Enrol at a public school

Many public schools have a ‘local-intake area’. This is a boundary set around a school that may have more applications for enrolment than places available for students.

To find out if you live in the local-intake area for a particular school:

• visit Schools Online to search for your address and find the school
• if you live in the school’s local-intake area, your address will show inside the boundary lines or in the description on Schools Online
• contact the school directly
• contact your local education regional office.

For information about how public school enrolments are managed, refer to our Enrolment in Public Schools policy and procedures.

Many children enrol in Kindergarten at their local school. If your local school does not have enough places for all the Kindergarten children who apply, you may be offered a place at another school that is close to your home. 

Follow our easy steps to enrol in Kindergarten.

Step 1 – Submit an application for enrolment

Contact the school to find out how to submit an application for Kindergarten. 

Submit your application for enrolment. Kindergarten places are offered after enrolment applications close on the first Friday of Term 3 in the year before your child starts at Kindergarten. 

If there are more Kindergarten applications than places available, the principal will apply our enrolment priorities to your enrolment application. They will notify you in writing if they can offer your child a place. 

Note:
If your enrolment application is unsuccessful, the principal will explain why your child could not be offered a place and help you find a school with Kindergarten places.

Step 2 - Accept the offer of a place

The school will need to confirm that your child meets the immunisation requirements before you can accept a place and finalise your child’s Kindergarten enrolment. 

You will need to provide an Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Immunisation History Statement for your child that is not more than 2 months old when you accept the offer of a place.

If your child’s immunisation status is not up-to-date, the school will provide more information about the enrolment requirements for not up-to-date children. If your child meets these requirements, they can enrol.

For more information about the immunisation requirements, visit Pre-compulsory schooling: Kindergarten.

Step 3 - Finalise the enrolment

Your child’s enrolment at the school will be finalised if your child meets the immunisation requirements. The principal will tell you how to finalise your child’s enrolment. 

You may need to provide up-to-date enrolment information including:

• any parenting plan, court order or care order that describes your child’s living arrangements
• if your child’s residential address or visa information has changed since you first applied.

Note:

• If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your application, you can request a review of the principal’s decision. 

Your child’s Kindergarten enrolment ceases at the end of their Kindergarten year. Pre-primary is a new enrolment. Your child may need to enrol at a new school in Pre-primary.

For information about how Kindergarten enrolments are managed, refer to section 3.1.3 of our Enrolment in Public Schools policy and procedures.

Children of compulsory school age must be enrolled at school and attend every day.

In Years 11 and 12, there are alternatives to full-time schooling.

Follow our easy steps to enrol in Pre-primary to Year 12.

Step 1 – Submit an application for enrolment

Contact the school to find out how to submit an application for enrolment. 

Submit your application for enrolment and ask when you can expect an outcome.

Wait for the outcome of your application before applying to another school. Tell the school if you applied for your child to enrol in a specialist program at another public school and they have not yet been offered a place. This helps the principal to plan for your child. 

If a public school has a local intake area and your Pre-primary to Year 12 child lives in that area, they can enrol at the school – they have a guaranteed place. 

Enrolment priority at schools without a local-intake area is given to those Pre-primary to Year 12 children who live nearest to the school when the number of enrolment applications exceeds the number of places available for students.

If you have submitted a Pre-primary to Year 12 enrolment application for your child to a public school that is not their local intake school, your application will be assessed under the enrolment priorities that apply to the school. 

After the principal has considered all enrolment applications, they will notify you in writing of the outcome of your application. 

For more information about Pre-primary to Year 12 enrolment priorities, refer to section 3.1.4 of our Enrolment in Public Schools policy and procedures.

Note:

• If your child is selected for a secondary Gifted and Talented program at one of our schools, they have a place at the school even if they live outside its local-intake area.
• If your enrolment application is unsuccessful, the principal will explain why your child could not be offered a place. 
• If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your application, you can request a review of the principal’s decision. 

Step 2 - Accept and finalise the enrolment

Your child’s enrolment at the school will be finalised when you accept their place. The principal will tell you how to finalise your child’s enrolment. 

You may need to provide up-to-date enrolment information including:

• an Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Immunisation History Statement for your child that is not more than 2 months old (For more information about immunisation, visit HealthyWA)
• any parenting plan, court order or care order that describes your child’s living arrangements
• if your child’s residential address or visa information has changed since you first applied.

If your child has special educational needs or a disability, they can enrol at their local public school. They may also be eligible to enrol at a school or centre that has one of our primary or secondary specialist disability programs: 

• Deaf education schools, centres and programs
• education support schools, centres or programs
• learning programs for students with autism
• language development centres.

Find the list of endorsed programs for students with disability.

Find more information about enrolling your child with disability in the Enrolment framework for students with disability in public schools.

For enrolment instructions, refer to the tabs 'How to enrol in Kindergarten' or ‘How to enrol in Pre-primary to Year 12’.

What you will be asked to provide

When you apply to enrol your child at a school provide information about: 

• their educational needs 
• their personal care and medical needs
• whether they have a diagnosed disability or a medical or health condition.

How your child may be supported

When your child’s enrolment is finalised, you and the school staff will talk about: 

• strategies to support your child’s learning and engagement in school activities
• adjustments that may need to be provided during the school day
• how an individualised education plan could be tailored to meet their needs
• specialised equipment your child may need to support their learning
• assistance they may need to move safely around the school grounds 
• assistance they may need for excursions and activities like swimming lessons
• transport to and from school, and whether your child might be eligible for assistance from School Bus Services.

Find out more about learning and support for children with special educational needs.

Enrol your child at a public school if they are not an Australian citizen

Enrolment options for children who are not Australian citizens depend on your or their visa details. You will need to provide evidence of the visa subclass number and status. You will also need to tell the school about changes to your or your child’s visa subclass number or conditions.
 

Required evidence for visa holders and enrolment instructions

Find more information about enrolment and overseas tuition fees in the Enrolment framework for students with a visa in public schools.

If your child is in the early stages of learning English, refer to the tab ‘The early stages of learning English'.

If your child is in the early stages of learning English, their school will assist them to learn English so they can participate in school activities and become a successful and confident learner. They may be able to attend an English language program at one of our intensive English centres.

Intensive English centres are located in the Perth metropolitan area. For locations and further information, read our Intensive English centre brochure. Translated versions of the brochure are available. Scroll to the bottom of this page to select from the translated versions.

If you need assistance with enrolling your child, contact your local school or your education regional office. Let them know if you would like an interpreter so they can organise this for you.

If you or your child have a visa, refer to the tab 'Enrolment options for visa holders'.