Enrolment

Enrolment information is also available for this school in hard copy from the office.

Enrolments are accepted from Year 1 to Year 6.  (5-11 years)

The criteria to be used by Proprietors, and their authorised agents, when determining whether or not the parents of a child have established such a particular or general religious connection with the Catholic Special Character are:

  • The child has been baptised or is being prepared for baptism in the Catholic Church.
  • The child’s parents/guardians have already allowed one or more of its siblings to be baptised in the Catholic faith
  •  At least one parent/guardian is a Catholic, and although their child has not yet been baptised, the child’s participation in the life of the school could lead to the parents having the child baptised.
  • With the agreement of the child’s parent/legal guardian, a significant familial adult such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle who is actively involved in the child’s upbringing undertakes to support the child’s formation in the faith and practices of the Catholic Church.
  • One or both of a child’s non-Catholic parents/guardians is preparing to become a Catholic.

Enrolment Procedures

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS / CAREGIVERS SEEKING PREFERENCE of ENROLMENT at CATHOLIC SCHOOLS The following information is given to assist parents/caregivers seeking to gain preference of enrolment at a Catholic school.

Catholic State Intergrated schools select preference students on the following grounds.

The agent for determining preference is the St Mary's Parish Priest.

 

  • In seeking preference of enrolment at a Catholic School you need to make a commitment to actively supporting your child in his/her faith formation and the practices of the Catholic Church. 

  • The Diocesan Preference Certificate needs to be signed by a Parish Priest or other authorized agent of the Bishop. It is normal practice to make an appointment with the Priest. 

  • A new Preference Certificate is required for each child in the family. 

  • Preference Certificates are school specific, in that the name of the school, the family intends to make an application for enrolment, must be specified on the Certificate. If you intend to apply for enrolment at a number of different Catholic schools you should have the required number of Preference Certificates and ask the Priest to sign these during the one interview. 

  • A new Preference Certificate is required for transfer to another school e.g. primary to secondary school. In some exceptional circumstances the preference status of your children could change.

  • The school keeps the Preference Certificate – not the family.  If you are applying for preference of enrolment under criteria 5.3 which reads At least one parent/guardian is a CatholiĐ, and although their child has not yet been baptised, the child’s participation in the life of the school could lead to the parents having the child baptized, it is important to recognize that one parent/guardian being Catholic is not sufficient in itself to guarantee that preference will be granted. The second part of the sentence has equal weight with the first. 

 

If you are applying for preference of enrolment under criteria 5.4: 

  • The familial adult must be a close family member who is actively involved in your child’s upbringing; a practicing Catholic and live close to you so that they can actively support your child’s faith formation and practices of the Catholic Church by taking your child to Sunday Masses and supporting other school and parish initiatives. 
  • This familial adult needs to accompany you to the meeting with the Priest when seeking preference of enrolment.

  • It is responsibility of the familial adult to provide some evidence to show they are an active member of the Catholic Church, if not personally known to the person granting preference of enrolment.

  • Priests/ Bishop’s Agents grant preference and they are the only person who may do so. Schools then decide which students they will accept for enrolment.

  • Attendance at a Catholic school by non-preference students is not grounds for seeking preference of enrolment at another Catholic school

 

State integrated schools have open places for non-preference students.   

Non-Preference places criteria:

The applicants accept that they will be required to pay attendance dues as set by the Proprietor and these are not voluntary.

The applicants accept that they will be coming to a school of special character and that their place in the school is conditional on their participation in the programme.

Non- Preference Criteria that apply to this school.

The siblings of non-preference students already in the school.

The children of staff or Board members who seek to enrol their children.

Non-preference students coming from another integrated school with the same special character.

Children who live within one kilometre of the school and who want to participate in the special character programme of the school.

Non-preference students who cannot enrol immediately may choose to be placed on a waiting list. Students on this list are wait listed by date and number and will be contacted if places become available. At the end of the calendar year the list is removed and people apply to be reinstated on the wait list for the following year.

  •           This school has a maximum of 12 places.
  •           There are currently 0 places and no non preference places likely until 2022.
  •   Click here for Enrolment Form


ENROLMENT FOR 2024 IS NOW CLOSED

 

New Entrants Enrolments

St Mary's Palmerston North 0 1536

Parents of New Entrant children will receive a written invitation to visit the reception classroom on up to three occasions before the child starts school.  An extensive information kit will be given to the parents of all New Entrant children.  In order to give children an optimum start to school, it is strongly recommended that no New Entrant children begin school in December each year.  All our contributing kindergartens are willing to retain December five year olds until the Christmas holidays.  Parents of children turning five in December are welcome to discuss this matter with the school.

 

 

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