Handling Demand for Enrolments

Hale School is one of Australia's most successful independent schools - and success breeds demand for enrolments for limited places.

It can also breed misunderstandings about the criteria for accepting enrolments and of the guiding philosophy governing Hale School's academic priorities in its intake of students each year.

    

"We differ from most other schools in that we have written academic profile tests prior to entry. This provides an objective criterion for allocating places at Hale to boys.  It provides an objective basis for enrolments.  When you start making too many subjective judgements about why boys can or cannot get into the school it can become very difficult.  However, we obviously also look at school report cards and talk to families," Hale Headmaster Stuart Meade said.

Formal Entry Points to the School

Standard entry levels to the School are currently Years 1, 3, 5 and 7 for day students and Years 7 and 8 for boarders. Vacancies may occur from time to time at other levels in the School, including limited places at Years 10 and 11.

Entry into Years 1 and 3 is determined by date of registration. These are very popular entry points and it is advisable to register a boy for Year 1 or Year 3 as soon as possible. Special consideration is given to siblings of current students at these entry points subject to registration within 12 months of birth for Year 1 entry and within 3 years of date of entry for Year 3.

Entry into Year 5 is determined by an entrance test which is written early in Year 4. This is a competitive test and offers of places are made in order of merit. The sighting of recent school reports is also a component of this academic assessment.

Similarly, entry into Year 7 is determined by an entrance test which is held in Term 1 of Year 5. This testing is also competitive and offers of places are made in order of merit. At this stage, entry is guaranteed at Year 7 level for boys who are siblings, boarders or sons/grandsons of Old Boys provided they have registered three years prior to the date of entry. There is no guarantee of entry for boys in these categories prior to Year 7 level although special consideration is given at Year 5 entry level subject to satisfactory results in the entrance test.

Entry at Years 9, 10 and 11 is dependent on availability of places, the sighting of previous school reports and an interview with the Registrar and/or Headmaster.

The rationale behind the policy of testing is twofold:

1. Entrance testing provides more families with the opportunity of sending their son to Hale. Following the testing, the results are used to establish a ranking prior to offers of places being made. The priority categories referred to above are guaranteed placement at Year 7 level provided they have registered three years prior to the date of entry.
2. The test results are also used by the School to establish a meaningful academic profile on each new student. With a major intake of approximately 100 boys in Year 7, it is preferable to have as much individual information as possible about strengths and weaknesses prior to the start of the year. In some instances this testing initiates a dialogue between the School and the parents, particularly parents of academically weaker boys, and such dialogue in most instances leads to meaningful and improved outcomes, often before the boy starts at Hale.

In the event that a son of an Old Boy tests poorly for Year 7 entry, the family will be contacted by Hale School and, if necessary, an individual assessment by a member of the School's Curriculum Support team will be carried out with the boy.  This would be to assess what level of curriculum support would be needed for him and to plan and recommend strategies to be implemented in the period prior to him starting at Hale.

Overseas Applicants

Applicants for the Junior School are required to visit Hale with their parents for an interview and testing.

Applicants for the Middle School and Senior School are required to undergo testing which is administered by an independent educational consultancy, Australian Education Assessment Services (AEAS).  AEAS is headquartered in Melbourne and has representatives in Perth and in most large centres in South East Asia.

Further Information

To see the information on the School's website regarding admissions, Click here:

For parents seeking information from Hale School about enrolments, their main point of contact is Registrar Mrs Vivien Porzig.  After many years working at Hale, she offers a wealth of knowledge of the School's facilities and programmes to handle most queries.