Belfast School - Amendment to Enrolment Scheme 2022

Overview

The Ministry of Education has been working with Belfast School to establish an amendment to their current enrolment scheme.

The purpose of an enrolment scheme is to assist the Board to manage the risk of overcrowding, provide a fair and transparent process for enrolment and to ensure we are making the best use of schooling facilities across the network of local schools. Click here for the purpose and principles of an enrolment scheme. (Right click to open in a new window)

Belfast School has an enrolment scheme that has remained unchanged since 2008 when it was first put in place. A key part of an enrolment scheme is the home zone.

Since this time, there have been significant changes to the local roading network and an amendment is required to ensure the enrolment scheme home zone is drawn more accurately. The written description also requires updating. These changes will allow more accurate identification of in-zone addresses, particularly when using online search tools.

Further changes that are proposed to clarify the zone boundaries and prevent the risk of over-crowding at Belfast School include withdrawing from Guthries Road and from the Spencerville township. These areas are in-zone for Ouruhia Model School. An area of zone overlap is proposed to remain between these two schools in the Brooklands area.

Current and proposed home zone (right click to open in a new window)

The amended enrolment scheme is proposed to commence from 01 January 2023.

All learners/ākonga who live within the home zone of Belfast School will have an entitlement to attend the school and those that live outside the home zone may be accepted if there are out-of-zone places available and their application meets the legislated requirements. To be able to do this, boards at state schools keep an eye on the number of applications received from in-zone students to help them determine the places they might have available for out-of-zone students once all in-zone enrolments are accepted.

Note that all students who are already enrolled at Belfast School before the enrolment scheme amendment commences are entitled to stay at Belfast School. Siblings of current students will have priority access to any out-of-zone places offered by the school.

In this case, any siblings of current students currently residing in the withdrawal areas may be able to enrol at the school as if they were still in-zone under the specific “additional entitlement to enrol” provision (this is also known as 'Grandparenting'). Please see the attachment below for further information.

It’s important that we hear and understand community perspectives before we establish this amendment to the enrolment scheme at Belfast School – especially the design and practical implications of the home zone.  Please have a look at the map and information available before you participate in the consultation process.

This consultation process is about enrolment schemes, which determine eligibilty to enrol.

Information (please read this before completing the survey)

Map and written description of proposed home zone (right click to open in a new window) 

Map only with current and proposed home zone (right click to open in a new window)

Frequently Asked Questions (right click to open in a new window) 

Additional entitlement to enrol information (right click to open in a new window) 

What happens next

After consultation is finished, the Ministry of Education will collate all feedback and process this information to ensure it meets the requirements of the Education and Training Act 2020 (Schedule 20, Clause 5). If the Ministry is satisfied that the enrolment schemes meets these requirements, the enrolment scheme will be finalised and provided to the Board. The school’s board must implement the finalised enrolment scheme as soon as practicable.