Enrolment

Moving overseas

Moving overseas and need school reports authenticated for DFAT? 

Email document.authentication@det.nsw.edu.au to arrange to bring original documents to 105 Phillip Street, Parramatta 2150.

DE International - Information for international students interested in studying at NSW Government Schools can visit http://www.decinternational.nsw.edu.au/. 

SYDNEY SECONDARY COLLEGE ENROLMENT POLICY 2021-2022

Background

Sydney Secondary College was established in 2002 and consists of three sites: 

·         Balmain Campus - Years 7–10

·         Leichhardt Campus - Years 7–10

·         Blackwattle Bay Campus - Years 11–12.

The College caters for all learners with an academically selective stream, a comprehensive stream and a special education stream (for students with physical, mild and moderate intellectual disabilities and students with Autism Spectrum Disorder). Enrichment opportunities are available at both junior campuses. 

It is an expectation that all students who enrol in Year 7 at either of the 7 – 10 campuses will progress to Years 11 and 12 at Blackwattle Bay Campus.

Introduction

This document should be read in conjunction with the Enrolment of students in NSW Government schools policy and Information For Parents documents produced by the NSW Department of Education.

Compulsory school aged students are entitled to enrol at the local government school that is designated for the intake area in which the child’s home is situated.

Schools require an Authority to Enrol for each temporary resident and international student enrolment which is issued by DE International and the Temporary Resident Program.

Enrolment procedures for students living within the designated drawing area

Students living within the designated drawing areas for Balmain, Leichhardt or Blackwattle Bay Campuses have automatic enrolment into the respective Campus.

Check your address on School Finder to see if it is within our local intake area. Most schools have designated local enrolment areas. Note: local enrolment areas are subject to change.

Parents/guardians of students living within the designated drawing areas for Balmain, Leichhardt or Blackwattle Bay Campuses should contact the office of the respective campus to make an appointment for a pre-enrolment interview. A principal may refuse to enrol a student with documented violent behaviour when risk mitigation strategies or adjustments are not possible to manage the risk.

Parents/guardians are asked to supply a copy of the child's birth certificate prior to an enrolment interview, or if the child is not a permanent resident, a passport and appropriate visa. If there are any current family court orders in place, please also bring the original document.

Under the Education Act 1990, principals may require proof of address to their satisfaction in order to establish a child’s entitlement to enrol in the school. However, any requests for proof of address must be reasonable in the circumstances.

Each campus will use the following 100-point residential address check to determine the student’s entitlement to enrol at the school.

Document showing the full name of the child’s parent

* up to three months old

In preparation for an interview with the Campus enrolment coordinator, parents/guardians will be asked to complete and bring with them an application to enrol in a NSW public school. Parents/guardians will be notified of the result of the application immediately following the interview.

Applications for enrolment are lodged with the Campus at which the parent/guardian is seeking enrolment. Enrolment forms may be accessed at any government school or through this link.

Students not living within the designated drawing area

Non-local enrolment applications are only considered by schools that can accommodate the child within their enrolment cap.

An enrolment cap for all government schools is established centrally, based on available permanent accommodation. Within the enrolment cap, a number of enrolment places (the buffer) must be set aside for the enrolment of local students arriving throughout the year. Places in the local enrolment buffer cannot be offered to non-local students.

Once the enrolment cap and buffer is known a school may have spaces available to non-local students. The principal can then consider enrolment using the following:

Criteria for non-local placement include:

 siblings already enrolled at the school

 proximity and access to the school

availability of subjects or combinations of subjects

compassionate circumstances

 recent change in the local intake area boundaries

Criteria (for non-selective classes) will not include:

 student ability, performance or achievement

Enrolment Panel

Each campus will establish an enrolment panel. The composition of the enrolment panel will consist of one executive staff member to chair the panel and at least one teaching staff member nominated by the principal and one school community member nominated by campus’ P&C.

Students enrolled in Balmain and Leichhardt Campuses have priority placement in Year 11 at Blackwattle Bay Campus. Enrolment into Year 12 will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.

The school will notify parents of the result of their application. Parents may request a written explanation of the decisions of the panel.

A waiting list may be created for non-local students who are not offered enrolment. Any waiting list created will remain valid during the current intake period only. The waiting list is determined by the enrolment panel. Parents are advised in writing if their child is to be placed on a waiting list and their position on it.

Selective enrolments Years 7 – 12

Students are placed in selective high schools and opportunity classes based on academic merit. Academic merit is mainly determined by the combination of the results of the Selective High School Placement Test or the Opportunity Class Placement Test (both hereinafter referred to as ‘placement tests’) together with primary school assessments of student performance in English and mathematics. Additional evidence of academic merit may also be considered at the discretion of the selection committee.

Year 7 selective enrolments are offered by the Department to students who are successful at the Selective Schools Test conducted early in the final year of primary school. This test and all offers of placement are conducted external to the school by the Department's High Performing Students Unit. This process has now closed for the 2022 intake.

Years 8–12 selective enrolments are conducted by the relevant Campus and are subject to available places and the meeting of academic criteria. Application Information can be found on the Department of Education’s Years 8-12 selective enrolment page.

Application must be made formally through the relevant Campus with as much supporting evidence as possible. Application forms for 2022 are available on Department of Education’s Years 8-12 selective enrolment page and found here.

A placement panel, including the Campus Principal or delegate, a teacher representative and a parent representative, considers all applications before an offer is made. Demonstrated evidence of high academic achievement must be evident.

All selective students must be Australian citizens, permanent Australian residents or the child of diplomatic staff.

Waiting lists will be established where there are no places available at the time of application or where requests for enrolment exceed available places. Waiting lists are current for one year. Parents will be advised if their child is being placed on a waiting list.

Enrolment of students with disabilities

At Sydney Secondary College, there is provision for students with disabilities in specialist or mainstream settings at all 3 campuses.

Each campus of the college has a Support Unit for students with intellectual disabilities (IM or IO) or Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Targeted funding, specialist teachers and advisory services are available to support students with disabilities enrolled in regular classes.

NB: placement in any Support Unit class is through an application to a local disability panel. Enquiries may be directed through:

The Learning & Wellbeing  Officer,  Delivery Support

Arncliffe Office

Phone 02 9582 2860

Appeals

Unsuccessful non-local applicants may appeal against the decision of the enrolment panel. The appeal is made in writing to the college principal and sets out the grounds of the appeal. The purpose of the appeal is to determine whether the stated criteria have been applied equitably. The college principal considers the appeal and makes a determination. Appeals should be addressed to:

Ian Bowsher

College Principal

Sydney Secondary College

Administration Centre

Balmain Campus

Terry St, Rozelle

NSW 2039

Unsuccessful Selective (Year 7) applicants can appeal directly with the High Performance Unit by lodging an appeal online.

Unsuccessful Selective (Years 8-12) applicants can ask the principal of the campus to review the outcome by following the guidelines on the High performance website.

To discuss and ask for a review of an unsuccessful placement for students with disabilities call the educational services team directly on 131 536.

Temporary visas and international students

The Temporary Residents Program has information about eligibility and the forms to complete an application.

(Reviewed August 2021)