Coming up -Transition to Year 7

Managing Enrolment

Over the last few years, Northcote High School has experienced unprecedented demand for places. For Year 7 in 2017, there have been a record 480 applications.  Of these, about 280 students live locally to the school. While this is a great vote of confidence in the school,  this is also a reflection of high population growth in the local area, combined with a rapid move to higher density housing as old industrial sites are redeveloped for residential use.

To process enrolments, the school follows Department of Education (DET) priority categories. For 2017, these are 

1. Students for whom the school is the designated neighbourhood school (that is to say, students who live in the NHS neighbourhood area)

2. Students with a sibling at the same permanent address who are attending the school at the same time (or as is more easily understood, non-local siblings, who do not live in the school's neighbourhood area) 

3. Where the DET Regional Director has restricted the enrolment, students who reside nearest the school (This criteria is only relevant to officially "zoned" schools, which does not include NHS or any nearby secondary schools)

4. Students seeking enrolment on specific curriculum grounds .

5. All other students in order of closeness of their home to the school.

6. In exceptional circumstances, compassionate grounds.

For entry into Yr 7 in 2017, NHS will enrol all local students - or Category 1 - that is, children who permanently reside in the NHS neighbourhood area. 

Unfortunately, it is now clear the school will not be able to take all siblings whose families do not live locally, or category 2 applicants. Fortunately, all of these applicants have a closer government secondary school, and in many cases there are several closer schools to choose from.

There appears to be no likelyhood of taking any category 4, 5 or 6 students for 2017.

Where a school is able to take only some non-local siblings, places are allocated in order of closeness to the school neighbourhood area. NHS regards placement of siblings as a priority and will work to place all siblings until the last day of Term 4.

Obviously NHS conducts checks to determine the accuracy of claims of local residence, so that people don't "queue-jump" the process. Where needed, primary school families who claim to have moved closer to the school may be asked for supporting evidence that they now permanently reside at a new address.  Families seeking entry to the school occasionally express surprise at this request, but it has been very clearly signposted on our website for more than two years. 

School Council Response

Northcote High School Council has written to DET regarding several changes relating to transition for 2017.  One issue is the relegation of Compassionate grounds to the last priority to be considered. In the past this was considered quite separately to the priority process. For 2017, such claims being considered only at the end of the process, means there will not be any consideration of compassionate grounds at all by NHS.

In addition, NHS Council has asked DET to explain why Catholic Primary Schools were exempted this year from following the DET transition process. Our view is that this potentially disadvantages these parents, but may also open the system up to abuse in the longer term.

We look forward to their reply.