When you are a parent to a new baby or young toddler, the idea of navigating their big leap to starting primary school often seems like a distant future issue we don’t want to rush too fast. Even so, those early years seem to fly by quicker than we like and there are actually a number of things that are extremely useful to be aware of earlier rather than later when it comes to enrolling your child into the school of your choice. So, when is the right time to enrol your child for primary school, how do you go about doing it, and what other important things are worth knowing?
At what age can your child enrol in primary school?
In Queensland, the first year of primary school is known as Prep. Considered an invaluable foundation year for children to undertake, it is now compulsory for all children to do a year of Prep before moving on to grade one.
In order to attend prep, children must be 5 years old by the 30th June on the year that they enrol. If you are unsure of the exact year this will be, you can use this online calculator to see when your child can start Prep. Simply select your child’s month and year of birth.
Can your child do a delayed or early start to primary school?
When it comes to starting your child early or delaying their start to prep, it is actually a lot easier (and in some cases even recommended) to do the latter. This is because, even if your child is ready academically for school, quite often it is their social readiness that has the biggest impact on their early success.
Early start requirements
In Brisbane, a child who is younger than the prescribed age for Prep is only able to commence school early if:
- they turn 5 years by 31 July in the year they propose to attend Prep and the school principal is satisfied that the child is ready for education in the Prep year
or - they have started education in another state or country that is equivalent to the Prep year and the school principal is satisfied that the child is ready for education in the Prep year.
Delayed start to primary school
Parents may delay their child’s entry to Prep (and subsequently Year 1) by one year if they feel that the child is not ready to start school. For example, the child is still developing their social and emotional skills. The child can then commence Prep at the beginning of the school year in which they turn compulsory school age (6 years and 6 months).
No formal documentation, assessment or approval is required for delayed entry to Prep.
When to enrol in primary school – State Primary Schools
In Catchment Primary Schools
In Brisbane, every child has a state primary and high school, which they are automatically allocated a spot based on their โcatchment areaโ, the geographical location where a state schoolโs core intake of students must live.
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).
How and when to enrol
If you are happy with your state catchment school then you do not need to go on a waitlist or contact the school any earlier than the year before they are due to start. Each school may have different preferences as to how and when you apply, so be sure to contact them directly or check out their website under the ‘enrolments’ link. Either way, if it is your catchment school, you have a guaranteed spot their for your child.
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.
Out-of-Catchment Primary Schools
Quite often, the more popular primary schools (especially in inner-city Brisbane) are in the more expensive suburbs. This is sometimes due to the popularity of buying in the area due to the school being in catchment. If you would like your child to attend a school outside of their catchment this is still possible, although is not guaranteed.
How and when to enrol
When looking to enrol in a state school that is not in your catchment you will need to do a number of things. Firstly, contact the school directly and ask what their process is for ‘out-of-catchment’ applications. Each may vary slightly in the time and way you should apply but the key thing is to do your research early. Many schools offer out-of-catchment spots based on a first in first offered policy. It may also differ year to year based on how many in catchment children are already enrolled to start. For this reason, offers are usually not made until later in the year prior to starting.
When to enrol in primary school – Private Schools
If you have a local private school in mind for your child for primary school then the process for enrolment will be a little different. In each case, it is important to contact the school directly as early as possible (sometimes even before your baby is born!) to find out what they require, if there is a waiting list, and what deposits may be needed to secure a spot.
Unlike state schools, Brisbaneโs private primary and high schools are not catchment managed and nearly always involve putting your childโs name down on a waitlist as early as possible. Doing so nearly always consists of filling out an online form and, in more cases than not, also requires a non refundable application fee to do so. Closer to the year of commencing prep, the school will usually contact you to conduct an interview.
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