Applying out of area for reasons of student wellbeing

Learn about the requirements for applying to an out of area school for reasons of student wellbeing, including how your application is prioritised.

Our public schools are set up and supported to meet the needs of all children.

Sometimes, these needs would be better met at an out of area school.

There are various enrolment rules (criteria) for assessing and prioritising out of area enrolments. One of these is individual circumstances, based on student wellbeing.

How your application is assessed

If you apply based on student wellbeing, you must give strong reasons why your child:

cannot attend their Priority Enrolment Area school
should attend the out of area school you prefer.

Before submitting an out of area application for wellbeing reasons, talk to your local school about how they can:

meet your child’s learning needs
help your child make friends
create a safe, supportive and engaging environment for your child.

Preschool enrolments based on student wellbeing

All 4-year-old children in the ACT are guaranteed a place in a public preschool.

Your application is prioritised based on the enrolment rules (criteria) and whether the preschool has places available.

Preschools give the highest priority to children who meet the ‘individual circumstances based on student wellbeing’ criteria, subject to capacity.

Concerns you may have

You may have one or more concerns about your child’s wellbeing, which has led to you considering an out of area school.

Meeting your child’s learning needs

Our public schools have the skills and experience to support all children to take part in education on the same basis as other students. This includes children with disability and diverse learning needs.

Talk to your local school if you have questions about supports the school can provide.

Find out how our schools support:

Accessing a curriculum choice

You cannot apply to an out of area school for student wellbeing reasons on the basis that your child needs to access a particular curriculum choice.

You can apply, for reasons of ‘curriculum’, if you live in the ACT and your local school or college does not offer:

a language your child wants to study at high school
an approved course your child wants to study at college.

This applies to Category B high schools and colleges only, subject to capacity.

You cannot use curriculum choice reasons when applying for an out of area primary school or to access non-language subjects at high school.

Your preferred school will confirm that your curriculum choice is not available at your PEA school when assessing your application.

Keeping your child safe

The safety of children is top priority at all our schools.

Our public schools have processes and policies that address bullying, harassment, violence and responding to complex and concerning behaviours.

Talk to your local school about how they can:

provide a positive and engaging environment
help your child feel connected, respected, achieve success and be fully engaged in their learning.

Learn more about behaviour at school and bullying.

Helping your child make friends

Starting a new school can be a time of change when it comes to friendship groups.

It may help to remember that at key transition points, such as Kindergarten, Year 7 and Year 11, a lot of other children are in a similar situation.

Your local school recognises the importance of social connections and knows how to help students:

form new and lasting friendship groups
feel included by their peers.

Having a peer group for support is not enough on its own to meet the student wellbeing criteria.

Talk to your local school about how they can support your child to form new friendship groups. Many schools offer clubs and activities to help students find peers with common interests.

If your child is currently in an out of area school

There is no guarantee your child will be able to attend an out of area school with their current peer group for their next stage of schooling. You will continue to be guaranteed a place at a school in your PEA.

Helping your child attend school

ACT public schools support students to engage with school. They can help with issues around:

attendance
managing anxiety
feeling connected to school life
taking part in school life.

Talk to your local school about how they promote and support positive behaviour, mental health and wellbeing.

Completing your application

You may be able to apply for an out of area enrolment for student wellbeing reasons if you:

have discussed your child’s needs with your local school
can show that you and your local school have taken steps to address any concerns, but this was not enough to meet your child’s wellbeing needs.

Supporting documents

Each child and their situation is unique. You must decide what documents will help support your application. Examples include:

a parent statement about why your child cannot attend their local school, and why they should attend your preferred school
current supporting statements or reports from a medical or allied health professional, written within roughly the last 6 months
police reports or protection orders indicating a safety risk for the child
legal documents or court orders indicating required enrolment at a particular school.

If you have additional supporting documents, that become available after you’ve submitted your application, you can email them to:

your preferred school
our Enrolment team at education.enrolment@act.gov.au.

Do not delay sending these documents. If they arrive after we have made enrolment offers, we may not be able to change your offer.

Addressing the wellbeing criteria

Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis. There are no specific requirements for meeting the wellbeing criteria and each child’s situation is different.

On the enrolment form, make sure you say why your child:

cannot attend their local school
should attend the preferred school.

It is important to address both parts of the criteria so we can fully consider your application.

If you address only one part, it will probably not be enough to meet the criteria.

If your child’s needs can be met at their local school, your preferred school will decline your application. You will be offered a place at a school within your PEA.