Enrolling in a Catholic School Online

Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools welcome you to visit their Open Days during Term 1 and Term 2 of each year. Find a school near you that is having an Open Day here - https://www.mn.catholic.edu.au/schools/open-days/ or contact your preferred school to find out the details of their upcoming open days.

In recent years the Catholic Diocese has received unprecedented demand for school entry across our Diocesan schools. This demand, combined with the desire to offer families a pathway for their children from Kindergarten through to Year 12, has led to the Diocese revising and adjusting the Enrolment Policy.    

The policy sets out the prioritisation for enrolment in schools and applies to all students seeking enrolment at a Catholic School in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle (CDMN).

A commitment to Catholic education when considering priority of enrolment for secondary education means enrolment at a CDMN primary school from Kindergarten or at least the commencement of Year 4 for priority enrolment for secondary schools.

For further information on the enrolment prioritisation criteria please visit our Enrolment Policy page.

Check our School Finder to find your local Catholic schools.

What is the enrolment process?

Step 1. Application submission
Families complete the enrolment application form (online or paper), providing accurate and complete information about the student and their family with required supporting documentation uploaded or submitted before the deadline.

Step 2. Application review
Schools review the enrolment applications using the Enrolment Policy and supporting documentation.

Step 3. Enrolment decision and notification
Schools inform families of the enrolment decision by email.

Does my child have to be Catholic to attend a Catholic school?    
No. Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle schools are open to all who want to share its educational goal, inspired by Christian principles.

Will we need to attend a school interview?
Some schools within the Diocese conduct school interviews to determine the educational and wellbeing needs of the student, usually beginning in Term 1 and potentially continuing through to Term 3. You will be contacted with an invitation if your preferred school would like you to attend one.

How will my application be assessed?
All applications to Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle Schools are assessed using the Enrolment Policy.

How old does my child have to be to enrol into Kindergarten?     
Applicants for Kindergarten should turn 5 years of age by May 30 of the year of enrolment.

Do I need to add a 2^nd or 3^rd school preference in my online application??     
2^nd and 3^rd preferences will generally not be considered.

What if I am unsuccessful in securing a place for my child at my preferred school?
If you are unsuccessful with an out of catchment or pathway school request, your application will be moved to your local catchment or pathway school. If you are unsuccessful in securing a place at your local catchment or pathway school, your preferred school will contact you to inform your application has been unsuccessful and offer you a place on their waitlist. Depending on capacity at neighbouring schools, you may be offered a place at another local school.

Can I pay my acceptance fee online?
Your school will send you details about how to pay your enrolment acceptance fee in order to accept your offer of enrolment.

Is my data safe?
All data you provide online is securely collected and kept confidential to ensure your privacy is protected in line with our Privacy Policy.

I'd like my child to change schools. Is it possible to enrol now?
Our key entry year levels are Kindergarten and Year 7. If you are seeking enrolment for a different year level, then please contact the specific school to discuss your needs. Applications for immediate commencement will be reviewed and actioned as soon as possible, provided there is a vacancy in the year required.

We are not Australian Citizens. Can my child enrol?       
The Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle welcomes enrolment applications from students on visas who share our Catholic faith and ethos. Schools will require copies of passports and visas to be able to process the application. At the present time, no students with a visa subclass 500 are able to be enrolled into diocesan Catholic schools.

How do I submit an enrolment application if I already have a Compass login?   
Parents/carers with an existing Compass account will be able to use their login to create a new application. They can do this via the 'Family and Enrolments' section in their Compass App or visit the desired school's enrolment webpage.

I can’t find my compass information
If you are having trouble logging into Compass, you may need to reset your password. Please find more information here.

Do I need to accept any Terms and Conditions?
Prior to accepting a position at one of our schools, all parents are expected to read, agree and accept the Conditions of Enrolment. By agreeing to these terms in the enrolment application, parents indicate their acceptance of those Conditions.

What is the cost to apply to enrol my child?       
There is no application fee. If your child is offered a place, a non-refundable acceptance fee is payable within two weeks of an enrolment being offered.

School Fees
Click here to view our School Fees webpage.

I’ve accepted an enrolment offer, will there be orientation and transition sessions held?
Schools within the Diocese may conduct their own orientation/transition events in Term 3 or 4.

 If you need further support please directly contact the school you are applying for. You can find their contact details using the school finder here.