Enrolment Information
A very warm welcome and thank you for considering enrolling your child/ren at St Mary’s Catholic School, in beautiful Tauranga Moana.
St Mary’s School is an Integrated State Catholic Primary School and as such has 96% Preference enrolment and if places are available, up to 4% Non-Preference enrolment.
Parents or caregivers, who seek preferential enrolment for their children, must ring the Parish of St Thomas Aquinas office and ask to make an appointment with the Bishops representative delegated to issue preference cards. The parish office is located on the corner of Cameron Road and Elizabeth Street. Applications for a Preferential enrolment will only be considered with a Preference Card. Phone the parish office 578 6209 weekdays.
A limited number of students with non-preference status may be on the school roll. Parents are able to place their child’s name on the waiting list at any time. Students will be offered placement as vacancies occur.
The following criteria will give you an indication of your enrolment status.
For more information, please contact the school office on 07 5788066, or complete the enquiry form below and we will contact you.
Preferential Enrolment
Enrolment preference is given to students or families with an established Catholic connection. To establish this, a Preference of Enrolment Certificate must be obtained from your Parish Priest. Your child must meet one of the following criteria:
Criteria for Preference status include:
- The child has been baptised or is being prepared for baptism in the Catholic Church.
- The child’s parents/guardians have already allowed one or more of its siblings to be baptised in the Catholic faith.
- At least one parent/guardian is a Catholic, and although their child has not yet been baptised, the child’s participation in the life of the school could lead to the parents having the child baptised.
- With the agreement of the child’s parent/legal guardian, a significant familial adult such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle who is actively involved in the child’s upbringing undertakes to support the child’s formation in the faith and practices of the Catholic Church.
- One or both of a child’s non-Catholic parents/guardians is preparing to become a Catholic.
Take your, or your child’s baptism certificate with you to the meeting at the parish. The preference card forms part of your enrolment documentation.
A preference card is needed for each child.The parish office is located at St Mary Immaculate Church on the corner of Cameron Road and Elizabeth Street and can be contacted via email office@taurangamoanacatholic.nz or phone 578 6209.
Non-Preferential Enrolment
Children who do not meet the criteria for a preferential enrolment are welcomed into our school community. However we are limited to accepting 4% of children on our school roll. The Non-Preference (or non-Catholic) roll is very competitive and the number accepted depends on the amount of Preference applications received.
This is the criteria to be put on the waiting list for non-preferential Enrolment:
Parents are able to place their child’s name on a waiting list. Children will be offered placement as vacancies occur in accordance with the following guidelines;
1) siblings of existing non-preference students
2) students living within the parish boundary
3) children of staff members
4) students living outside the school’s parish boundary