Principal
I wouldn’t mind a dollar for every enrolment interview over the years. What you surely cannot put a price on is the privilege it is to sit and talk with families about the hopes and dreams they hold for their sons. Priceless too is the infectious energy that young boys bring to such moments. They are excited. They are also nervous.
On Tuesday afternoon, the College hosted interviews with prospective students and their families for Year 7 in 2025. The boys being interviewed are currently little boys in Year 4.
Perhaps current parents will recall such interviews years ago. This moment arrives for families often after years of conversation and deliberation around the ‘kitchen table’. There will be years of financial sacrifice for parents who seek to provide these opportunities for their son/s.
These conversations are always future focused and overwhelmingly framed with a positive perspective. There are untold and unforeseen educational opportunities ahead for the boys.
From a school perspective, they are about ensuring places for the next generation of students. Sustaining enrolments ensures the future viability of the College. One family that I interviewed on Tuesday evening also had two younger sons. The youngest of them would hope to join the College in 2031- the next decade! What a prospect that is.
It is obvious then that the enrolment decisions that we will make in the coming days have ramifications for the future of many boys and their families but also for the school itself.
Nudgee College has much to offer as a holistic Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition and consequently the College continues to build strong numbers for future years. Currently, it is also the case that demand outstrips supply and we have growing waitlists for 2022 and 2023. While this is a fortunate position it does make the enrolment process a pressured one for families and for the school. Making choices between good boys from good families is no easy task.
A combination of the following factors, in no particular order, are all taken into consideration when prioritising a prospective student and the subsequent offer of a place:
- Siblings of students already attending the College;
- Baptised Catholic children who:
- Attend a Catholic school; or
- Are members of the local parish community;
- Catholic family;
- A student enrolled in another Catholic school or another Edmund Rice Education Australia school;
- A son of a Nudgee College Old Boy;
- Application date;
- A family connection to the College, e.g. cousin, uncle, grandfather.
- Academic Record;
- Co-Curricular participation and achievement;
- Students whose parent(s)/guardian(s) desire and are committed to Catholic education.
When a place is not offered in the first round then applicants are placed on a waiting list. In truth, this more a waiting ‘pool’ of applicants than a list which implies that the boy at the top is the next in line for a place. Enrolment is then considered as vacancies become available. Every effort is made to enrol students from the waiting list, however, this may not be possible if changes do not occur. If an offer of enrolment cannot be made for the immediate year or desired intake year, the application will be transferred to subsequent years. For every boy and family who is delighted to be offered a place there are also families who suffer disappointment when this is not the case. We are mindful of this delicate situation and continue to focus on supporting families whatever the outcome of the enrolment process.
Obviously, the management and leadership of the enrolment process is a complex and vital role within the College. I thank Ms Susan Shakespeare (Director of Admissions) and her team for their diligent stewardship of the future enrolments.
Some brief points to close on:
- Thanks to the Ladies Auxiliary for hosting such a happy occasion for many Mother last Saturday
- Well done to GPS Senior swimmers for their Third placing last Thursday night and to the Junior team that placed First today!
- Good luck to all the rowers for the Head of the River championships this Saturday
- Next week, I will be travelling with Mr Casey Brealy (Dean of Boarding) and Ms Bianca Burberry to Roma, Goondiwindi and Moree to meet with current, past and future families.
- On Friday, we celebrate St Joseph’s Day with a school mass. This replaces the Commencement Mass from the start of the year which could not be held. It is unfortunate that we still cannot gather together as a whole school due the continuing presence of COVID-19 amongst the students. Year 12, 7 and 5 will come together in the Christian Brother’s Conference Centre.
With every best wish for the week ahead.
Mr Peter Fullagar
Principal
