After you accept the offer of a place from the preschool or school, they will give you an enrolment form to fill out. When you get an offer you will be invited to a pre-enrolment interview or information session. Staff can answer questions and help you to fill out the form. They can get you an interpreter if you need one.

On the enrolment form you must provide your child’s:

• name and date of birth
• place of residence.

You must also provide:

• immunisation evidence for preschool enrolments
• any family law or court orders
• relevant visa information
• documents about health, disability or other support needs.

The information you give about your child must be true and factual. The school or preschool will ask for documentary evidence, or proof, before finalising the enrolment.

The principal or director can withdraw an offer to enrol if parents give false information or intentionally mislead the school or preschool to gain entry.

Proof of name and date of birth

You must use one of these documents to prove your child’s full legal name and date of birth:

• an official birth certificate or extract
• a passport or other travel document such as a visa, citizenship certificate or ImmiCard
• Centrelink or other official government documents with the child's name and birth date.

If you cannot provide one of these documents, contact the school or preschool.

Proof of residence

If you own your home, you need to show both of these documents:

• contract of sale for the property or a recent council rates notice
• recent gas or electricity bill for the property.

If you rent a home, you need to show both of these documents:

• rental agreement and a bond receipt lodged with Consumer and Business Services showing the current place of residence. The rental agreement should cover at least the first 12 months at the school.
• recent gas or electricity bill for that property.

You must give your child’s primary permanent home address, not a commercial, postal or mailing one.

When a school is under enrolment pressure (or has a capacity management plan), there are additional considerations for local families who are applying to enrol:

• For students applying to start school for the next school year, the rental agreement must be current and cover the entire next school year.
• The rental agreement must be for the entire property. The renting of a room or rooms is not considered a primary place of residence.
• If your child is living with a relative or friend, the school will ask for supporting documents such as a parenting order from the family court confirming that the relative or friend is the child’s legal guardian.
• The school or preschool might ask you for other supporting documents to verify your child’s address, such as a driver’s licence.

All schools and preschools will ask for residential documentation when they make an offer to enrol, or when the family is changing an address at the school.

If you cannot provide the requested documents, the school or preschool will decide about the legitimacy of the application. This might include asking you for other documents, to come to an interview, or to sign a statutory declaration.