Enrolment

Ballarat High School adheres to the Department of Education Enrolment Policy.

The core principles of the Enrolment policy are:

• Every eligible child has the right to be enrolled at a Victorian government school.
  • All students that reside within the area of a designated neighbourhood school (school zone) must be offered a place when seeking enrolment.
  • Students who hold a subclass 500 student visa (a student visa in their own name) may only attend government schools accredited to accept international students.
• Parents/carers have the right to seek enrolment for their child at a Victorian government school of their choice.
  • Designated neighbourhood schools with sufficient accommodation should offer enrolment to students who reside outside of their school zone.
  • Schools with special entry criteria (for example, specialist schools) are not designated neighbourhood schools. These schools offer enrolment to students who meet the requirements of their local enrolment policy.
• School enrolment practices must be fair, equitable and comply with state and federal laws.
  • Factors such as ability, history of behaviour, or level of engagement with education are irrelevant for enrolment decisions at designated neighbourhood schools.
  • Schools must ensure enrolment practices do not disadvantage children in out-of-home care, those experiencing homelessness or family violence, recently arrived immigrants or refugees.

Each Victorian Government primary, secondary and specialist school has a designated school zone. The Find My School website hosts the most up-to-date information about Victorian school zones.

Information on this website is updated in Term 1 each year, ready for the Grade 6 to Year 7 transition period. The website can be accessed at: https://www.findmyschool.vic.gov.au

Where there are insufficient places at a school for all students who seek entry, students are enrolled according to the Department of Education Placement Policy’s Priority Order of Placement as follows:

1. Students for whom the school is the designated neighbourhood school.
2. Students with a sibling at the same permanent address who are attending the school at the same time.
3. All other students in order of closeness of their home to the school.

In exceptional circumstances, a student may be enrolled at Ballarat High School based on compassionate grounds. This is an overarching consideration and does not form part of the Priority Order of Placement. Ballarat High School is permitted to assess and make a determination for exceptional circumstances applications on a case by case basis. When making an application for compassionate grounds, supporting evidence must be provided.

A sibling is defined broadly and can include:

• students having one or both parents in common
• step-siblings
• students residing together as part of a multiple family cohabitation
• out-of-home care arrangements, including foster care, kinship care, residential care and permanent care.

Students seeking enrolment on sibling grounds should be residing together at the same permanent address and must be attending the school at the same time.
Where siblings do not reside together on a full-time basis, families may seek enrolment on sibling grounds. These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For the purpose of student enrolment in Victorian Government schools, the Department of Education considers a permanent place of residence as the address at which a student permanently resides at the time of seeking enrolment. If a student resides at multiple addresses, their permanent residence is deemed as the address at which they spend the majority of their weekdays.

If the student spends an equal amount of time at two addresses, both addresses will be considered the student’s permanent address and the student will be entitled to enrol in the designated neighbourhood school for either address.

All new enrolments and transfers to Ballarat High School are required to meet a 100 Point Residential Address Check. Documents provided, totalling at least 100 points, must show:

• full name of the prospective student’s parent/carer, and
• permanent residential address.

To assist Ballarat High School in assessing your student’s eligibility for enrolment, please include the required documents (originals or certified copies) with your enrolment application request.

When assessing your child’s enrolment application, Ballarat High School may make some enquiries to confirm the information provided is correct.

Enrolment applications may not be successful if the requested documentation is not provided.

If, after reasonable enquiries, the Principal does not accept that the address provided on the enrolment application is the genuine permanent residence of the student, the placement or enrolment application may not be successful, or may be withdrawn.

There are some circumstances in which schools can withdraw an enrolment or placement offer.

If, after an enrolment or placement offer is made, the child’s permanent residence changes or it comes to light that the address provided on the application form was not the genuine permanent residence of the child, Ballarat High School may withdraw an enrolment or placement offer in the following circumstances:

• the new address is not within the school zone; and
• where, after the priority order of placement is applied to the new address, a place is not available for the child; and
• the enrolment or placement offer and any subsequent material provided to the child and their parent or carer expressly states that the offer may be withdrawn prior to the first day of attendance if the child’s permanent place of residence changes or the school becomes aware that the address provided on the application form was not the genuine permanent residence for the child.