Catchment area?

Yes, it's me with questions again! So if PP is not compulsory in WA and if they only have 60 places and 70 people in catchment areas apply, how do they decide which ten will not get a spot? By name, area, age? Or do they just pull out of a hat? I'm asking because it seems I will need to apply for PP for DD1 for next year but the Principal has made it known to me that they have more people applying than they have place for. So should I apply at all the local school in my area and hope for the best?

From what I understand both kindy and pre-primary are NOT compulsory in WA. If they have spots for 40 kids and 50 apply (all within the catchment area), the first 40 applications get the spot.

First preferance goes to within boundary, then those out of boundary but with siblings in the school, then those out of boundary (when/if it gets down to this it then goes by distance from the school)

The big catch is..... you can only put in an application for one school!!! (they make you sign a form to that effect and believe it or not but ppl really do complain to the education department and check!!!) And you probably won't hear if you're in or not until 4th term the year before your dd is due to start. Which basically will put you at the bottom of any other list you then apply for!

Then you have to go through the whole thing again for Year 1! Once they're in Year 1 they're in for the rest of primary school but until then it's a new application each year.

Yes, the system sucks!!! My ds's kindy had an 'overpopulation' problem this year and some kids who have siblings in the school even missed out on a spot for kindy.

Feel free to pm me if you want to, I went through all this last year with out of boundary applications for kindy. It drove me crazy!!!