Parent guide
NSW School Enrolment Timeline: Every Date That Matters for 2027 Entry
The dated calendar for Year 7 2027 entry across public, selective, and Catholic schools, and why Year 5 is the year that counts.
School enrolment feels messy because every sector runs on a slightly different clock, and the clocks start earlier than most parents expect. The public Year 7 paperwork happens in Year 6. Selective school applications open while your child is still in Year 5. Catholic systemic schools take Year 7 applications a full 2 years before the first day.
Here is the actual dated timeline, using Year 7 entry in 2027 as the worked example, plus what to do in each window.
The real timeline for Year 7 entry in 2027
These are the published dates for a child starting high school in 2027:
| When | What happens | Child is in |
|---|---|---|
| By late March 2025 | Sydney Catholic Schools Year 7 applications close at many schools | Year 5 |
| 6 November 2025 | Selective high school applications open | Year 5 |
| 20 February 2026 | Selective applications close (no late applications) | Year 6 |
| 27 March 2026 | Public school Year 7 expressions of interest due | Year 6 |
| 1-2 May 2026 | Selective placement test (make-up test 22 May) | Year 6 |
| By 1 July 2026 | Catholic systemic Year 7 offer letters sent (Sydney) | Year 6 |
| Late August 2026 | Selective placement outcomes expected | Year 6 |
| Term 2-3 2026 | Public school enrolment forms follow placement offers | Year 6 |
| 28 January 2027 | Term 1 starts in the eastern division (western starts 4 February) | Year 7 |
The Year 5 problem
The single most useful thing to know: two of the three big Year 7 paths open or close while your child is still in Year 5.
Selective applications for 2027 entry opened on 6 November 2025, when those children were halfway through Year 5. Sydney Catholic Schools asks for Year 7 applications 2 years before commencement, with enrolments due before the last week of March in Year 5 and offer letters sent no later than 1 July. Miss those windows and the selective path is closed for that year (late applications are not accepted), while Catholic schools move to waitlists.
If your child is in Year 4 or early Year 5 and a selective or Catholic school is even a maybe, this is the year to shortlist, visit, and get the applications in.
Year 6, Term 1: the public school expression of interest
For NSW public high schools, the Year 6 to Year 7 process runs through your child's primary school. Instructions arrive in Term 1, and you can complete the expression of interest online or on paper. For 2027 entry, the form was due back by 27 March 2026.
You can list up to 3 schools in order of preference. The first preference can be your local high school (a guaranteed place) or a non-local school, which is assessed against that school's criteria and available places. Once a place is offered, the formal enrolment application arrives in Term 2 or 3.
March to August: open days and offers
Open day season overlaps the application windows, which is why arriving with a shortlist matters. Use visits to test schools you are already considering, and ask each one:
- the enrolment steps and this year's actual closing dates
- what happens if applications exceed places for the year group
- fees and extra costs (uniforms, devices, camps)
- transport and after-school timing from your address
- support and wellbeing structures
By mid-year the offers start landing: Catholic systemic offers by 1 July in the Sydney system, selective outcomes late August, and public placements confirmed through Terms 2 and 3.
September to December: paperwork and practical pieces
Once a place is confirmed, the remaining work is documents and logistics. Public school enrolment needs identity documents, proof of address, immunisation history from the Australian Immunisation Register, and any relevant court orders. Schools at or near their enrolment buffer run the 100-point residential address check, and every document must be in the enrolling parent's name.
Then the daily-life details: uniforms, device requirements, transport passes, before and after school care, and orientation days (most high schools run these in Term 4).
January: the first day
For 2027, students in the eastern division start Thursday 28 January, and the western division starts Thursday 4 February. Before then, make the first week boring: practise the trip if it is new, confirm where to go on the first morning, and make sure your child knows who to ask for help and how to reach you.
Kindergarten runs on its own clock
Kindergarten timing is simpler but still has a hard rule: children can start at the beginning of the school year if they turn 5 on or before 31 July that year, and must be in compulsory schooling by their 6th birthday. Enrolment at the local public school can happen through the year before starting. Catholic systemic schools ask for Kindergarten applications the year prior, and independent schools set their own dates, with some city schools running waitlists years ahead.
Changing schools in Years 8 to 12
Mid-stream moves skip the Year 7 machinery. Contact the school directly: a public high school assesses against its local area and available places (the same up to 3 preference logic applies if you apply out-of-area), while Catholic and independent schools check availability in the year group. NSW has 426 independent schools plus 137 campuses, and each sets its own process, so expect interviews, reports, and sometimes application fees.
A simple yearly checklist
- Search the address in Schoolect and save the realistic options.
- If selective or Catholic is a maybe, act in Year 5, not Year 6.
- Put this cycle's actual dates (EOI, applications, tests) in your calendar.
- Visit open days with your shortlist already drafted.
- Keep enrolment documents ready, in the enrolling parent's name.
- Confirm transport, care, and orientation once the offer lands.
The timeline matters because school choice is easier when you are not rushing a decision into the two weeks before a deadline you found out about late.
Official references
- NSW Department of Education: Future and past NSW term and vacation dates (accessed 5 July 2026)
- NSW Department of Education: Moving into Year 7 at a NSW public school in 2027 (accessed 5 July 2026)
- NSW Department of Education: High school enrolment (accessed 5 July 2026)
- NSW Department of Education: Primary school enrolment (accessed 5 July 2026)
- NSW Department of Education: Selective application process and key dates (accessed 5 July 2026)
- Independent Schools NSW: Independent Schools in NSW Snapshot 2024 (accessed 5 July 2026)