Preamble
As a Catholic Primary School, Cathedral School is a true and proper Church entity bringing faith, culture and life into harmony through its integrated activity of educating the whole person academically, spiritually, physically and emotionally.
From its Catholic identity, as part of the evangelising mission of the Church, the School derives its fundamental characteristics and structure as a genuine instrument of the Church, a place of real and pastoral ministry.
In this context, Cathedral School and the Cathedral Parish of St Michael and St John collaborate and Cathedral School strives to be integrated into the Parish’s pastoral program, especially in regard to celebrating the Sacraments.
The Application Process
1) Applications for enrolment are formally invited from interested parents through advertisements in the School Newsletter, the Bathurst Advocate and the Parish Bulletin.
Advertisements are placed in the Bathurst Advocate commencing approximately half way through Term Two.
The enrolment period runs until the last day of Term Two.
2) Application for Enrolment forms are obtainable from School Office. Many enquiries are made to the school by phone. The Office staff will send an Enrolment Package to those who request one.
3) The Enrolment Package includes:-
– the Application for Enrolment form
– the School Handbook
– the Schedule of Fees
4) All applications for enrolment need to be accompanied by the child’s:-
– Birth Certificate
– Baptism Certificate
– Immunisation Certificate (although this may come later when the full course of pre-school immunization is complete)
– any other Sacramental Certificates as appropriate (i.e. where child is enrolling in a Year Two class or higher.)
5) All completed applications for enrolment lodged with the School Principal by the designated closing date will be treated in accordance with Section 4 – The Enrolment Process. Applications are not dealt with on a “first come, first served” basis. All applications will be considered at the same time.
Criteria for Enrolment
The Cathedral School finds its true justification in the mission of the Church. It is based on an educational philosophy in which Faith, culture and life are brought into harmony. The school provides for the children of practising Catholic parents, a Catholic education. It may also offer this education to practising parents of other Christian denominations.
The essential requirement at Cathedral School, Bathurst is that a student and his/her family are prepared to support the principles of Catholic Education.
Children from families who are prepared to be supportive of the life and teachings of the
Catholic Church and intend to adhere to the religious practices, educational ideals and financial requirements of the school may apply for enrolment.
Mandatory Provisions
Children entering Kindergarten must turn 5 years of age by 30th April of their first year of school.
A copy of the Baptismal and Birth Certificate, must accompany the application.
If enrolment is accepted, both parents must read and sign all components of the ‘Acceptance of Enrolment’ form that will be forwarded to the enrolling parents/guardians.
Priority of Enrolment
If the number of applications exceeds the number of places available, offers will be allocated in the following order of priority.
Priority in enrolment is given in the following order, except in special circumstances
1. Catholic children of practising Catholic parents who are involved in the life of the Cathedral Parish of St. Michael and St. John.
2. Siblings (both Catholic & non-Catholic) of children whose brothers and /or sisters are presently enrolled in the school.
3. Children of Catholic families residing in the Parish to which the school belongs.
4. Non-Catholic children whose brothers and /or sisters once attended the school.
5. Non-Catholic children who were enrolled at a Catholic school in another parish.
6. Orthodox or children of practising Christian families who are prepared to allow their children to take part in all religious activities at the school.
7. Cases of special need. Special consideration may be given to children with disabilities to the extent to which the school is able to meet their needs. In this regard, the policy of the Catholic Education Office is to be observed.
Bases of Discretion
Special consideration may be given to individual cases, schools and situations, as determined by local circumstances, for the following reasons:
1) Parents’ intentions with regard to their own and their children’s search for education in the faith.
2) Family situations necessitating a pastoral approach or requiring the exercise of
compassion.
3) Family circumstances regarding mobility.
4) Late applications as a result of work or family commitments forcing a move from
elsewhere into the parish to which the school belongs.
5) The special education needs of students (see below)
Special Education Needs
Where an application indicates that a student has a special educational need, the Principal
may refer it to the Catholic Education Office for further assessment.
The Education Officer (Special Education) will, with the Director of Schools, the Principal and Parish Priest, assess whether or not the school (supported by the Catholic Education Office) can provide the facilities, resources and suitably trained personnel to support the educational needs of the applicant.
The Principal and Education Officer or Director will then meet with the applicant’s parents/caregivers to discuss the prospective enrolment prior to the application being considered.
Section 4) The Enrolment Process
1. Each May/June the school advertises for enrolment applications for the following
year.
2. Application forms are given to interested parents.
3. Applications and copies of Baptismal / Birth certificates forwarded to the
school.
4. In consultation with the Parish Priest, applications are listed in order of priority.
5. Parents may be interviewed by the principal.
6. Parents are informed by letter of the enrolment decision.
Sample letters for i) acceptance of enrolment, and
ii) non-acceptance of enrolment are contained in Appendix 3.
Consideration is given to each application but the school reserves the right to make the final decision regarding enrolment.
7. Parents who are offered enrolment are required to sign and return an “Acceptance of Enrolment” form and to return it to the School by a nominated date to take up the enrolment offer.
The Kindergarten Induction Process
There is one general admission of students to Kindergarten each year. This takes place at the beginning of the school year. An Orientation Programme for students is held in Term Four prior to the commencement of classes for the following year.
A Parent Information Meeting is held in Term Four prior to the commencement of classes for the following year.
The ‘Waiting List’
If an enrolment is not offered in the first instance, parents can request a place on a ‘waiting list’ by requesting this in writing. Any vacancies that occur in the appropriate year group will be re-offered to children on the reserve list. Offers are made in the order or priority set by the published criteria for the School. The amount of time a child’s name has been on the reserve list is not relevant. Parents should be aware that the priority order of children on the list can alter, for example, as children with higher priorities are added.
Late Applications
Applications received after the closing date will only be considered alongside those received by the closing date under the following circumstances:-
– The family were unable to complete an application form before the closing date because they moved into the school’s parish area after the issue of application forms
OR
– The family were unable to comply with the admissions timetable because of exceptional circumstances that prevented the application arriving on time – the circumstances must be given in writing and attached to the Application Form.
Applications received after the notification date (after places are offered) will be added to the school’s waiting list in admission criteria order.
Admissions At Other Times
During the school year, parents may make application to other grades in the school.
In these circumstances parents are issued with the Enrolment Package and the application will be considered when formally submitted to the school.
Consideration will be given to:-
– the reasons for the application
– the number of students currently enrolled in the class
– the specific needs of the students already in the class
– the specific needs of the child for whom the application is made
– the capacity of the school to meet the needs of the student making application. (If the school feels that it cannot accommodate the needs of the student, and a place is available, the application will be referred to the Catholic Education Office.