Enrolment Forms
Enrolment at Northcote High School
Welcome to our school! The following information has been laid out to help interested parents and students understand the enrolment process at Northcote High School. Please read this information carefully.
All Government schools operate to the same set of Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) guidelines regarding enrolment of students, even though our websites may appear to say different things! If you would like to read the advice, click here to follow this link to the Northern Regional Office of the DEECD. This advice will also be given to you by your primary school around the start of Term 2 (about April 12th, 2010)
1. How to apply for enrolment for Year 7 in 2011
1.1 Open Morning - April 21st 2010, and School Tours
We welcome prospective students and parents to our Annual Open morning, to be held on Wednesday April 21st, 2010, between 9.15 am and 12 noon. Staff and students will be on hand to answer questions about aspects of the school program. Information sessions will be held. This will be an ordinary operating school morning.
Tours in 2010
Primary school parents and students will also be able to observe the school in operation at 9.30 am on the following mornings. Please ring the office (9488 2300) to book in.
Tuesday February 16
Thursday February 18
Tuesday February 23
Thursday February 25
Tuesday March 4
Tuesday March 9
Thursday March 11
Tuesday March 16
Tuesday March 23
Thursday March 25
Tuesday April 13
Thursday April 15
Tuesday April 27
Tuesday May 4
Thursday May 6
Tuesday May 11
Tuesday May 18
Thursday May 20 - Final Tour
1.2 Applying for a Government School with an enrolment ceiling
Application for Enrolment forms, (also known as Transition forms) will be given out by your child's primary school, in early April. This form is the one that must be used to apply for Yr 7 entry to Northcote High School and any other government secondary school. (Northcote does not have these forms to give out) As well as providing contact details, the form asks you to list four government secondary schools, in order of preference.
Although many of our students live in the local area, the school welcomes applications from all families interested in a quality state education for their son or daughter. However, for the past eight years the demand for places at Year 7 has outstripped places available. To manage the demand for places and manage the overall size of the school, DEECD guidelines must be followed in processing the Application for Enrolment forms.
(Note: These are the same guidelines that apply to other schools with enrolment ceilings - such as Brunswick SC and Princes Hill SC)
Applications for entry to Northcote High School are processed in the following priority order:
- Students for whom Northcote High School is geographically the closest school (in a straight line measurement, front gate to front gate, or "as the crow flies"). This means the school is the nearest Government secondary school to the permanent place of their parent(s) and/or primary carer(s), being also the residence of the student for the majority of the time when the application for enrolment is made. Proof of residential status may be required*.
- Students who have a brother or sister already attending the school, who reside at the same permanent residential address, and who will be concurrently enrolled in the school in 2011.
(Please note that the school may not be able to immediately accept late sibling claims)
- Students who seek enrolment on specific curriculum grounds.
2011 Curriculum Claim form (click here to download)
- Any remaining places will be allocated on the basis of proximity of residence to the school.
Note 1. * Acceptable evidence is a copy of a current water or electricity bill or a copy of a 12 month tenancy agreement, in the name of the Parent/Guardian.
Privacy Notice. In such cases, Northcote High School needs to collect your personal information to establish that you reside within the school’s neighbourhood area. Your information will not be disclosed to any other organisation without your consent, or unless authorised or required by law. Copies of any documents you provide to establish your permanent residence are not retained. If you choose not to provide some or all of the information asked for, we may not be able to enrol your child at Northcote High School.
Note 2: False or misleading information provided to the school may result in an Application for Enrolment being set aside.
1.3 General advice on the timeline of processing Year 7 enrolments
- The 2010 Timeline
Application for Enrolment forms, (also known as Transition forms) will be distributed by Primary Schools to families in early April. The completed Application for Enrolment forms will be collected by the Primary Schools on about May 21, 2010. The completed forms will then be passed on to Secondary Schools for processing.
By the end of July 2010, Application for Enrolment forms will have been processed by Northcote HS, and in accordance with DEECD guidelines, Primary schools will be notified of this around July 20th. Primary schools will advise parents and guardians of the success of the application around August 18 , 2010. Primary schools act as the parent's advocate throughout the process.
Sometimes late places become available (after August) because of late change of address and parents changing their minds. However, this did NOT occur in 2009.
- Need More Information?
Your primary school should be your first port of call for more information and your Principal or Transition Coordinator often has useful information regarding the process.
If you are interested - you can find more information about the transition process and guidelines for all Government schools on the website of the Northern Region of DEECD website. Click here to follow the link
- Moving back to the area from interstate or overseas?
If you are moving back into the area from interstate or overseas and have no local primary school to guide you, please contact the Northern Metropolitan Region of the DEECD directly, as soon as possible. Their address is DEECD, NMR, Locked Bag 2001, Coburg, 3058. Telephone (03) 9488 9488.
- Lost or not received an Application for Enrolment form?
Contact the Northern Metropolitan Region of the DEECD directly on (03) 9488 9488.
1.4 The right to appeal regarding Year 7 enrolments
- Asking for a review of decision
Unsuccessful Parents and Guardians may ask the Principal of Northcote High School for a review of a decision within ten days of being advised of an unsuccessful application. A request for review must be received in writing by the Principal, and can only be considered on the grounds that the selection criteria (above) were not appropriately applied or that the evidence presented was not appropriately considered.
The address to write to is; The Principal, Northcote High School, St. George’s Road, Northcote, 3070.
- Appealing a decision
Where a parent or guardian is advised the School Principal has reviewed their application but it was unsuccessful, they still have a right to appeal this decision to Regional Director, DEECD by the end of August, 2010. The address to write to is; Mr. Wayne Craig, Regional General Manager, Northern Metropolitan Region, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Locked Bag 2001, Coburg, 3058. Telephone 9488 9488.
