Catholic schools in Victoria operate with a high degree of autonomy and manage their own student enrolments.
Information concerning individual school enrolment policies, criteria and processes are publicly available and easily accessible to prospective parents by visiting a school's website.
For enrolment enquiries, parents should contact the school directly.
Contact details for all Catholic schools in Victoria can be found in the School Directory section of this website.
Primary Schools
Children who attend a Catholic primary school usually attend the school attached to their local parish.
Enrolments are welcomed for children who turn five years of age by 30 April of the year in which they start school.
It is a good idea to make contact with the principal and the parish priest of your Catholic primary school early in the year preceding when your child turns five years of age, as enrolment processes and criteria vary from school to school.
Each year, most Catholic primary schools begin taking enrolments for the following school year, usually in Term 1. Refer to the website of your local Catholic parish primary school for specific enrolment details.
School staff will provide you with the appropriate enrolment forms. The enrolment process will require particular information, both at the application stage and if the school offers you a place. An interpreter will be organised, if you require it.
When you enrol your child, to meet school and government requirements, you will need to provide the school with the following:
- a completed enrolment form (obtained from the school)
- evidence of your child’s date of birth, e.g. birth certificate, passport
- religious denomination
- certificate of Baptism (and Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, if these sacraments have been completed) names and addresses of the child and parents and/or guardians
- parents’ occupations and levels of education attained
- parents’ telephone numbers (home, work, mobile)
- specific residence arrangements
- nationality and/or citizenship
- information about the language(s) your child speaks and/or hears at home
- immunisation certificate (showing whether your child has been immunised against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough and haemophilus influenza type B)
- names of emergency contacts and their details
- doctor’s name and telephone number
- medical information about your child (e.g. the child may suffer from asthma, diabetes, allergies, poor eyesight/hearing, etc.)
- information on additional learning needs
- parenting orders or arrangements.
Secondary Schools
All secondary schools have information days or tours allowing you to view the school facilities and ask questions of the appropriate staff. Parents are encouraged to attend information sessions and open days at Catholic secondary schools to assist in choosing a school for your child.
If you wish your child to attend a Catholic secondary school, you need to contact the school for an application form when your child is in Year 5 (though some Catholic secondary schools accept applications in earlier years). You will be asked to complete and return an enrolment application form.
Please note that some secondary schools have a waiting list and it is advisable to place your child on the waiting list as early as possible for enrolment in Year 7.
Selection into a Catholic secondary school is guided by the school’s enrolment policy which takes into account a number of factors:
- the relevant diocesan enrolment policy
- whether your child is Catholic
- the parish where your child resides
- whether your child has a sibling at the school
- whether you or your spouse attended the school
- the number of places available in the year level of application.
When you are enrolling your child in school, you need to take your child’s immunisation certificate with you. The certificate shows whether your child has been immunised against diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough and haemophilus influenza type B.
For further information on general enrolment procedures visit the relevant diocesan office:
MACS – enrolment procedures
DOBCEL (Ballarat) – enrolment
DOSCEL (Sale) – Enrolment Policy
Catholic Education Office Sandhurst – Sandhurst