Has one of Victoria's most sought-after state schools become a victim of its own success?

McKinnon Secondary College principal Pitsa​ Binnion​ said an explosion of high-density "monstrosities" in the school's coveted zone has put huge pressure on the community.

Development is rampant in McKinnon. Ben Ryde orchestrated the sale of his home and those of three of his neighbours to a developer.

She criticised developers for demolishing single-storey homes and replacing them with 80-unit apartments so more families could secure places at the high-performing school.

"Where once upon a time it used to be one house with two or three children, you will now have three units with eight children. Everybody is subdividing and you are seeing a change in the face of the little McKinnon suburb that once was."