Our Enrolment Process
St Mary's uses an online application process.
Families have four options:-
1. Request an Information Pack: This is for when you are are looking at schools and just want some information. This option allows you to receive a school information pack.
2. Request a Personal tour: We like to give all our families a one on one tour of the school. If you complete this enquiry, Gemma or Madeleine will be in contact to book a time. Please bring your child to this tour so we can meet them. All families are expected to have a personal tour with the school and meet the Parish Priest.
3. Join a personal tour: Sometimes we are able to go through our calendars and set up some times for personal tours times. You can book your personal tour through here. If this is not available, just complete a Request a Personal Tour Enquiry and a staff member will be in touch to book a time.
4. Complete an enrolment form. When you are ready to enrol your child, just follow the prompts and complete the application. This then goes directly into our administration system.
Completing an application does not guarantee you a position. Your application will need to be approved.
The school sends out a letter of offer after the end of April. We do take enrolments throughout the whole year, however letters of offers may have already gone out.
Although St. Mary’s Primary School caters primarily for Catholic children residing within St. Mary’s Parish Williamstown boundaries, every endeavour is made to accommodate all applicants for enrolment. The demand for prep places will vary from year-to-year, depending on the number of sibling and Parish/Catholic children applications. St. Mary’s Parish Priest and Principal work closely with other Catholic Primary Schools in Hobson's Bay to ensure equity and access for all families.
Do you have to be Catholic to attend our school? In short no, but most of our students are Catholic. We do accept other faiths into our school. It can depend on how many positions we have available as Catholic students will be a priority. All families who attend the school are expected to support the faith.
In Term 4 of the year before your child enters school, we invite the new preps in to visit the school. We have three or four sessions that we expect the new students to attend. Each session goes for around two hours with one of those sessions usually over a break time so they have an experience of being in the playground with the other students. Parents and guardians do not attend these sessions.
During one of those sessions we have a parent and guardian session where the Principal speaks to all parents and guardians about starting at the school. School Board and Parents and Friends (P and F) representatives speak at these sessions as well if they are available.
Our Prep teachers will also hold sessions for the parents and guardians at the start of the new school year.
On the first day of school you are welcome to come into the classrooms, take a few pictures, celebrate the moment. We then have a big morning tea organised by our Parents and Friends to welcome the families.
The students finish at lunchtime on the first day and our tradition is that all our families go to Commonwealth Reserve for a picnic lunch together.
