St Michael's Parish Primary School Enrolment Policy
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St. Michael’s Parish is committed to the provision of a Catholic education for children in the primary and secondary levels. At present, our Parish administers two primary schools – St. Michael’s and St. Catherine’s and we are ‘feeder schools’ to St. Francis Xavier College, Beaconsfield and Berwick.
This enrolment policy has been developed by St. Michael’s Parish Berwick, to reflect enrolment guidelines as developed by the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.
Key principles of the C.E.C.V. guidelines include:
- Priority of enrolment must be baptised Catholic children residing within parish boundaries
- Enrolment of a child is dependent upon the capacity of the school to adequately provide for the educational needs of the child
- The ability of parents to pay school fees is not a criterion for enrolment
- Children of the Greek Orthodox faith and other Orthodox Christians are recognised as deserving of special consideration of enrolment
The parish enrolment policy aims to ensure :
- A balanced distribution of student numbers between the two schools
- Optimum use of the facilities and resources available to each school
- Access to a Catholic education for all eligible children within the parish
- First priority of placement being given to siblings of current or past students at the designated parish school
- The child must turn 5 years of age prior to the 30 th day of April in the year in which the child commences school
The distribution of families between the two schools necessitates the establishment of a catchment area per school within the parish boundaries.
Should demand for places at one of the schools exceed the number of places available, then new families would be offered a place at the alternate parish school, subject to vacancies. The criteria for the allocation of places shall be determined by the two School Principals.
The catchment area for the two schools may vary (from time to time) given the rapid growth trends within the Parish boundaries. At present, the catchment areas are:-
- St. Michael’s – those families within the Parish boundaries living north of the railway line
- St. Catherine’s – those families living south of the railway line within the Parish boundaries
The parents of any child to be enrolled will be required to accept an obligation to pay fees and levies as determined by the School Board. In the event of parents having any difficulty in paying fees and/or levies, they should discuss the matter with the School Principal and/or Parish Priest.
Any exceptions to this Parish Enrolment Policy or alterations to the zone boundary will be determined by the Parish Priest in consultation with the School Principals and the School Board.
- Transfer of students between the two parish schools
Should a family wish to transfer their child/children between the two schools without a change of address, the family must first discuss their intentions and reasons with their current Principal. If a transfer is determined to be in the best interest of the child/children, then a further meeting will be held, this time including the other schools’ Principal. At this meeting, a final decision regarding the transfer will be made by the Principals in consultation with the Parish Priest.
