Enrolment

Information

To enrol at Newton Primary School there are a number of eligibility requirements.

Follow these easy steps to enrol your children:

Step 1
Contact your local public school for an application for enrolment form. The school can help you with your application.

Step 2
Submit your application for enrolment at your local school as soon as possible along with copies of:

your child's birth certificate (telephone the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages on 1300 305 021 if you do not have one)
your child's Immunisation History Statement (visit the Department of Health for instructions on how to obtain this statement)
proof of your current address (eg recent accounts for electricity, water and telephone, bank details)
copies of Family Court orders for confirmation of proof of name or custody arrangements.

Step 3

You will receive a letter from your local school either offering a place (as per the Regulations) or indicating that no place is available.

Step 4
If you have an offer of a place and want to accept it, visit the school to complete the enrolment process.

The Department of Education’s Schools and You parent website, has information to assist parents with the application and enrolment processes for their children. Click HERE for more information.

To check local intake boundary information please call the school on 6595 9100.

For an application pack to enrol your child, please come to our school administration building. We offer school tours and we will be able to provide you with an enrolment package and any further information.

Student Class Placement Policy

Our classes are formed based on the professional judgement of staff to ensure the best learning environment for each student. Decisions take into account student academic, social and emotional needs, and all resources available to us.

The process we undertake is as follows:

Administration decides the class structures for the following year based on available resourcing, anticipated enrolments according to the School Education Act Employees General Agreement 2017 (Article 12).
Parents are encouraged to speak with teachers about specific arrangements, or placements based on academic needs. Requests in relation to a specific teacher will not be considered as a placement factor.
Teaching staff will allocate students to classes based on factors including discussions with students (friendships), behaviour, gender, year levels, social factors and any other relevant resources and facilities. While parents know their children best, in the school environment, teachers are most aware of all relevant academic and social information about all the children in their particular year level. This information is vital for a successful classroom and the good running of the school.
Teachers then provide their lists to school administration to ratify final class placement decisions.
Parents will be notified of class placement in the final week of Term 4 of the preceding year.

We acknowledge that classroom placement can sometimes cause anxiety. At Newton Primary, children’s wellbeing is a priority. If your child is having difficulty with relationships or change, please help us to support them and talk to the classroom teacher if needed. Rest assured that we are with your children every step of the way to help teach them the skills to successfully adapt to change. We encourage you to support the school to nurture this resilience which will serve them both in school and beyond.

Newton Primary has an additional process, whereby students who are known to have high levels of anxiety around change, are supported with additional transition meetings with their new teacher early in the year, prior to the first day of school. This practice has been highly successful for students having a smooth start to their new year.

Frequently asked questions:

Can I request for my child to be (or not be) with a particular child?

No. If your child is having difficulty with a student in class, please inform the classroom teacher in the first instance, so that the matter can be resolved. Managing relationships is an aspect of the school experience where students learn to function socially with all kinds of people.

Can I request a particular teacher for my child in writing or through discussion with my child’s current teacher?

No. This is not part of our school’s policy.

When I get my child’s class placement, can I request that it be changed?

You may talk with the teacher about your concerns and be assured that these concerns will be shared with the principal so that your child’s anxieties can be addressed. Teachers have the skills to help children adjust. Changes to placements are rare, due to the fact that they cause a chain reaction across the school, impacting on the balance in other classes. While we take great care in catering for the individual child during the placement process, it is important to know that your child is part of a complex equation that involves a considerable number of other children.

Can my child repeat a year?

Parent requests and special circumstances will be given full consideration in consultation with classroom teachers, the school psychologist, SAER deputy and principal. However, we do not encourage the repeating of students in a year level. This is based on research that indicates it is not beneficial to the student to repeat a year level.

Why do we have split classes?

Split classes are formed where there are insufficient numbers in a single year level to maintain a single grade class. In our senior classes, we find split multi-age classes have a positive impact on both social and leadership development and this is also backed up by educational research. All classes regardless of year level have a spread of abilities, so there is no disadvantage or advantage to any class mix. Split classes also assist with additional students being placed without forcing a restructure of multiple classes.

Recommended maximum class sizes

Kindergarten – 20 students per class, Pre Primary – 27 students for purpose built early childhood classrooms (ours are purpose built), Years 1-3 – 24 students, Years 4-6 – 32 students

What if my child is having difficulty in his/her new placement after school has started?

It is vital to give your child time to adjust to his/her new surroundings. We will do what we can in partnership with you, to facilitate that adjustment. Parents need to talk to and work with the teacher, so that the child’s needs can be addressed, and the issue resolved. Parents play a significant part in this process by being as positive and encouraging as possible with their child. It can be daunting to be in a new class and new environment, which is why it is important that both families and teachers work together to support this transition with patience and an open mind. Making new friends and adjusting socially to new spaces and situations are essential in successful schooling.

Please know that teacher’s care deeply for all their students and they strive to ensure the best learning conditions and the smoothest of transitions for all of them. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or administration.

Date of Policy: May 7, 2024. Review: May 2025.