Enrolment of students
Direction and guidance on enrolling students in NSW public schools.
Audience
All NSW public schools.
| Version | Last updated | Description of changes | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
V03.0.0 |
30/01/2025 |
Under the 2023 Policy and procedure review program, this policy is consolidated with the Pre-School Class Fees in Government Schools policy. Policy converted into new template and improved readability. |
Secretary, NSW Department of Education |
Document history
2024 Mar 14 - Under the 2023 Policy and procedure review program, new document, Selective high schools and opportunity class placement procedures, added to the policy.
2024 Mar 04 - annual update of the Distance Education Enrolment Procedures.
2024 Jan 22 - updated the title of the Department preschool enrolment procedures to Public preschool enrolment procedures. Updated policy statement to reflect new wording.
2023 Apr 12 - updated implementation document, General Enrolment Procedures. Updated links, agency titles and Year 6-7 transition process from 2023.
2022 Oct 20 - updated implementation document, Distance Education Enrolment Procedures, with naming, position titles, web links and changes to annual dates.
2022 Oct 10 - updated the Department preschool enrolment procedures to reflect the changes made to the Inclusive Education for students with disability policy. Also added the link to the Inclusive Education policy as a related document
2021 Oct 29 - updated Distance Education Enrolment Procedures, including updating naming, position titles and web links. Other changes made to improve or clarify the intent of the procedures after advice or feedback from key stakeholders. This includes changes to sections:
- 2.1 clarifying information and requirements for preschool students
- 2.2 combining the isolation criteria of distance from a school transport service and time
- 2.3 and 2.4 clarifying the short-term nature and residential requirements of the provision
- 2.5 including a requirement in the medical category for the treatment protocol to be described
- 2.8 including the possibility to consider a transition plan back to school in this category
- 3.2.6 annual update to include 2022 dates, and clarification of fees.
2021 Feb 04 - Updated the General Enrolment Procedures.
2021 Jan 27 - policy maintenance, which may include but not limited to, updated contact details, business unit or position titles, typographical, text and style changes and repairing hyperlinks, updated Distance Education Enrolment Procedures
2020 Feb 20 - updated 'Department preschool enrolment procedures' and added as an implementation document. Previous preschool enrolment procedures (memo to principals) removed from related documents. The introduction of centrally set enrolment caps. Consolidation of documents relating to general enrolment of students in NSW Government schools.
2019 Jul 22 - updated policy published as the Enrolment of Students in NSW Government Schools Version 2.
Superseded documents
Enrolment of children in new and existing preschool classes - Memorandum to principals with preschool classes (replaced with Department preschool enrolment procedures)
Enrolment of Students in NSW Government Schools: A Summary and Consolidation of Policy PD/2002/0006/V01
Enrolment of adults in NSW Government schools DN/09/00335
Enhanced Enrolment Procedures DN/06/00168
Enrolment of Students in NSW Government Schools: A Summary and Consolidation of Policy - Memorandum to District Superintendents and State Office Directors (97/257- S.234)
Choice of Schools 1992
Extension of Dezoning of Schools for 1990
Dezoning of Primary Schools for 1989 (88/296)
Enrolment of Children with Disabilities (88/007)
- Policy statement
- Every child has the right to a high-quality education regardless of background or economic circumstance.
- No child will be unlawfully discriminated against when enrolling in NSW Government schools, including on the grounds of sex, race, religion, disability or sexual orientation.
- The department assists parents to enrol a child of compulsory school-age (refer to Education Act 1990 section 21B) residing in NSW in a NSW Government school to support them in meeting their duty under the Education Act 1990. (The Enrolment in Kindergarten to Year 12 procedures defines a parent as ‘A guardian or other person having the custody or care of a child’).
- Parents may enrol their child in Kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if the child turns 5 years of age on or before 31 July of that year. The Education Act 1990 mandates that all children must be in compulsory schooling by 6 years of age (unless exempted under the Exemption from school procedure).
- Parents are entitled to enrol (refer to Education Act 1990 section 34) their child at the local school within the designated intake area, providing the child is eligible to attend and the school can accommodate them. However, parents may apply to enrol their child at any school they choose. The Secretary designates school intake areas (refer to Education Act 1990 section 34).
- A child is enrolled when an application to enrol is certified as accepted by the principal, the child is placed on the enrolment register (refer to Education Act 1990 section 24) of a school and the child is in attendance. Enrolment should be in one school only at any given time; however, a child may be in attendance at more than one school in particular circumstances set out in Enrolment in Kindergarten to Year 12 procedures.
- Public preschools, specialist settings, programs and services, distance education, temporary residents and international student enrolments are subject to specific procedures, eligibility criteria and assessments.
- The department makes reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning (staff only) so children with disability can apply for enrolment on the same basis as children without disability (refer to the Inclusive education for students with disability policy).
- During the enrolment process, the principal takes into consideration the diverse learning and wellbeing needs of the child, including cultural and language considerations, disability, developmental age, trauma, child protection concerns, and individual needs and circumstances. This is to determine additional support for the child once they are enrolled at the school, including assessment of:
- health, safety and other risks arising from the child’s past behaviour or experiences
- any disclosed wellbeing needs of the child
- any adjustments for children with a disability
- any history of unsatisfactory attendance (when the child has been enrolled in another school) (refer to the School attendance policy)
- any disclosed health needs including whether the child has previously required an emergency response
- any disclosed learning needs and other special circumstances (such as whether the child was bullied at a previous school).
- person 18 years of age or older may only be enrolled in a NSW Government school in particular circumstances, set out in the Enrolment in Kindergarten to Year 12 procedures.
- Context
- The Education Act 1990 establishes:
- the right of every child to receive an education
- the state’s duty to ensure every child receives high quality education through the provision of public education
- a compulsory schooling obligation upon parents to ensure children of compulsory school age are enrolled and in attendance at a government school or a registered non-government school or registered for home schooling.
- Specific procedures, eligibility criteria and assessments that may apply to enrolments are outlined in the following documents:
- The Education Act 1990 establishes:
- Policy contact
- Director, Student Participation
enrolment@det.nsw.edu.au
02 7814 3869
- Director, Student Participation
- Monitoring the policy
- The Director, Student Participation monitors the implementation of this policy, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.