How to lodge the application

Application information and forms are available for parents of government primary school students from their current primary school.  

For parents of non-government primary students, some non-government primary schools will have application packages or parents may obtain an application package from any selective high school, NSW Department of Education and Training state offices at Bridge Street, Bankstown or Blacktown and school education group offices across NSW. You should obtain an application package from one of these places.

Read the application document carefully and keep the information section for later reference.

  Year 7 application package (pdf 200kb)

Complete all relevant details on the application form and keep a photocopy.

Interstate or overseas applicants or those in remote country areas should contact the Unit on ssu@det.nsw.edu.au or on (02) 9707 6262 for an emailed copy of the application form.

All applications must be submitted on the printed form. Photocopied versions will not be accepted.

To ensure your application is valid:

• use only the printed application form which has a unique barcode

• write neatly in black pen within the boxes shown on the form using BLOCK letters

• complete all sections relevant to the application

• do not write 'not applicable', 'n/a', 'nil' or draw a line through any boxes on the form. If a section of the form is not relevant it must be left blank

• if an error is made while completing the form, obtain a fresh copy.

Attach the student's most recent school report only; unless you are sending relevant evidence of disability and supporting information about the student's age or a full IQ report. (Please send single-sided A4 copies; do not send originals.)

All applicants, whether from government or non-government primary schools, are required to submit their application forms to their current primary schools for processing and forwarding to the Selective High School and Opportunity Class Placement Unit.

Principals process the form by providing school assessment scores in English and mathematics, based on the student's performance from Year 4 up to the end of Year 5, providing comments if applicable, signing and stamping the form and sending it to the Unit. Comments from principals regarding boarder applicants or unusual circumstances are appreciated by selection committees. Principals are invited to comment on any issues they consider relevant to the application.

Parents applying for the virtual selective class provision are required to include with the application form the student's last two most recent reports.

Principals with applicants for the virtual selective class provision must provide comments on the Virtual selective class: Report of academic merit. The additional information is intended to assist the selection committee to assess whether the student is suitable for this method of teaching and learning.

A small number of non-government schools may be unwilling or unable to process the application forms. Parents of students from such schools must seek a formal exemption after they have approached the schools. Exemption forms are available from the Unit or can be downloaded at:  Application for Exemption form (pdf 31kb).

Note: Interstate and overseas applicants are not required to submit an exemption form.

Ensure that the student attends the Selective High School Placement Test on:

18 March 2010.

If by 4 March 2010 you have not received advice of the test centre the student has been allocated to, you should telephone either the Unit, or contact your child's government primary school. Test centre allocations will also be published on this website when allocation is complete.

All correspondence and telephone advice is provided to the parent(s) named on page 2 of the application form.

No information can be provided to any person who is not listed on the application form as a parent, other concerned adult or special contact.

Under normal circumstances, as parents make all applications for entry to selective high schools, no correspondence or telephone conversations will be conducted directly with students.

Irrespective of whether or not a parent wishes to keep application information confidential from another parent or interested person, the Unit will provide the information wherever it has a legal obligation to do so or where the person requesting the information is entitled to access such information.

A parent, not listed on page 2 (usually a custodial parent not living with the child), who wishes to receive correspondence related to the application, must send a request in writing to the Unit, so that arrangements can be made for copies of correspondence to be sent if appropriate.

The Unit will be sending correspondence by email wherever possible. Please do not enter your email details if you do not wish to be contacted in this way.

If you do provide your email address you must contact the Unit if you change your email address or email provider or no longer have email access. This is particularly important where parents have provided a work email address and change their place of employment. It is the parents' responsibility to monitor the receipt of emails at critical times such as the fortnight prior to the test and when outcome advice is due.

If providing your email address please:

• print clearly and accurately
• use block capitals unless your email address is case sensitive
• provide only one email address.

Please show on page 3 of the application form the name and telephone number of another adult the Unit may contact if the parents are unavailable.

Other siblings applying for 2011 entry

On page 3 of the form, please list the names of any other sibling also applying for Year 7 entry in 2011.

If students are away, interstate or overseas on the date when the Selective High School Placement Test is conducted, and they do not have school assessment scores which can be moderated, they can apply for entry using the interstate and overseas procedures. Interstate and overseas applicants are required to complete the standard application package and the Interstate and overseas: report of academic merit form. Return both completed forms to the Unit.

Note: Interstate and overseas applicants are not required to seek formal exemption. School assessment scores provided by interstate and overseas schools cannot be used for score processing, though they can be considered as supporting evidence.

Interstate or overseas applicants or those in remote country areas may contact the Unit for an application form to be sent to them by email.