VICTORIA’S first high-rise state school has opened, as almost a million students head back to the books.

South Melbourne Primary is one of 11 new schools opening this week.

The five-storey vertical school can cater for as many as 500 primary school students.

It comes ahead of the opening of Victoria’s first vertical high school in Richmond tomorrow.

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South Melbourne Primary principal Noel Creece said the school’s teachers had more first-day jitters than the pupils.

“The kids don’t care but the teachers are nervous and want to do the best they can,” he said.

“I am nervous because I want to bring everything to them today. But clearly things take time to build.”

media_camera Eshaan and Vivaan Satpute outside South Melbourne Primary School. Picture: Hamish Blair

A dozen students enrolled at South Melbourne Primary at the last minute on Monday, with 972,7000 students attending Victorian schools in 2018.

More than 80,000 of those are prep pupils.

Sisters Charlize and Yara Baars hit the school for their first day, tackling grades 3 and 5 respectively.

“I’m excited and nervous,” Yara said.

“I like the way the classrooms have been set up. In some, you can see the city.”

Mum Susan Baars said she and husband, Misha, chose the school because of its new facilities, passionate principal and location, just two tram stops from home.

“We just couldn’t miss the opportunity,” she said.

“To be a part of the founding students of this school is really exciting.

“It is all about trying to give them the best.”

media_camera Principal Noel Creece during construction of South Melbourne Primary School. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Premier Daniel Andrews said families could expect to see more vertical schools across Melbourne’s packed inner-city suburbs.

“There are cheaper ways to deliver this, but not in confined spaces,” he said.

“We are seeing more families setting up in vibrant suburbs like (South Melbourne). They are sort of reclaiming these industrial suburbs.

“It’s our job to provide for them.”

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Education Minister James Merlino said schools across the state would need to accommodate an extra 90,0000 students over the next five years.

“We have got massive enrolment pressures, whether it is in the inner city right here in South Melbourne, in our growth corridors in our suburbs or our regional centres,” he said.

“We had to get this school open this year. We have to get South Melbourne Park Primary School open next year or these kids would simply have nowhere to go.”

monique.hore@news.com.au

@moniquehore