Schools do take out of area kids if they have space. You need to address the reasons why you want to send your child to that school- they usually are emotional, social, safety.
You will be considered on things like: is it is closer to your work so therefore you can be there more quickly in an emergency or not have to use after school care. Later the child can walk home without crossing a major road. Near to grandparents/other emergency contacts who may not drive in case of emergency if you work full time. Where all the children from his/her preschool/daycare are going so they will have friends initially.
If you need more help next year PM me.
I was advised that if you want a guaranteed placement for your child being in the catchment area is not enough. Especially if there is a waiting list...if I were to move house a year before my child starts high school, wouldn't that be sufficient entitlment for my daughter/son to go to the highschool in that area? Even if its selective?
Would love to know what to do as there is alot of misleading information around.
In NSW if you are in the catchment area the local public school MUST take you, no question.
Selective HS only take children who they offer a place to based on the entrance exam, it doesn't matter if you live next door to the school you have to do the test to get in as there are limited places which are only given to the top achievers in the exam.
Sista- If you live in your local public schools catchment area and there is only one school, they basically have to take you. Selective schools are different, they have an entrance exam and placements are based soley on this. Some comprehensive (regular) high schools have selective classes. You do an exam to get a place in those classes but there's are also "regular" classes for kids from the catchment who don't qualify for the selective classes. Hope that makes sense.
Yep that makes perfect sense, thank you for clearing it up for me.
I live in a very multicultural area but the high school has nothing that appeals to me, moving is my only option unless my kids go through the selective schools test, and we're yet to decide on that.
Its soooo much more confusing than when I was at high school 20 years ago....a big headache!
I need to send my son to a primary public school that I really like however I'm not in the catchment area. What sort of reasons can I show to strengthen his application? My daughter is in and out of hospital and needs care, is there anything else that I need to say, apart from the good qualities the school has?
The areas you need to address are *safety- ie is it safer for your child to get to the out of area school- no main roads etc, bus route near your home.
* Work/emergency care- is the out of area school close to yours or DH's work so the child wouldn't need after school care for as long or at all? Do your emergency contacts live in the area for that school ? Is it easier for them to get your child in that school than the local in area school?
* Social- are all your child's friends form preschool going to that school not your local school? do you have relatives or close friends who attend the school?
* After school care? If you use it does either school have it? You are in a really good position to get in out of area if you need after school care/vacation care and the other school doesn't have it.
Many schools will take out of area with no questions asked but some are very popular and will refuse any out of area. My school has already sent out their out of area acceptances so you need to hurry up and enrol because the longer you leave it the harder it is to get in.
If you need any advice please ask as I am a teacher in the NSW state system.
I visited the school morning, and had a quick talk with the principal too. He said that they won't know what their places for out of area applications until next year. My reasons are mainly for the fact that as a school they have lots of extra curricular activities and a healthy attitude to education and learning, it is not limited to just academics.
Another school that is in my area (I'm not in the catchment for it though) outright refused to take him at all.
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