School statistics in 2018
In Feb 2018, there were 971,669 students (FTE) attending 2,244 schools in Victoria. This is a 2.0% increase on the 2017 figure. School enrolments are growing roughly in line with the rapid population growth occurring in Victoria. In the near future it's likely that FTE enrolments will pass the 1 million mark for the first time.
The 2018 data shows that more than two-thirds of schools in Victoria are government (public). A further 22% are Catholic schools, and 10% are independent schools (private).
The largest schools
At face value, a question regarding the largest school seems quite simple. Yet the reality is blurred by school types, multi-campuses, merged campuses, mixed primary and secondary schools. You name it - the combination probably exists. The table below shows the largest schools in Victoria in February 2018.
Most of these schools are independent ie private schools, with more than one campus. Some also cater for both primary and secondary school students. And because private schools tend to have much larger catchments due to their niche offerings and the "pull" of their reputations, they aren't necessarily located in rapidly growing fringe suburbs. However the largest schools are all located in Greater Melbourne.
In February 2018, the largest school was Wesley College, which has campuses in Prahran, Elsternwick and Glen Waverley. It caters for both primary and secondary students and had 3,126 FTE students across all campuses. Two other schools had more than 3,000 FTE students - Caulfield Grammar School and St Francis Xavier College.
The largest public school is Hazel Glen College, located in the outer northern suburb of Doreen. It is the only school on this list with one campus. There are just over 2,500 students from Prep to Year 10, though when the school is fully developed it will cater for all students up to Year 12. The school opened in 2014 and is located in a rapidly growing area with a lot of young families. In 2017-18, the City of Whittlesea grew by 3.5%, making it one of the fastest growing LGAs in Victoria.
Most schools have less than 500 students
The graph below shows the size of schools in Victoria by type. Overall, around 70% of schools have less than 500 students (1,560 schools). However this is more true of government and Catholic schools. Only 50% of private schools have less than 500 students compared to 70% of government schools and 75% of Catholic schools.
Private schools have a distinctive pattern in terms of school size, with a larger proportion at the upper and lower end of the spectrum. One in ten private schools have more than 1,500 FTE enrolments, but almost one-quarter have less than 100. Many of these are special schools catering to students with special needs, while others offer other education programs such as non-English tuition.
The smallest schools
There are 33 schools in Victoria with 10 or less enrolments. Almost all of these are government primary schools. Only one is located within Greater Melbourne - Olinda Primary School in the Dandenong Ranges. Though these schools are very small, they nevertheless fulfil an important role in educating children in rural areas, and also provide focal points for rural communities by providing other functions and services outside of school hours.
Planning for schools
Population forecasts indicate that many new schools, as well as capacity upgrades to existing schools, will be required in the future. It's difficult to determine an exact number, because the capacity of existing schools can be fluid, and any changes to retention rates impact on enrolment numbers in the upper years of secondary school.
The Department of Education uses population forecast data to determine the location of new schools in Victoria. The Victorian School Building Authority was established by the Andrews Government, partly in response to rapid population growth that was placing pressure on existing schools.
Conversely, school closures and mergers occur in areas of low or declining population growth, or where enrolments impact the viability of a school (typically in regional areas). The mass closure of schools by the Kennett Government in the mid-1990s was extremely controversial at the time, and still resonates today - but in a more ironic way. Those closures were concentrated in the inner and middle suburbs. These suburbs are growing once again and many schools are operating at capacity. At times, advocacy groups have been successful at influencing the approval of new schools. However, a greater understanding of how suburbs and populations evolve over time, particularly the suburban regeneration process, would assist in more effective service planning. Flexible use of school buildings, such as their conversion to other uses, would avoid an expensive process of demolition and possible rebuild at a later date. There are many examples of housing developments from the 1990s that are located on the site of a former school - land that can no longer be used for education.
Summary
In 2018 there were 971,669 FTE enrolments in 2,244 schools in Victoria. About two-thirds were public schools. Just 10% were private schools, but they also tend to be larger in size due to their wider catchment and multi-campus set-up. However around 70% of all schools have less than 500 students. The smallest schools are in regional areas and most are public schools. Population forecasts are used to determine the location of new schools, as well as upgrades, mergers and closures.
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