27 JULY
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
2029

Interpretation

In these instructions:

pre-enrolment period means a period in which applications for enrolment are invited by a school which operates an enrolment scheme, ending with a deadline by which applications for enrolment must be received.

practising lawyer means a person enrolled as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and who is the holder of a current practising certificate under the Law Practitioners Act 1982.

Instructions

Ballots

Planning for a ballot

1. By 1 September each year a board must determine how many places are likely to be available in the next year for students who live outside the home zone specified in the school’s enrolment scheme.

2. By 1 September each year a board must decide how many pre-enrolment periods there will be for students seeking enrolment at the school during the following year.

3. By 1 September each year, a board must decide whether the ballot(s) that it will hold will cover the whole school or whether there will be separate ballots at different year levels within the school.

4. If separate ballots are to be held at more than one year level, by 1 September each year a board must decide whether the ballot(s) for places at upper levels will be held on the same date as the ballot for places at new entrant, year 7 or year 9 level (as the case may be), or at a later date.

5. By 15 September each year, by notice in a daily or community newspaper circulating in the area served by the school, a board must advise parents of the likely number of out of zone places that the board has determined will be available for the next year (in total or at particular year levels as the case may be).

Schools planning a single pre-enrolment period

6. In relation to enrolment at the school in the following year, all boards in a city or region must agree, by majority decision if need be, on common dates for:

• the deadline by which applications for enrolment must be received.
• the date(s) of the ballot(s) for enrolment places.

A city or region is defined as a territorial local authority except in the case of the areas specified in the first schedule attached to these instructions.

Commentary

The board will reach its decision after estimating the number of applications that it is likely to receive from students living within the home zone. The board must also allow for the possibility of late applications for enrolment from in-zone students and applications for enrolment from students who take up residence within the home zone in the following year or after the end of the pre-enrolment period. Both of these groups have an absolute right of enrolment under section 11D(1) of the Education Act 1989. Note that foreign fee-paying students (even those living in the home zone) must not fill places provided by the State for domestic students.

In estimating how many students are likely to seek enrolment from within the home zone, schools should review historical patterns. Primary schools would find it helpful to contact early childhood providers in the area, while secondary and intermediate schools will be able to get information from their natural feeder schools.

Secondary and intermediate schools will be likely to opt for a single pre-enrolment period, which will be followed by a ballot for the out of zone places likely to be available in the following year. Primary schools on the other hand may prefer to run a pre-enrolment period once a term, or twice a year, or at other intervals. This is because in primary schools the new entrant intake occurs over the course of the whole year instead of just at the beginning of the year, as in secondary and intermediate schools.

It will be acceptable if a board determines that places for out of zone students will be available only at a specific year level or levels within the school. Enrolment at other levels would therefore be available only to in-zone students and no ballots would be required at those levels.

A board may think it prudent to delay holding a ballot for places at upper levels until the overall make up of the school roll is known. This may be as late as mid-January in schools which are not planning another pre-enrolment period relating to that year’s intake.

The notice may indicate that this number is an estimate only and that the actual number of places will not be known until the pre-enrolment of in-zone students has been completed.

There is a likelihood that some students will apply for enrolment at more than one school. Co-ordination will ensure fairness for both applicants and schools. Note that the requirement to co-ordinate dates applies only to schools catering for the same range of students; dates for primary schools could be different from those for secondary schools.

The requirement to co-ordinate dates applies only to schools with enrolment schemes, but schools without enrolment schemes would no doubt appreciate being kept informed of the intentions of their neighbours.