Overview and Rationale

Enrolment at Loreto Normanhurst

Choosing a school for your child is one of the most important decisions that any parent makes. Our Catholic heritage holds that parents are the first educators of their children.  At Loreto Normanhurst our task is to support parents in what is essentially their responsibility: to raise their children to be good and wholesome adults and citizens. So at Loreto Normanhurst we seek to enrol families, not just students. A Loreto Normanhurst education is a partnership with parents.

It is important, therefore, that the ‘fit’ is right: that the school can meet parents’ expectations and that parents understand what this school’s expectations are of parents. For this reason we consider it important to meet each family – prospective student and both her parents - at interview. These interviews are conducted by members of the school’s Leadership Team. It is a chance to get to know each other and to be able to ask whatever questions you might have on a one-to-one basis. Relationships are central at Loreto Normanhurst.

What do parents need to know about Loreto Normanhurst?

It is always a good idea to talk with current or former students and/or parents of the school.  Invariably we hear at enrolment interviews that parents have done this.  We believe that word-of-mouth is the best advertising that our school can have.  It is also a good idea to visit the school on Open Day, which is held on a Saturday early in April each year. The school is in action; you can see what happens in classrooms as well as gaining an understanding of the faith life of the school, the pastoral structures and the wide range of extra-curricular offerings. You will be escorted by a Year 7 ‘tour guide’ and will have the chance to speak with students, staff and current parents.  It is always an exciting day.

Make sure you find out about our special holistic approach to schooling, the Loreto Normanhurst Student Growth Model , for which the school has received national awards and which is now receiving international acclaim.  Essentially, this approach to schooling is focused around the needs of each student within the ‘FACE curriculum’, which links faith, academic, community and extra-curricular elements.  Within this approach our students are becoming qualitatively different learners - self-directed, reflective, curious and engaged problem-solvers.

What is the process for enrolment?

Initial enquiries can be made to the Enrolments Manager  enrolments@loretonh.nsw.edu.au
The steps are as follows:

• Parents submit an Application Form and pay the Application Fee. This is often many years prior to the year that a student will begin at the school.
• For places in Year 7, an information evening for prospective parents is conducted when the students are in Year 5.
• An interview will be conducted between the parents and their daughter with a member of the school’s Leadership Team.
• Offers of a place are made in writing  by the Principal
• Parents have approximately two weeks to accept the offer of a place, which is confirmed by payment of the non-refundable Enrolment Fee.
• An information evening is held for parents of Year 7 students in the year prior to their daughters starting in Year 7.
• An orientation day is held for all Year 7 students in October of the year prior to starting. 
• An orientation day is also conducted for students starting the following year in Years 8-11. Every year there are many such students, especially boarders.

What is the enrolment policy?

The Loreto Normanhurst Enrolment Policy can be accessed here.

What are the fees?

As a non-government school, Loreto Normanhurst receives from government approximately 32% of the cost of educating a child in a government school. The rest of the cost of running the school must be met by school fees. Loreto Normanhurst is a not-for-profit school. Fees are set to cover costs.

No funds for building and/or maintaining the facilities and grounds are provided by government. Thus parents are expected to contribute to the capital costs of the school through annual giving and contributions to the building fund. The school’s Development Office aims to raise capital funds from a wide range of individuals and sponsoring organisations.