Year 5 or Year 7 - What is the best chance for a place at private school?

[muminwestlnd]

Hello all,
What is the best chance of getting a place in a private school in Sydney, Year 5 or Year 7 please? We are moving back to Australia and I didn't realise kids have their name put down for schools at birth. Our children have Australian citizenship as husband is Australian.
I will be very grateful for some inside knowledge please :)
Thank you

It depends on the school, you'll have more luck with the ones that follow the IB program. St Andrew's Cathedral, for example, say that they currently have limited places in years 3, 4 and 5 but a long waitlist for year 7 St Andrew's Cathedral School – Life Giving Learning, whereas redlands simply say that 'Invitations to interview for a place are issued approximately 12-18 months before the scheduled start date' Admissions Process - Redlands School

I agree that it really depends on the school. And despite people putting names down early, some people might have put their kids down at multiple schools, they end up moving away, can no longer afford the school, their kid gets a place at a selective state school or they realise the school might not be the best fit for their kid for multiple reasons. So waiting lists will can actually shrink closer to enrolment. And some years will have longer lists than others.

Your best bet is to shortlist schools and contact them directly about availability.

We are North Shore Sydney and a lot of kids move from their local public school to the private they want for secondary in Y5. For a lot of the schools around me it is easier to get a Y5 place (waiting lists for Y7 tend to be much longer) and of course the advantage is that your child has time to get used to their new school so the transition to secondary is usually easier. Check it out with the schools you are interested in though for the best advice but all the private schools near me have waiting lists, and yes lots of kids have their names down from birth though these tend to be the kids who will go all the way through.

Thank you so much!