Waverley Christian College

Thank you for considering Waverley Christian College for your child's education.

We exist as a school community to provide Christian education to a generation of young people that will encourage them to progress as confident, responsive, interdependent and inspired learners that will enable them to impact the community, our nation and the world for the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is the intention of the College to work with Christian families by supporting them and reinforcing Biblical values and standards of conduct. The College aims to see students engaged in meaningful learning experiences that will enrich their lives and help them to know God and understand their place in the world. It is our desire to see each student discovering and developing their gifts and abilities, using these to bring honour to God and benefit to society in sacrificial service for others.

Accordingly, only those students who will enhance the fulfillment of the College's mission will be admitted to the College. The College will admit students of any race, gender, national or ethnic origin and will not refuse admission purely on the basis of financial hardship.

It is the policy of the College to enrol only children from Christian homes who are themselves Christians; where the student and at least one parent is involved in regular fellowship in a local church; who accept the Bible as God's Word and who are willing to submit to its principles as final authority.

In practice, this will mean that each student will be committed to regular and active involvement in a local church and will honestly endeavour to set a positive example with their actions, behaviour and speech as a worshipful response to God’s grace in our lives and consistent with His expectations of Christian community. We recognise the “fallenness” of humanity and the resultant broken relationships that can occur because of our sinful nature and we encourage an openness to transformation in our lives by the Holy Spirit (through His grace) that restores ourselves to Him and to each other.

Waverley Christian College is committed to an enrolment policy that is consistent with our vision and values and all applicable State and Commonwealth Laws, including anti-discrimination, equal opportunity, privacy, Child Safe and immunisation legislation.

Families seeking admission to the College should review information on the College’s website, including the College Prospectus, Enrolment Agreement, Terms and Conditions of Enrolment, Parent Code of Conduct, Privacy Notice and Fee Schedules. The Application for Enrolment Form should be completed and submitted to the College with the required documentation as requested on the Application for Enrolment Form. The relevant Application Form should be used:

• Local Student: Australian citizens, permanent residents, or persons with appropriate resident status; or
• Overseas Student: A person who holds, or is included in a visa that permits the visa holder to travel to Australia for the purpose of undertaking a course provided by an educational establishment, or a bridging visa attached to a substantive visa with those provisions. Overseas Student visa subclasses include 500, 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, and575.

The Application for Enrolment Form must be signed by both biological parents of the prospective student. If otherwise, copies of supporting documentation should be provided, for example, court order/s, documentation evidencing legal guardianship, etc. The College only accepts complete applications, which include the relevant signatures and all supporting documentation requested on the Application Form. To start primary school your child will need to turn five years old by 30 April in the year that they start school. Children must turn four years of age by 30 April in the year they will attend kindergarten unless they are eligible for Early Start Kindergarten.

Due to the substantial demand for places, a waiting list is maintained when places are not immediately available. Applications are recorded on the waiting list according to the date that the application is received by the College. The child will automatically continue on to the waiting list for the next year and each subsequent year until a place arises, unless the College is advised that a place is no longer required. Where a family decides not to proceed, that application will be cancelled and any subsequent application will be considered with a new application date. The College reserves the right to refuse an application or remove an application from the waiting list where it is inconsistent with the College’s ethos, faith or values.

New families and students seeking admission into the College will be interviewed by the Head of School or their representative. The interview process seeks to ensure prospective families and students are in harmony with the principles and vision of the College as a Christian school. The interview also provides the opportunity for an explanation of College policies. Families may be required to provide updated documentation prior to interview, for example a pastoral reference letter from the church that the family is currently attending, most recent school reports, medical reports, etc. During the interview process, the prospective families may be asked about their personal Christian faith journey to ascertain their alignment with the College’s values, vision and ethos. Prospective families may also be asked about any special needs to support the child and any further information it deems necessary.

Interviews are offered in the order of when applications are received, with preference for interviews offered at the discretion of the College, to the following:

• Siblings of students currently attending the College (“Current Family Priority”)
• Siblings of students who will commence at the College in the following year (“Current Family Next Year Priority”)
• Children whose parents (a) are full-time or part-time employees of the College and (b) have parental responsibility for that child (“Staff Priority”)
• Students who previously attended the College for a period of at least two years, or whose sibling attended the College for a period of at least two years (“Returning Student Priority” or “Returning Family Priority”)
• Children whose parents (a) are past students of the College and (b) have parental responsibility for the child (“Alumni Priority”)

Places offered as a result of the above priorities may be withdrawn by the College in the following circumstances:

• Where a sibling’s place was offered as a result of “Current Family Priority”, and that current student does not continue at the College in the year of the sibling’s entry
• Where a sibling’s place was offered as a result of “Current Family Next Year Priority”, and the student with the confirmed place does not commence at the College in that year
• Where the child’s place was offered as a result of “Staff Priority” and the parent is no longer a staff member in the year of the child’s entry

Both parents are required to attend the enrolment interview, along with the prospective student. Where a sibling of the prospective student is already attending the College, an enrolment interview is typically only required where the prospective student is seeking admission in the Secondary school, or where advised by the College. Only one parent may be required to attend with the prospective student.

