Enrolment Policy
St. Joseph’s is a community in which Catholic beliefs are taught and the Catholic faith is experienced, witnessed and shared. In this way the School is sharing in the Mission of the Church.
The community acknowledges those children in greatest need ensuring that no child is deprived of a Catholic Education because of genuine financial hardship.
St Joseph's Primary School, Leeton follows the Enrolment Policies and Procedures of Catholic Education, Wagga Wagga.
AIMS
Enrolment priority is in accordance with the Wagga Wagga Diocesan Enrolment Policy and is as follows:
CONTINUING ENROLMENT
Continuing enrolment at St Joseph’s is dependent upon the student and their family accepting and supporting the discipline/behaviour code; regular attendance; maintenance of a respectful co-operative relationship with the school and payment of required fees. Failure by families to adhere with these expectations may lead to student’s enrolment being cancelled.
ENROLMENT PROCEDURES
An enrolment application and prospectus is available from the school office and is supplied on request. Once the form is completed it needs to be returned to the school. The school may request an interview with the parents/student. At this interview all required documentation is required.
1. Application forms and enrolment handbooks are available from each school office and are supplied on request.
2. Closing date for general enrolments will be advertised.
3. Applications must be completed and returned to the school prior to the closing date (all sections of the enrolment form must be completed).
4. Once the closing date has passed, the school will arrange an interview with the parent and student.
5. All documents where possible be provided and reviewed prior to the interview (Visa documents must be sighted at interview and certified by the Principal).
6. The school office staff will prepare student application files for use by the Principal at the time of interview.
7. The Principal will contact the appropriate personnel at Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga, if an application falls into the following categories:
ENROLMENT INTERVIEW PROCESS
Enrolment forms must be completed prior to the interview. Copies of all necessary documentation is to be taken to the interview.
The Enrolment form has been developed to support schools in determining eligibility for support or funding for some students including international students and students with special learning needs. The decision on where to enrol a student, and with what level of support, will depend on a number of factors, including a student’s educational needs, the capacity of the system to provide the level of support services required and the funding available.
1. Each student’s enrolment application file is to be provided to the principal prior to interview (included in file should be completed application form and checklist for appropriate documentation).
2. The Principal will verify all documentation provided as true and accurate at the time of interview.
3. Visas need to be sighted at the interview
4. The Principal may need to inform applicants of extended enrolment processes should there be any need to obtain information about a student’s learning and development need, or any details regarding enrolment suitability.
ENROLMENT
After the interview and enrolment process has been finalised, those families of students who have been accepted will be notified.
ENROLMENTS AFTER CLOSING DATE
Enrolments for Kindergarten can be accepted after the closing date. These applicants however, do not take priority over applications received by the closing date. If the school has places available, they will need to be processed following the same process. If no vacancy exists they are placed on a waiting list.
REFUSAL OF ADMISSION
The Principal may not accept an application for enrolment. A probationary enrolment period is not available. The Principal has the ultimate decision in accepting an enrolment. This may include consultation with staff at Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga.
PRIVACY LEGISLATION – COLLECTION NOTICE
Each school collects information, including sensitive information about pupils and parents or guardians before and during the course of the pupil’s enrolment at the School. A collection notice needs to be included with each enrolment form sent out from the school.
Enrolment forms must also collect sensitive information in regard to the family that is necessary for the government in regard to funding of schools.
ENROLMENT OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The Principal will refer to the Student Support Handbook Sections 1.5 for the Disability Discrimination Act and 1.6 for the Disability Standards for Education 2005 when responding to and processing enrolment applications from students with extra support needs or disabilities. The ascertainment process Section 2.1 of the Student Support Handbook will be followed by the Principal where there are enrolment applications for students with a significant level of need.
ENROLMENT OF NON-AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS
Non-Australian citizens entering Australia must hold a valid visa and are subject to the specific travel, entry and residency conditions set by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA).
Education is compulsory for non-Australian citizens between the ages of six and fifteen holding a visa granting them permanent resident status and New Zealand citizens holing current New Zealand passports. Outside these ages they may enrol under the same conditions as Australian citizens.
Non-Australian citizens holding a temporary visa are subject to specific enrolment conditions as outlined below:
A student on a visitor visa may be able to enrol for a maximum period of three months which cannot be extended.
Under Commonwealth Government regulations, international students holding temporary visas have a lower enrolment priority than Australian citizens, permanent residents and approved temporary residents. If students on visitor visas directly approach a school they should be referred to the Catholic Schools Office.
POST-INTERVIEW
1. Once all interviews are completed advice of the outcome of the interview can be sent.
2. If vacancies do exist those applicants who were accepted after the closing date will then be processed following the same process.
3. If no vacancy exists applicants will be advised that the application has been placed on the waiting list.
ENROLMENT
1. Once a place has been accepted all appropriate data will be recorded on COMPASS
2. All communication with applicants and Catholic Education, Wagga Wagga staff in regard to the applicant’s enrolment must be filed in the appropriate student files.
This policy was reviewed in 2021
The community acknowledges those children in greatest need ensuring that no child is deprived of a Catholic Education because of genuine financial hardship.
St Joseph's Primary School, Leeton follows the Enrolment Policies and Procedures of Catholic Education, Wagga Wagga.
AIMS
- To provide a Catholic education for all children in our community irrespective of their differing needs, providing that school resources can support them.
- To ensure that no child is denied a Catholic education because of genuine financial hardship.
- To ensure all parents will give a firm undertaking that they accept and support the life, nature and identity of the Catholic School, including participation in all aspects of Religious Education.
