Enrolment Policy

Burdekin Catholic High School welcomes students whose parents/carers wish them to be educated in an environment that has the Gospel and a Catholic ethos as its basis.

THE NEED

“In the certainty that the Spirit is at work in every person, the Catholic school offers itself to all, Christian and non-Christian alike” (The Catholic School, Rome, 1977#85)
Burdekin Catholic High School is a community drawn from disparate and diverse elements of society, rich in pluralism and religious practice.  Its vocation is to provide a genuine experience of the Church and to provide the opportunity to meet young people in an environment that favours their Christian formation.  (The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, Rome 1997).

Burdekin Catholic High School seeks a clearer understanding of the nature and purpose of Catholic education in order to develop a framework that enables just decisions to be made regarding those students seeking enrolment.

Burdekin Catholic High School recognises that some parents/carers seek enrolment for their children as a result of their own experience as members of the Catholic Church.  It also recognises that others need to become aware of the nature and purpose of the school, its ethos and mission in order to make an informed choice and commitment.

VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

1. Catholic schools are an important part of the mission of the Church.
2. Burdekin Catholic High School recognises that parents/carers are the first educators of their children and usually the most important ones.
3. Burdekin Catholic High School will be a thoughtful and active participant in the works of ecumenism and inter-religious relationships.
4. Burdekin Catholic High School will be able to offer young people the means to acquire the knowledge and life skills they need in order to find a place in society.
5. Burdekin Catholic High School will aspire for excellence, good pedagogy, a quality curriculum, student achievement and a safe and effective learning environment.
6. Burdekin Catholic High School recognises its responsibility to those who are in any way marginalised.
7. Not all students at Burdekin Catholic High School are members of the Catholic Church; not all are Christian.  The religious freedom and the personal conscience of individual students must be respected and this freedom is explicitly recognised by the Church.  On the other hand, Burdekin Catholic High School cannot relinquish its own freedom to proclaim the Gospel and to offer a formation based on the values inherent in a Christian education.

DIRECTIONS

1. Any parents/carers from the community may apply for enrolment for their child/ren
2. Parents/carers applying for enrolment are to be made aware of the Catholic nature of the school and what this implies for the kind of education in which their child/ren will participate and which the parents/carers will be expected to support.
3. When an application for enrolment is received on behalf of a child with special educational needs, the school’s supported enrolment procedure will be followed.
4. Parents/carers are to be made aware that the payment of fees and charges is expected of all those who can afford to pay but that a genuine inability to make these payments is not an obstacle to enrolment.
5. Burdekin Catholic High School will work with the Catholic Primary Schools towards a common enrolment form and a sharing of enrolment information.
6. Full and frank disclosure of all relevant and accurate information is required to allow the school to make an informed decision regarding the enrolment of a student.  Failure to provide such information could result in cancellation of enrolment.
7. Burdekin Catholic High School reserves the right to determine what applications will be followed by an offer of enrolment.
8. Applications for enrolment are accepted throughout the year. Application forms are available from this website.