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Choosing a school

In Queensland there are approximately 1250 state schools and over 450 independent and Catholic schools.

The Department of Education and Training has an online schools directory which lists all state and non-state schools in Queensland and provides links to school websites. It's a useful starting point to help identify the schools in your area.

Eligible children and young people are entitled to enrol at their closest appropriate state school. Some primary and secondary state schools may have reached enrolment capacity and have an enrolment management plan in place. For further information about enrolling in a state school, refer to the enrolment policy.

It may be helpful to talk to other parents who have children at the school you are considering for your child.

When choosing a school, consider your child's particular needs along with the support available at the school. It may be useful to write a list of questions about schooling to help guide your discussions with school staff, other parents and community agencies.

You might like to ask about:

what support is available for students with a disability
the size of the school and class sizes
teaching methods and classroom environment
availability of specialist staff to help your child
technologies available to help your child
the physical location of the school
any difficulties your child may have with access around the school
parent support groups or the School Liaison Officer
when and how to enrol
school hours
uniform policy
fees and levies
assessment and reporting procedures
homework and assignment expectations
available resources e.g. library, internet or computers
extracurricular activities
communication between home and school
religious education
amenities, e.g. tuckshop or out-of school-hours care
student participation, such as school councils
parental involvement e.g. parents and citizens' associations, volunteering.

Copies of the school rules or code of conduct, Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students, newsletters, prospectus and the annual report will give you further information about the school and its activities.

There are also many things you should consider before your child actually starts school.

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