Sydney Secondary College enrolment policy
Background
Sydney Secondary College was established in 2002 and consists of three sites:
- Balmain Campus Years 7–10
- Leichhardt Campus Years 7–10
- Blackwattle Bay Campus Years 11–12.
The College caters for all learners with an academically selective stream, an enrichment stream (at Balmain Campus only), a comprehensive stream and a special education stream (for students with physical, mild and moderate intellectual disabilities and students with Autism Spectrum Disorder).
It is an expectation that the majority of students will enrol in Year 7 at either of the 7 – 10 campuses and progress to Years 11 and 12 at Blackwattle Bay Campus.
There are limited opportunities for enrolment in years other than Year 7.
The Department's Enrolment of students in Government schools policy outlines the following enrolment principles:
- Children are entitled to be enrolled at the governent school tha is designated for the intake area within which the child's home is situated and that the child is eligible to attend.
- Parents may seek to enrol their child in the school of their choice.
- School local areas are determined by the Department of Education and Communities through a process involving consultation between the Assets Directorate and the Secretary of the Department.
- Schools are required to set an enrolment number to cater for anticipated local demand and to seek to ensure that every eligible local child has a place at his or her local school if he or she chooses to attend it.
- Schools are required to have a written policy which states the grounds on which non-local enrolments will be accepted.
- The primary criteria for acceptance of non-local enrolments will include the availability of appropriate staff and permanent classroom accommodation.
Designated drawing area
The drawing area is designated by the Department and may be subject to change at the Department's discretion.
Enrolment procedures for students living within the designated drawing area
Students living within the designated drawing areas for Balmain, Leichhardt or Blackwattle Bay Campuses have automatic enrolment into the respective Campus.
Parents/guardians of students living within the designated drawing areas for Balmain, Leichhardt or Blackwattle Bay Campuses should contact the office of the respective campus to make an appointment for a pre-enrolment interview.
Please note the Department's Enrolment of students in Government schools policy states that "Principals may refuse enrolment of a student on the grounds of previously documented violent behaviour if there is evidence that the student has not learned appropriate skills to manage this behaviour" (p.20).
Parents/guardians are asked to bring a copy of the child's birth certificate to the interview, or if the child is not a permanent resident, a passport and appropriate visa. If there are any current family court orders in place, please also bring the original document.
Parents/guardians will be required to produce three types of proof of current and active residence within the drawing area for that Campus. Only the sighting of original and the most recent documents will be accepted:
- Council rates notice or lease agreement for residence.
- Electricity, water or gas bill for that residence in the parent/guardian name.
- Bank or credit card statement in the parent/guardian name and with that billing address
A driver's licence will not be accepted as proof of residence.
After the interview with the Campus enrolment co-ordinator, parents/guardians will be asked to complete and return an application to enrol in a NSW public school. Parents/guardians will be notified of the result of the application. Please note that this form must be completed in English. Help is available for parents who do not read and/or write English.
Applications for enrolment are lodged with the Campus at which the parent/guardian is seeking enrolment. Enrolment forms may be accessed at any government school or online at education.nsw.gov.au.
Students not living within the designated drawing area
Criteria for non-local placement include:
- Proximity and access to the school
- Siblings already enrolled at the school
- Availability of subjects and co-curricula activities
- Access to a co-educational setting
Departmental policy states that "the primary criteria for acceptance of non-local enrolments will include the availability of appropriate staff and permanent classroom accommodation".
The enrolment ceiling is determined on an annual basis in consultation with the Director, Port Jackson Principals Network.
Students enrolled in Balmain and Leichhardt Campuses have priority placement in Year 11 at Blackwattle Bay Campus. Enrolment into Year 12 will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.
Selective enrolments Years 7-12
Year 7 enrolments are offered by the Department to students who are successful at the Selective Schools Test conducted early in the final year of primary school. This test and all offers of placement are conducted external to the school by the Department's High Performing Students Unit. Years 8–12 selective enrolments are conducted by the relevant Campus and are subject to available places and the meeting of academic criteria.
Application must be made formally through the relevant Campus with as much supporting evidence as possible. Application forms are available from the Campus towards the end of July each year.
A placement panel, including the Campus Principal or delegate, the Director or their nominee, the school counsellor and a parent representative, considers all applications before an offer is made. Demonstrated evidence of high academic achievement must be evident.
All selective students must be Australian citizens, permanent Australian residents or the child of diplomatic staff.
Waiting lists will be established where there are no places available at the time of application or where requests for enrolment exceed available places. Waiting lists are current for one year. Parents will be advised if their child is being placed on a waiting list.
International and temporary visa holders 7-12
No overseas students can enrol without an official Authority to Enrol issued by the Department's International Students Centre. Enrolment will be based on the availability of spaces.
Enrolments will not generally be accepted in Term 4 Year 10. Initial application must be made to the International Student Centre at:
827-837 George Street
Ultimo, NSW 2007
Australia
Postal address
Locked Bag 53
Darlinghurst, NSW 1300
Australia
Phone, fax and email
Phone:+61 2 8289 4777
Fax (School): +61 2 8293 6928
Fax (TAFE): +61 2 9244 5844
Email: isc@det.nsw.edu.au
Both categories of overseas students are subject to fees payable to the Department.
Enrolment of students with disabilities
At Sydney Secondary College, there is provision for students with disabilities in specialist or mainstream settings:
- Leichhardt Campus: Support Unit for students with intellectual disabilities (IM or IO) or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Targeted funding, specialist teachers and advisory services to support students with disabilities enrolled in regular classes.
- Balmain Campus: Support Unit for students with physical disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder. Targeted funding, specialist teachers and advisory services to support students with disabilities enrolled in regular classes.
- Blackwattle Bay Campus: Support Unit for students with intellectual (IM or IO) and/or physical disabilities and students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Targeted funding, specialist teachers and advisory services to support students with disabilities enrolled in regular classes
NB: placement in any Support Unit class is through an area panel. Enquiries may be directed through:
The Learning & Engagement Officer Special Education
Arncliffe Office
Phone 9582 2860
Appeals
Where a parent/guardian wishes to appeal against the decision of the placement panel, the appeal should be made in writing to the College Principal in the first instance.
Ms Judy Kelly
Sydney Secondary College
Administration Centre
Balmain Campus
Terry St, Rozelle
NSW 2039
The College Principal will seek to resolve the matter. The purpose of the appeal is to determine whether procedural fairness has occurred and the stated criteria appropriately applied.