Temporary Enrolment at DSM

The process for Temporary Enrolment

Application Process

DSM welcomes applications from families temporarily residing in Melbourne seeking short-term enrolment for one term (10 weeks) up to three terms. If you are interested in enrolling your child at DSM, please contact the school and provide the following information: the child's name and birthdate, their current grade level, and their most recent school reports. Additionally, kindly let us know your expected dates of stay in Melbourne and your visa subclass number so we can check your eligibility for short-term enrolment.

To complete the application, we will require the application form, a copy of the passport, a copy of the birth certificate, and the Australian visa. We also invite you to a video call with our Principal, Mr. Jörg Dopfer, to get to know your family, discuss expectations, and address any questions you may have.

Our fee schedule is available for your reference. An additional charge of $1,500 per child per term may apply. Consolidated charges will be calculated on a pro-rata basis. We would be happy to provide an estimated cost and assist you with any further questions. For more details or long-term international enrolments, please contact our Admissions Manager at enrolments@dsm.org.au. 


Placement at DSM

The Australian school year runs from January to December, which creates a six-month offset for children coming from outside the Australian education system. To ensure a smooth transition and prevent children from feeling overwhelmed, we generally place these students six months behind their current grade level. In rare cases, a child may be placed in a higher grade. This decision is made solely by the school principal, who reviews the most recent school reports and consults with teachers in Germany before finalising the placement.”

In Victoria, formal schooling begins at age 5 with the Foundation Year, roughly corresponding to the first half of German primary school. Children joining DSM who have not yet started school in a German-speaking country but whose peers in Australia have already begun the school year will undergo an individual assessment to determine the most appropriate year level. Placement decisions prioritise the child’s learning needs and interests and are made under the authority of the school, ensuring a smooth transition without overwhelming the child.”

We look forward to arranging a non-binding video call with you to discuss the possible schooling of your children.

Testimonial Fuerst Family

"We are a German family with three children and have been coming to Melbourne regularly for project work over several years. During each stay, our children attended DSM, first joining the school between the ages of five and eight. At that point, none of them spoke any English, so naturally we were a bit unsure how they would settle in. Looking back, this was probably our biggest concern – and the one that turned out to be least of an issue.

What we experienced instead was how quickly children find their own way when the environment is right. Each of our three kids connected to the school differently. Our eldest was immediately drawn to the library. It became a bit of her place. She started out with German books and, over time, read her way through all the Harry Potter volumes there. At some point, without us really noticing when exactly it happened, she began picking up English books as well. For our younger two, the entry point into school life was much less quiet. From day one, they were outside – on the monkey bars, on the sports ground, often with a football somewhere nearby. It was quite striking how quickly friendships formed, even before language was really there. Playing together seemed to bridge that gap almost immediately. Those early connections often lasted well beyond the stay, which meant that coming back the following year never felt like starting from scratch.

Over time, the language simply came to all three. Not through pressure, but through everyday interaction. At the same time, the bilingual setting ensured that they stayed connected to the German curriculum, which made every return to Germany manageable without major gaps or adjustments. More broadly, DSM offered an environment where different cultural backgrounds naturally come together, and our children learned early on to move between them with ease.

Outside the classroom, it was often the smaller, everyday things that mattered just as much: the extra activities like chess or especially the school canteen, which was a highlight for them twice a week and which offered really nice and healthy food, prepared with care and supported by parents. Moreover, they very much enjoyed the different art projects, where they could just get creative without thinking too much about language, the excursions to museums, and especially the multi-day camp in Portsea.

As parents, what we valued most was the tone of the school. It never felt overly formal or distant. Teachers and staff were approachable, attentive, and genuinely interested in the children as individuals. Whenever we needed feedback or had questions, communication was straightforward and helpful. Given that we were not permanently based in Melbourne, this kind of openness made a real difference. We also felt that the school made a genuine effort to include parents and keep them informed, which helped us feel connected quite quickly each time we arrived.

One of the nicest aspects for us as a family was the continuity. Our children not only made friends quickly but also kept those friendships over the years – some even led to visits in Germany. The same was true for us as parents. Over time, a network developed that went beyond a single stay and reflected the very international character of the school.

If we had to describe the experience in one sentence, it would probably be this: coming back to DSM never felt like starting somewhere new. It felt familiar. For our children, it was simply a place they knew, where they felt comfortable, and where they were happy to return to."

Fuerst Family (German background)