We all want what is best for our children and when it comes to selecting and securing the school of your choice it is no different. Whilst many parents assume it is a decision that can be made closer to the time they are due to start, for many schools in Brisbane getting your child’s name down on a waiting list may need to happen a lot sooner than you think. To help answer any questions you may have, we have outlined when you should put your child on a school waiting list, depending on their age and where you may be hoping to send them.
Kindergarten Waiting Lists
In Brisbane, Kindergarten is considered by many to be the first valuable step in their child’s educational journey. While not compulsory, most childcare services, schools, and centres offer early childhood education programs to help prepare children for going into preschool.
Unlike the state schooling system, kindergarten is not allocated to your child based on where you live, so researching the type you are interested in early is a great idea, but proximity matters less.
If you choose a 5-day fortnight program such as C&K or one run through a childcare facility that offers every day and longer hours, you should put your child’s name down as early as possible. Touring the centre you are looking at first before adding your name to their waitlist is a good idea.
You can put your name down at as many as you like, and it is usually free and involves filling in a form. In many cases, it is recommended that you put your child’s name down before they turn two, especially as some kindergartens now offer programs for children as young as 3.5 years.
Many large Prep to Year 12 private schools in Brisbane also offer a kindergarten or Pre-Prep program, and in most cases, it is advisable to put your child’s name down from birth if possible. It is worth noting that adding your name to a waitlist for many of these private schools will usually come with an application fee.
We would recommend checking out our list of kindergartens in Brisbane, and contacting the ones that you feel are best suited to your location and family’s needs before asking them directly when you can add your name to their list.
State Primary Schools and High Schools – In Catchment
In Brisbane, every child has a state primary and high school, which they are automatically allocated a spot based on their ‘catchment area’, the geographical location where a state school’s core intake of students must live. This is measured by the shortest and most direct route by road and is designed to ensure that every student from Prep to Year 12 can be enrolled at their local state school.
The easiest way to find your designated local state school is to use the EdMap website. You can search by entering your home address and see where your local school is, or search via the school to see if your home is in that catchment area. Any school that has a star icon next to it is enrolment-managed (this means you are only likely to receive a spot if you live in catchment).
If you are happy with the state primary school or high school in your catchment, then you should only need to enrol in the year before they are due to start. There is no need to go on a waiting list; it is just a matter of contacting the school or heading to their website to find out what you need to do to enrol.
Note: Some schools are NOT enrolment managed and anyone can apply to these schools. You do not need to be in the catchment of these schools to apply.
You can read all about school catchments in Brisbane here.
State Primary Schools and High Schools – Out of Catchment
Sometimes, you may want to send your child to a different (enrol-managed) state school than your catchment area has been allocated. This may be because another school outside of your catchment is a better fit for your child due to the programs and opportunities it may offer. Many people consider buying in a catchment area specifically for a desirable school – but this is not always possible for some families. In this case, they may look to put in an out-of-catchment application.
Out-of-catchment applications are different depending on the state school you are applying to. Some highly selective and top-rated state high schools are very tightly enrolment managed, with only a certain number of out-of-catchment opportunities on offer and many times these are only made available due to selective entry (academic, sporting, cultural excellence etc).
Nearly all state schools have details on their website on when you can put in your out-of-catchment application. This is usually in term 4 two years before your child is due to start or in term 1 of the year preceding their commencement.
Private Schools in Brisbane
Unlike state schools, Brisbane’s private primary and high schools are not catchment managed and nearly always involve putting your child’s name down on a waitlist as early as possible. Doing so nearly always consists in filling out an online form and, in more cases than not, also requires a non refundable application fee to do so.
Although it is still possible to enrol in a private school the year before starting (and often mid-year if you need to change), it is advisable if you want go down this route to do your research and put your child’s name down at your chosen school as early as possible. In many cases, to ensure they have the best chance of securing a spot at their preferred private schools, many parents opt to put their child’s name down at multiple schools from the moment they are born – if the school allows it. As crazy as this may seem, for many popular private schools in Brisbane many parents pay multiple application fees before their child can even talk to hopefully secure a spot at a few and decide when their child is older and they have received offers.
Many private schools also offer scholarships, which usually open a few years before commencement. Details on what scholarships may be provided and what is required to apply can be found on each school’s website. You can read more about scholarships here.
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