:

1. Book a school tour 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 by Monday 20 April 2026). This pack includes guidance on the application process.
3. Submit an enrolment application and supporting documentation (list found at the bottom of this page) between 20 April and Friday 31 July 2026. Enrolment applications submitted after this date will be processed by our school as they are received, in accordance with the department’s Placement Policy.
   Our school uses the Department of Education’s secure digital enrolment system called VicStudents. This means you can submit your Foundation (Prep) application online and receive updates through the system. If you have any questions about the online enrolment process, please contact our school.
   • You will be notified of the outcome of your application between Monday 3 August and Friday 14 August 2026.
   • If you receive an enrolment offer, you should accept the offer by Friday 28 August 2026.
4. Take part in enrolment information and transition sessions during Term 4, 2026.
5. Prepare your child to start Foundation (Prep) on Friday 29 January 2027.
6. Call us on 03 9646 1001 or email us if you have any questions port.melbourne.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Our school zone is available on findmyschool.vic.gov.au which hosts the most up-to-date information on school zones in Victoria.

Students residing within our school zone are guaranteed a place at our school. Your school zone is determined based on your permanent residential address.

Our school manages enrolments using the Placement Policy to ensure that students have access to their designated neighbourhood school and may enrol at another school, if there are available places.

• For more information about our school zone, please contact our school. For answers to frequently asked questions about school zones, visit School Zones 

Families residing in our zone, wishing to enrol their children should follow the steps outlined below.

Depending on your child’s visa, most international student enrolments should be completed through the Department of Education’s International Education and Partnerships Division. Please visit Study Victoria for more information or contact +61 3 7220 1000 or international@education.vic.gov.au.

Enrolments for families not residing in our school zone are considered and determined in line with school capacity. To learn more about out-of-zone enrolments please call our office, or book a tour.

If you wish to enrol your child at PMPS, please fill in our Enrolment Form.

To enrol your child please ensure that:

• Your child is 5 years old by 30 April in the year that they start school (for Foundation).
• You complete an enrolment form and submit it and the following documents:

  • Evidence of Date of Birth – a copy of your child’s Birth Certificate

  • Immunisation History Statement – available via MyGov portal, or the Australian Childhood Immunisation register (T: 1800 653 809, E: acir@medicareaustralia.gov.au).

  • Proof of address – E.g. current lease or contract of sale and two utility bills

  • And the following if applicable

    • Any parenting orders or legal matters to do with the care or safety of your child

    • Medical Management Plan

• • • Health Care Card (to be eligible for CSEF)
    • Passport/Visa documentation – for students who are non-residents

Our admissions team will then reach out via phone or email with next steps.

To start primary school your child will need to turn five years old by 30 April in the year that they start school. Your child must be at school in the year that they turn six years of age. This is the compulsory school starting age. We suggest that you start the enrolment process as early as May the year before your child is due to start school.

If you are unsure of your child’s readiness to start school, please contact the office, or book a tour to learn more about our Prep transition process and discuss the individual needs of your child further.

Students in Year 5 have an opportunity to nominate themselves for School Captain and Vice-Captain, House Captain and other Leadership roles that they then take on in Year 6. Students across the school can nominate themselves to be elected as SRC representative for their class each year.

In addition, students across P-6 have many informal opportunities to lead, including class roles (lunch monitor, line leader), group tasks (with defined roles) and whole class circle time and meetings.

Yes, learning at Port Melbourne Primary School is based on the Victorian Curriculum. The Victorian Curriculum covers Foundation (Prep) – Year 10, and incorporates the Australian Curriculum whilst reflecting Victorian priorities and standards.

If you have any questions The Parent and Carers Query Pathway will help resolve different queries.

At Port Melbourne Primary School, collaborative teaching (otherwise known as co-teaching) is utilised across teaching pairs/teams to meet the diverse needs of our students and provide quality teaching and enriched learning opportunities. This approach to teaching complements the school’s commitment to collaboration and shared ownership via the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) model and our flexible, open-planned learning spaces. It is imperative that every student succeeds at our school regardless of their academic ability, learning style, social competence or level of emotional intelligence. Working together assists our teachers to best facilitate this as opposed to working in isolation.

Learning at Port Melbourne Primary School is based on the Victorian Curriculum. The Victorian Curriculum covers Foundation (Prep) – Year 10, and incorporates the Australian Curriculum whilst reflecting Victorian priorities and standards. The Curriculum is broken into eight Learning Areas; visit the Victorian Curriculum website for further details on the structure and content. We also offer Sport, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and French.

We offer Sport, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and French.

Port Melbourne Primary School has a team of dedicated staff who are responsible for different aspects of our Wellbeing Program. The program consists of the following: (1) Program for Students with Disabilities, (2) Social Worker, (3) Psychologist, (4) Speech Pathologist and (5) Learning Specialists.

There are two break times in the school day: recess (11:00am to 11:30am) and lunch (1.30pm to 2:30pm).