Q. How far in advance should I book my daughter into Pymble?
A. We suggest that you apply as soon as you know you are interested in sending your daughter to the College. As we offer places based on a receipt of application date, early application is advisable, particularly in the Preparatory and Junior Schools.
Q. If we are relocating from overseas and our school calendar year is different, when is the best time to relocate?
A. The College year starts in late January. Students relocating from overseas are advised to start at the beginning of our school year. A mid-year entry may be possible but cannot be guaranteed. We seek to place students in the year group where they are of the same or similar age. The number of years of schooling and their current academic year is also taken into consideration. Generally, an overseas student who is in Year 5 in October is likely to be looped back to Year 5 at Pymble the following January. Similarly, a student completing Year 9 in June would be enrolled in Year 9 in Semester 2 at Pymble.
Q. My daughter is on the waitlist. When will I learn if she has been offered a place?
A. Subject to availability, we will contact parents/guardians of students on our waitlist in the year prior to entry; however, as soon as places become available we contact families who are on the waitlist to confirm their intention to proceed. Then, an offer of a Provisional Place with a short time frame to accept will be sent to you. If this is not accepted by the due date, the offer will expire and we will contact the next student on the waitlist.
Q. Does having a sister at the College or an ex-student connection give my daughter priority?
A. Having a sister at the College or a mother or grandmother who attended the College will give your daughter priority if there is a waitlist in the requested year group, but it does not always guarantee a place. All students entering the College are interviewed prior to being offered a Confirmed Place. We encourage families to apply as soon as possible to ensure that a place can be held at the College for their daughter.
Q. Is there an entrance exam for students?
A. No. Pymble is a non-selective school and therefore does not have an entrance exam prior to confirmation of enrolment. Each student will have an interview with the appropriate Head of School prior to being offered a Confirmed Place. This gives us the opportunity to meet you and your daughter before commencement. For students entering Years 3, 5 and 7, an Assessment Morning will be held as part of their orientation to help our academic staff know, guide and challenge your daughter.
Q. What are the Conditions of Continuing Enrolment at Pymble?
A. The Conditions of Continuing Enrolment outline the roles and responsibilities of students, parents and the College. The Conditions are accepted by parents/legal guardians when an Application for Enrolment form is submitted and again prior to commencement.
Q. Does my daughter need to speak English or sit an English test?
A. Students whose first language is not English (regardless of nationality) and who have not been studying in an English-speaking school for at least four years, are required to have their readiness for entry into the Junior and Secondary Schools supported by a certificate of their English fluency from the Australian Education Assessment Service. This certificate must accompany their Application for Enrolment form before an interview can be arranged and a Confirmed Place offered. The minimum level required is a Stanine 7 out of 9 in all areas assessed. More information about English proficiency requirements can be found here.
Students who are applying at Pymble for entry into Kindergarten to Year 3, whose first language is not English, must show evidence of English fluency. An English assessment may be requested by the Head of School prior to a Confirmed Place being offered.
Q. My daughter is enrolled for a particular year, but I would like to transfer her enrolment to a different year of entry. Is this possible?
A. If you wish to transfer your daughter’s provisional enrolment, please email the Enrolments Department with your request. The Enrolments Manager will confirm whether a place is available in the requested year.
If a place is not available, your daughter’s name will be placed on the waitlist of the new year group. The application date will be adjusted to the date of the transfer request.
Enrolments can be transferred twice. Please consider carefully the year group your daughter is most likely to enter the College.
If the student has a Confirmed Place and the transfer is to a year group in a different School (e.g. Middle School), the place reverts to a Provisional Place or waitlist place (non-intake year) and an interview will be required before the enrolment is confirmed. Fees already paid will be transferred with the enrolment.
Q. Is Boarding available at the College?
A. Boarding is offered for students on a full-time basis in Years 7 to 12. More information can be found on the Boarding webpage.
If you wish to change your daughter’s enrolment from Day to Boarding or vice versa, please contact the Enrolments Manager 7-12. Girls enrolled as Boarders are expected to remain in Boarding for the full year unless otherwise specified and agreed to by the Principal. Notice of a change from Boarding to Day status should have at least one (1) term’s notice; otherwise Boarding fees in lieu of notice will be charged.
Q. I would like my daughter to study at Pymble but do not have Permanent Residency. What are my options?
A. If an application is received and your daughter does not have Australian citizenship or Permanent Residency, her application will be waitlisted until her visa has been approved.
When the visa has been granted, please forward the documentation to the Enrolments Department and we can proceed with your daughter’s application according to our requirements and pending a place being available.
For families seeking an enrolment for their daughter as an Overseas Student (subclass 500 visa), please refer to the Overseas Student webpage.
Q. What should I do if my family circumstances change?
A. If your circumstances have changed since the original application for enrolment form was submitted, please contact the Enrolments Department. It is likely you will be required to submit a new Application for Enrolment Form outlining updated living arrangements and/or financial responsibilities in relation to your daughter’s enrolment. If a Parenting Plan or Court Order is in place, this documentation must be included.
Q. My daughter left the College and would like to return. Is this possible?
A. Please email the Enrolments Department with your request along with your preferred date of re-entry and recent school reports. The Enrolments Manager will advise of availability and may request a new Application for Enrolment Form (excluding application fee).
Q. What documents are required to enrol at Pymble?
- Completed Application for Enrolment form signed by BOTH parents.
- Application Fee of AU$330.
- Copy of the student’s birth certificate and certified translation if necessary. Note: Students born in Australia, whose parents were born overseas, are required to submit evidence of Australian Citizenship, such as an Australian Citizenship Certificate or Australian Passport.
- Copy of the student’s Australian visa paperwork if applicable.
- Copy of the information page of the student’s passport if she was born overseas.
- Copy of the student’s most recent school reports (full year), translated into English if necessary.
- A copy of the student’s NAPLAN results (Years 3 to 9 educated in Australia) or similar standardised test results from overseas (if available).
- Certificate of English fluency from the Australian Education Assessment Service (AEAS) for students for whom English is an additional language and who are applying for Year 4 and above. See details and minimum levels required by clicking here.