Student Admission to SACS

Purpose

To outline the procedure for a new student wanting admission into Southland Adventist Christian School. As a Special Character Integrated school, certain information and steps must be followed to comply with the Education Act 2020.

Enrolment Scheme

Admission to Southland Adventist Christian School will be accepted according the following Ministry of Education approved Enrolment Scheme:

Additional Guidelines

The School Board, when considering enrolments, follows the following procedures outlined in the Proprietors Preference Determination Guide as follows:

1. Each applicant is to lodge a completed application form. Applications need to signify their desire and willingness to support the school programme, and commitment to pay necessary attendance fees and where appropriate other associated costs.

2. Each applicant is to make an appointment for an interview with the principal.

3. Applicant to be visited by the Proprietor’s delegate, where applicable.

4. Applicant is presented to the School Board.

5. Applicant will be advised in writing of the Board’s decision.

The School Board, when looking at an enrolment applicant, must consider a number of aspects. There is need to:

• Determine whether the applicant is preferential or non-preferential, as provided for under the Education Act. A preference student is one whose parents or guardians ‘have established a particular or general relationship with the Special Character of the School’. The school’s integration agreement allows for no more than 7% (or 8 students) non-preference students in 2024 and 5% (or 7 students) non-preference students in 2025 and beyond.

• Establish whether the applicant has special learning needs and determine whether the school has the resources, and teachers have the expertise, to meet those needs.

• Determine whether there is room in the school, taking into account the maximum roll as specified in the integration agreement of the school, pre-enrolments and annual enrolment trends.