St Raphael’s School is a school which operates with the consent of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne and is owned, operated and governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS).
St Raphael’s School is a MACS school in which:
- prayer and liturgy are vital aspects of religious life in the school
- the pastoral care and support programs for students, families and staff are based on the teachings of the Catholic Church
- the teachings and values of the Catholic Church are paramount.
Principles
Inclusiveness
MACS schools are established primarily for Catholic children. St Raphael’s School strives to be open and welcoming to all Catholic students, regardless of their background, and does everything reasonable to accommodate each student’s individual needs.
St Raphael’s School is open to the enrolment of children of other Christian traditions and faiths, however, priority will be given to children from non-Catholic Eastern churches. Children from other religious traditions or of no religion are provided with an opportunity to enrol in Catholic schools, should they choose to apply and there is sufficient capacity within the school.
Partnership between parents/guardians/carers and St Raphael’s School
Parents/guardians/carers are the first educators of their children. By enrolling a child in St Raphael’s School, parents/guardians/carers are entering into a partnership to promote and support their child’s education, in particular their education in faith. While the school promotes access to a Catholic education through the school enrolment policy, it is the parent/guardian/carers’ responsibility to support the school in furthering the spiritual and academic life of their child.
Exercise of pastoral discretion in enrolment decisions
Local pastoral discretion is an important element of decision-making with regard to enrolment at St Raphael’s School. While the first priority of the principal is to enrol the children of Catholic parents/guardians/carers, pastoral discretion may be exercised in enrolment decisions where deemed appropriate. The local school enrolment committee will formally endorse all enrolment decisions to ensure transparency and equity in decision-making.
Priority enrolment
There is an agreed order of priority for enrolment in MACS schools, which must be followed in the enrolment policy and procedures. As systemic Catholic schools, the first priority of Catholic schools is the provision of a Catholic education for Catholic children.
The order of priority for MACS primary schools is:
- Catholic children who are residents of the parish
- Siblings of children already enrolled in the school
- Catholic children who are not residents of the parish but are recognised as parishioners by the parish priest
- Catholic children from other parishes (for pastoral reasons)
- Children from non-Catholic Eastern churches (i.e. Greek Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox and other Orthodox) who are residents of the parish
- Children from non-Catholic Eastern churches (i.e. Greek Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox and other Orthodox) who reside outside the parish
- Other Christian children who are residents of the parish
- Other Christian children who reside outside the parish
- Non-Christian children who are residents of the parish
- Non-Christian children who reside outside the parish.
Definitions
Catholic child
For the purpose of enrolment in a Catholic school, a child is considered to be Catholic if they are a member of the Catholic Church, usually established by a Certificate of Baptism.
Enrolment catchment area
The enrolment catchment area is a defined area from which a school enrols students as officially designated to a school by MACS. The parish for St Raphael’s School is St Raphael’s Parish In parishes with more than one primary school, the catchment for each school is determined by the parish in consultation with MACS.
Enrolment is subject to the maximum capacity of the school.
Orthodox child
For the purpose of enrolment in a Catholic school, a child is considered to be Orthodox if they are a member of a non-Catholic Eastern church, including Greek Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox and other Orthodox.
Parish
‘Parish’ refers to the local parish as defined by its geographical boundaries, and student location is based on home address.
Parental Responsibilities
At the time of enrolment at St Raphael’s School, parents/guardians/carers make a commitment to provide ongoing support for their child’s Catholic education. In particular, parents/guardians/carers are asked to make an explicit commitment to the following responsibilities:
- complete the school’s enrolment form and ensure it is returned by the due date. This does not guarantee enrolment in the school
- be prepared to support the school in the Catholic education of their child and involve themselves as much as possible
- acknowledge and commit to meeting the financial responsibilities arising from the ongoing enrolment of their child at St Raphael’s School. Any difficulties in meeting this commitment should be discussed with the principal
- advise the principal of any court order, parenting or custodial arrangement/s that may exist in relation to their child, or any changes to such order/s, and provide a copy of the court order/s and any subsequent changes for the child’s school file
- provide the school with an immunisation history statement.
Information to Be Collected
St Raphael’s School is required to collect particular information about parents/guardians/carers and their child during the enrolment process. This information is required for MACS and the school to meet the duty of care obligations and satisfy government requirements. Lodging an enrolment form does not guarantee enrolment at St Raphael’s School.
If you would like to lodge an enrolment form, please click the ‘Enrol Now‘ button on the top right corner.