All offers of enrolment are made at the absolute discretion of the College. Enrolment decisions are based on a range of information and factors, and determined on a case-by-case basis having regard to the family’s alignment with the College’s vision, values and Christian ethos.

The College may obtain further information regarding the child, for example by conducting reference checks with the child’s previous/current school or church, in order to determine whether to make an offer of enrolment.

Overseas students are required to demonstrate a satisfactory level of English language proficiency prior to enrolment, and must live with a parent or blood relative for the entire duration of their enrolment at the College. Please refer to the Overseas Student Information Booklet for further information.

Parents will be notified of the outcome of the enrolment interview in writing. In order to accept the child’s place at the College, a signed Enrolment Agreement together with a non-refundable Acceptance of Enrolment fee must be received by the due date advised on the letter.

By law, an Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register must be provided to enrol in primary school. All newly enrolled students are admitted on probation for their first semester. Their progress will be reviewed before their second semester with respect to the student meeting the expected culture, ethos and values of our faith community. Enrolments are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment.

The College reserves the right to refuse an application, withdraw an offer of enrolment or withdraw an application from the waiting list where there are reasonable grounds for doing so.

Adjustments The College will consider enrolment applications in accordance with equal opportunity legislation, including in circumstances where a child seeking enrolment has a disability.

A disability may include:

• Total or partial loss of the child’s bodily or mental functions;
• Total or partial loss of a part of the child’s body;
• The presence in the child’s body of organisms cause or capable of causing, disease orillness;
• The malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the child’s body;
• A disorder or malfunction that results in the child learning differently from a child without the disorder or malfunction; or
• A disorder, illness or disease that affects a child’s thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment.

Where relevant, the parents will be asked to provide information as to the disability of their child for the purpose of ascertaining whether the disability would affect the child’s ability to participate in or benefit from the program at the College. This may include medical reports and assessments.

The College will consider what, if any, adjustments are necessary to support the child to enrol in or participate at the College, and whether such adjustments are reasonable in the circumstances. Prior to making a final decision as to the enrolment of the child, the College will consult with the parents regarding its assessment of the child’s ability to actively participate at the College in a manner that provides the child with substantial benefit and does not give rise to unreasonable adjustments by the College.

Where the College has made sufficient enquires and formed the view that the adjustments required to support the child’s enrolment and participation at the College are unreasonable or would cause unjustified hardship on the College, or where the child could not or cannot participate in or continue to participate in or derive or continue to derive any substantial benefit from the College’s program, even after adjustments were made, the College may decline to offer a place.

Kindergarten The following children are eligible for attendance in the funded kindergarten program:

• Children who turn four years of age by 30 April in the year they will attendkindergarten
• Children who were eligible to attend in the previous year, but deferred
• Children who have been granted approval to receive funding for a second year of kindergarten in accordance with the Victorian Kindergarten policy, procedures and funding criteria
• Children who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, or known to Child Protection may be eligible for the Early Start Kindergarten program, where they can access two years of a funded Kindergarten program.

The Kindergarten program at the College is for students who will be continuing on to Prep at the College. We do not offer ‘Kinder only’ places.

When demand exceeds availability, the College will refer to the following criteria to determine the priority of access

• Children who are currently enrolled in kindergarten at Waverley Christian College and have received funding for a second year of kindergarten at this service
• Children deemed eligible for one of the five ‘Priority Access’ places held aside each year.
• Families have priority access to these places by fulfilling one or more of the followcriteria:
  • Being identified as ‘at risk of harm or abuse’ by, or being known to Child Services
  • Identifying as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
  • Being an asylum seeker or refugee
  • Being eligible for the Kindergarten Fee Subsidy (child or parent holds a Commonwealth Health Care Card, a Pensioner Concession Card, a Veteran’s Affairs Card, or the child is registered as a multiple birth)
  • Identified as a child with additional needs (child is declared eligible for a second year of kinder, holds a Child Disability Health Care Card, or has been approved for a Kindergarten Inclusion Support (KIS) package)
• Siblings of students currently attending the College (“Current Family Priority”)
• Siblings of students who will commence at the College in the following year (“Current Family Next Year Priority”)
• Children whose parents (a) are full-time or part-time employees of the College and (b) have parental responsibility for that child (“Staff Priority”)
• Students who previously attended the College for a period of at least two years, or whose sibling attended the College for a period of at least two years (“Returning Student Priority” or “Returning Family Priority”)
• Children whose parents(a) are paststudents of the College and (b) have parental responsibility for the child (“Alumni Priority”)

Children can only be funded for a kindergarten place at one service at any one time and only for one year (unless the child is assessed as being eligible for a second funded year by the child’s kindergarten teacher). The enrolment of a child who has not been granted approval to receive a second year of funding for a second year of kindergarten is at the discretion of the College. Additional fees are payable.

Fees collected or funds raised by the College may be used to support the operations of the Kindergarten. Enrolments in kindergarten are only confirmed upon receipt of an Immunisation History Statement from the Australian Immunisation Register evidencing up to date immunisations within two months prior to the child commencing in kindergarten.