Enrolment priority is in accordance with the Wagga Wagga Diocesan Enrolment Policy and is as follows:
- Date of application is used to determine a priority order within a category.
- If the number of applications exceeds the number of vacancies, then the age of the student becomes applicable. Older children are accepted first.
- Order of Priority:
- Siblings
- Catholics within the Parish
- Catholics outside the Parish
- Non-Catholic students in agreement with Catholic ethos.
CONTINUING ENROLMENT
Continuing enrolment at St Joseph’s is dependent upon the student and their family accepting and supporting the discipline/behaviour code; regular attendance; maintenance of a respectful co-operative relationship with the school and payment of required fees. Failure by families to adhere with these expectations may lead to student’s enrolment being cancelled.
ENROLMENT PROCEDURES
An enrolment application and prospectus is available from the school office and is supplied on request. Once the form is completed it needs to be returned to the school. The school may request an interview with the parents/student. At this interview all required documentation is required.
1. Application forms and enrolment handbooks are available from each school office and are supplied on request.
2. Closing date for general enrolments will be advertised.
3. Applications must be completed and returned to the school prior to the closing date (all sections of the enrolment form must be completed).
4. Once the closing date has passed, the school will arrange an interview with the parent and student.
5. All documents where possible be provided and reviewed prior to the interview (Visa documents must be sighted at interview and certified by the Principal).
6. The school office staff will prepare student application files for use by the Principal at the time of interview.
7. The Principal will contact the appropriate personnel at Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga Wagga, if an application falls into the following categories:
- - enrolment of students with special needs/learning difficulties
- - enrolment of non-Australian citizens
- - enrolment of temporary residents
- - enrolment of students on student visas
- - enrolment of exchange students
- - enrolment of students on Visitors visas
- - enrolment of ESL – New Arrivals
- - enrolment of LBOTE students
- - enrolment of Indigenous students
- - part-time enrolment
- - students whose 5th birthday falls between 1 June and 31 July
ENROLMENT INTERVIEW PROCESS
Enrolment forms must be completed prior to the interview. Copies of all necessary documentation is to be taken to the interview.
The Enrolment form has been developed to support schools in determining eligibility for support or funding for some students including international students and students with special learning needs. The decision on where to enrol a student, and with what level of support, will depend on a number of factors, including a student’s educational needs, the capacity of the system to provide the level of support services required and the funding available.
1. Each student’s enrolment application file is to be provided to the principal prior to interview (included in file should be completed application form and checklist for appropriate documentation).
2. The Principal will verify all documentation provided as true and accurate at the time of interview.
3. Visas need to be sighted at the interview
4. The Principal may need to inform applicants of extended enrolment processes should there be any need to obtain information about a student’s learning and development need, or any details regarding enrolment suitability.
ENROLMENT
After the interview and enrolment process has been finalised, those families of students who have been accepted will be notified.
ENROLMENTS AFTER CLOSING DATE
Enrolments for Kindergarten can be accepted after the closing date. These applicants however, do not take priority over applications received by the closing date. If the school has places available, they will need to be processed following the same process. If no vacancy exists they are placed on a waiting list.
REFUSAL OF ADMISSION
The Principal may not accept an application for enrolment. A probationary enrolment period is not available. The Principal has the ultimate decision in accepting an enrolment. This may include consultation with staff at Catholic Education, Diocese of Wagga.
PRIVACY LEGISLATION – COLLECTION NOTICE
Each school collects information, including sensitive information about pupils and parents or guardians before and during the course of the pupil’s enrolment at the School. A collection notice needs to be included with each enrolment form sent out from the school.
Enrolment forms must also collect sensitive information in regard to the family that is necessary for the government in regard to funding of schools.
ENROLMENT OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The Principal will refer to the Student Support Handbook Sections 1.5 for the Disability Discrimination Act and 1.6 for the Disability Standards for Education 2005 when responding to and processing enrolment applications from students with extra support needs or disabilities. The ascertainment process Section 2.1 of the Student Support Handbook will be followed by the Principal where there are enrolment applications for students with a significant level of need.
ENROLMENT OF NON-AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS
Non-Australian citizens entering Australia must hold a valid visa and are subject to the specific travel, entry and residency conditions set by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA).
Education is compulsory for non-Australian citizens between the ages of six and fifteen holding a visa granting them permanent resident status and New Zealand citizens holing current New Zealand passports. Outside these ages they may enrol under the same conditions as Australian citizens.
Non-Australian citizens holding a temporary visa are subject to specific enrolment conditions as outlined below:
- Temporary Residents
- Visitor Visas
A student on a visitor visa may be able to enrol for a maximum period of three months which cannot be extended.
Under Commonwealth Government regulations, international students holding temporary visas have a lower enrolment priority than Australian citizens, permanent residents and approved temporary residents. If students on visitor visas directly approach a school they should be referred to the Catholic Schools Office.
- Bridging Visas
POST-INTERVIEW
1. Once all interviews are completed advice of the outcome of the interview can be sent.
2. If vacancies do exist those applicants who were accepted after the closing date will then be processed following the same process.
3. If no vacancy exists applicants will be advised that the application has been placed on the waiting list.
ENROLMENT
1. Once a place has been accepted all appropriate data will be recorded on COMPASS
- - to comply with legal requirements
- - for school administration purposes
- - for accountability and reporting requirements.
2. All communication with applicants and Catholic Education, Wagga Wagga staff in regard to the applicant’s enrolment must be filed in the appropriate student files.
This policy was reviewed in 2021