UNPRECEDENTED demand for enrolment at Hunter Catholic primary schools have sparked changes to the diocese's policies that will set out fresh preferences for which students get access to the system first.
Head of Catholic Schools Steve Lemos said the demand, combined with the desire to offer families a pathway for their children from kindergarten to year 12, had led to the changes.
"Applications for 2024 enrolments far outweigh the capacity at school sites. The enrolment policy has been updated so Catholic pathway school students receive priority at Catholic secondary schools," he said.
Mr Lemos outlined the policy changes in a letter to CDMN families on Wednesday, January 17.
Siblings of students who are currently enrolled in the school to which the application is being made take precedence, followed by Catholic families living within the school's catchment area.
After those applicants are Catholic families who participate in the life and worship of the parish, those who don't but have children who attend a St Nicholas Early Education Centre, followed by those living within the catchment area but do not participate in parish life.
Next in line are families with children at a St Nicholas Early Education centre that live within the catchment area.
Families of other Christian denominations and other families living within the school's catchment area and committed to supporting all aspects of Catholic education are next in line.
High school prioritisations in the system follow similar guidelines, with students who are currently enrolled in a Catholic primary school the top priority followed by siblings of existing students, Catholic families from other schools who live in the catchment, then families of other Christian denominations and finally other families within the catchment.