- Waiting List
Northcote maintains a waiting list system at Yr 7, in case any positions become available. Any parent can ask to have their child added to this list, including parents who have gone through a) and b) above. Click here to download the Waiting List request form
1.5 Year 7 Applications on Specific Curriculum Grounds
- Families seeking admission for students on curriculum grounds will need to complete a Curriculum Grounds Application, which is a short written or typed letter, and submit this with the Application for Enrolment, via the Primary School or directly to Northcote. “Curriculum grounds” means that the application must demonstrate what specific program at Northcote is not available at a neighbouring school, and why this is vital for the educational needs of the student.
An example might be, a child who currently studies a language and wishes to continue it, and who cannot continue the language at their local secondary school because it is not offered there.
- Please note that curriculum claims must be submitted to the school at the same time as the Application for Enrolment. Late curriculum claims cannot be considered. Curriculum Grounds Applications must accompany a Application for Enrolment with Northcote High School listed as first choice of secondary school. (Curriculum Grounds Applications can be posted directly to Northcote, or sent with the transition form via the Primary School)
Ease of travel from home to Northcote High School does not constitute a curriculum claim.
- Copies of any supporting documents should be included with the application. Families will not be asked to submit further documents at a later stage. (Note that this differs from arrangements made by some other schools).
Please do not ask Principals or teachers to write open references for your child. If you need to add a school opinion, a copy of the latest school report should be adequate.
- Further advice on “Curriculum Grounds” is available on the following form.
2011 Curriculum Claim form (click here to download)
1.6 Year 7 Applications for the Advanced Curriculum Extension (ACE) program
- A limited number of places are available in the Advanced Curriculum Extension (ACE) select entry program.
(Click here for further information on the program).
Families seeking admission to the ACE program need to contact the school directly to arrange the student to sit the test, which will be held in late April or early May 2009. Families will be advised of the result of the test, and an interview may be required. Parents and Guardians of successful students also need to complete the Application for Enrolment, via the Primary School. Queries about the program should be addressed to Ms Kate Morris.
- An administrative fee is charged to sit for the program tests (This charge covers the cost of the tests and their marking by an external provider) .
- Successful entry to the ACE program is subject to the same processing criteria listed in point 2, above. Students must either live in the neighbourhood area, already have a sibling at the school, or have lodged a successful Curriculum Grounds Application.
- Because of the demand for this program, Northcote will not hold places and cannot usually offer late places.
1.7 What is a "Permanent Address"?
The permanent residential address used for transition purposes is the one already registered by the family with the Primary School at the time of enrolment. To be fair to all, Northcote High School can only accept enrolments based on current, demonstrable, permanent addresses. The school will not accept enrolments for any Year level based on an unverified intention to move into the neighbourhood area.
2. How to apply for enrolment at Year Levels 8-12
Sometimes places become available at Years 8-10 because of student movement. Because of the structure of the VCE timetable, there also tend to be places available at Years 11 and 12 at the end of the year.
Families seeking enrolment at Year levels 8-12 should complete an application to enrol form available from the school. Details of reports and proof of permanent residential address will be required. Vacancies are sometimes available at Years 8-12, but the same criteria are used at these levels as apply at Year 7. (see below) The school will not accept enrolments for any Year level based on an unverified intention to move into the neighbourhood area.
Applications for Yrs 8-12 entry to Northcote High School are processed in the following priority order:
- Students for whom Northcote High School is geographically the closest school. This means the school is the nearest Government secondary school to the permanent place of their parent(s) and/or primary carer(s), being also the residence of the student for the majority of the time when the application for enrolment is made. Proof of residential status may be required*.
- Students who have a brother or sister already attending the school in 2009, who reside at the same permanent residential address, and who will be concurrently enrolled in the school.
- Students who seek enrolment on specific curriculum grounds. (See above)
- Any remaining places will be allocated on the basis of proximity of residence to the school.
*Acceptable evidence is a copy of a current rates notice or a copy of a 12 month tenancy agreement, in the name of the Parent/Guardian.
Privacy Notice. In such cases, Northcote High School needs to collect your personal information to establish that you reside within the school’s neighbourhood area. Your information will not be disclosed to any other organisation without your consent, or unless authorised or required by law. Copies of any documents you provide to establish your permanent residence are not retained. If you choose not to provide some or all of the information asked for, we may not be able to enrol your child at Northcote High School.
The Assistant Principal responsible for Year 8-12 enrolment is Ms Jocelyn Hill. The school's prefered time to enrol new students is November - December, for the following year. Tours are occasionally held late in the year for families interested in Year 8-12 enrolment.
Below is a link to the downloadable enrolment form for Years 8-12. You will notice that evidence of current address and a copy of the latest school report is required.
3. Other Secondary Schools in the Inner and Northern Suburbs of Melbourne:
- Princes Hill Secondary College; Arnold St., North Carlton, 9387 9877 (an enrolment ceiling also applies at this school)
- Collingwood College; Cromwell St. , Collingwood, 9417 6681
- Brunswick Secondary College; Dawson St. , Brunswick, 9387 6133 (an enrolment ceiling also applies at this school)
- Thornbury High School; Collins St, Thornbury, 9480 4066
- Preston Girls Secondary College; Cooma Street Preston , 9470 2755 (Girls 7-12 school)
- Reservoir Secondary College; Plenty Rd. , Reservoir, 9470 3555
- Fitzroy High School; Falconer St , Fitzroy, 9488 1900
- Coburg Senior High School; Bell St, Coburg (Yrs 10-12 only)
- Lakeside Secondary College; Radford Rd, Reservoir, 9460 6655
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