Catholic Schools in New Zealand have a maximum roll which is a number established by the Proprietor and agreed to by Government as to the number of students a school can legally enrol. This number can be changed by application.

Of this maximum roll a Catholic school can legally enrol 5% non preference or non Catholic students. The other 95% must be preference or Catholic students. This is agreed to in the Private Schools’ Conditional Integration Act, 1975. Some schools have legally applied to increase their non preference roll to 10% of their maximum roll. A school, however, does not need to enrol any non preference students if space does not allow.

Criteria for Preference of Enrolment in Integrated Catholic Schools

• 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/guardian, a grandparent or other significant adult in the child’s life, such as an aunt, uncle or god-parent, 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.

Agents of the Bishop, who may sign the Certificate on his behalf:

• Parish Priests
• Assistant Priests
• Priests appointed under canon 517/1
• Deacons and lay persons appointed to pastoral care under canon 517/2
• Ethnic chaplains who liase with parish priests or their delegate
• Local committees appointed by the Bishop or by any of the above agents of the Bishop

Enrolling your child at a Catholic School

The Principal handles enrolment in a Catholic School. If a child is to be a preference student, he or she must obtain a signed preference card. Preference cards can be obtained from the school. A signed preference card does not guarantee enrolment at a particular school. This may depend on enrolment zones and capacity.

Click here to read more on the Catholic Schools Office website.