Frequently Asked Questions

Each Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) school has its own procedure for enrolment. Parents/Legal guardians are encouraged to contact their preferred school to find out more.
See a list of all BCE schools here.

BCE schools are welcoming and inclusive communities and enrolment applications can be made at your school of choice regardless of your child's faith background. However being Catholic schools, children who are baptised Catholic are given priority of enrolment at our schools.

More detailed information on enrolment can be found on the school's website, including the order of priority. Each school has an enrolment registrar who is happy to help you with your enquiries, so please contact the school directly.

Our schools' enrolment policies are based on the principles outlined by the National Catholic Education Commission, and this acts as a guide for school Principals, when drafting their individual school policy. Each school is unique and slight differences will occur between schools, so we encourage you to talk directly to the school for more information on their enrolment process.

Unlike Education Queensland schools, BCE schools do not have catchment areas but they have Archdiocesan parish areas. If your parish does not have a school, you can apply for enrolment at any bordering parish that has a school.

Regardless of your location, you are welcome to submit an enrolment application for any BCE school however acceptance is not guaranteed and is subject to their enrolment process.

School children who are nearing the end of their Catholic primary education, may be given priority when enrolling into a Catholic secondary school. However, acceptance is not guaranteed and is subject to each school's enrolment process. We encourage you to directly contact the college about this.

BCE schools give first priority to siblings in most cases however it is important that an application for enrolment is made at the school by any communicated deadlines (if applicable) and that you contact the school directly to confirm the process for sibling enrolment.

All Queensland children must undertake a full-time Prep year, prior to Year 1. To be eligible to enrol in Prep, your child must turn 5 by 30 June in the year of attendance in Prep. For more information please refer to the Queensland Government website.

You may delay your child's entry to Prep (and subsequently Year 1) if you feel your child is not ready to start school. An example is if the child is still developing their social and emotional skills.

Early entry to Prep is only possible if the child meets all the legislative conditions set out in Part 4, Section 17 of the Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2017:

1. the child turns 5 years by 31 July in the year proposed for enrolment and the Principal is satisfied that the child is ready to begin Prep based on the child’s aptitude and ability, social and emotional competence, physical development and level of knowledge and understanding. OR 

2. the child has started education in another state or country that is equivalent to the Prep year and the Principal is satisfied that the child is ready to begin Prep based on the child’s aptitude and ability, social and emotional competence, physical development and level of knowledge and understanding. 

Contact your school Principal to discuss your child's enrolment.

Each school has a Student Behaviour Support policy that focuses on self-discipline, and a proactive approach to supporting student behaviour. The procedure sets out codes of behaviour, rights and responsibilities of students, and the consequences of inappropriate behaviour. In addition, our schools have various programs, such as restorative practice, that encourage students to resolve conflict and problem solve in positive ways.

If you have a concern for the safety of a student you should report the concern to the school Principal, another student protection contact at the school or the student's teacher. All our staff are trained to respond appropriately to student safety concerns.

Each Brisbane Catholic Education school will have a Student Behaviour Support policy which will address how the school manages allegations of bullying, including bullying through social media. 

If you are concerned that your child is being bullied through social media, you should raise the concern with your child's teacher, in the first instance.  If you are not satisfied with the teacher's response, you can contact the school Principal.

You may also wish to contact the Office of the Children's eSafety Commissioner who can provide information, advice and support in relation to cyberbullying.

Each school will have a Student Behaviour Support policy which will address how the school manages complaints of bullying.  If as a parent/carer, you are concerned that your child is being bullied, the issue should be raised with your child's teacher in the first instance.  If you are not satisfied with the teacher's response, you can contact the school's guidance counsellor or Principal.

Government funding does not cover every cost of providing and sustaining a Catholic education. School fees and levies contribute to the difference between the funding schools receive and the actual cost of delivering education, maintaining facilities and supporting a financially sustainable school. 

Fee income is also important because some government grants are restricted in how they can be used. Income from fees and levies can help schools meet costs such as facilities, approved building works and associated loan repayments that may not be fully funded through government grants.

Government funding provides a substantial contribution, while school fees provide part of the funding needed to operate and sustain BCE schools. 

Depending on the fee or levy, family contributions may support: 

• teaching and learning; 
• school staff and associated employment costs; technology, learning resources and curriculum activities; 
• camps, excursions and student programs; ;
• maintenance and improvement of school facilities; ;
• capital works and associated financing costs; and 
• other costs involved in operating a safe and effective school. ;

Schools review all expenditure thoroughly before increasing fees, ensuring costs are  justified and needs based.

No. Government funding is a very important source of support for Catholic schools, but the Australian Government funding framework assumes that non-government school communities will also generate private income through fees and other contributions. 

The amount of Australian Government base funding provided to most non-government schools is adjusted according to the assessed Capacity to Contribute, or CTC, of the school community.  

This means school fees are not simply an optional addition to full government funding. They form part of the overall funding model. 

Fee increases are not driven by one factor alone. Key reasons include: 

Increasing costs of providing education 

Schools face increases in the costs of employing staff and delivering educational services. Staff costs represent a significant part of school expenditure, and increases in wages, salary progression and superannuation affect school budgets. 

Changes in the Government’s funding expectations 

The Australian Government’s CTC framework assumes differing levels of private contribution from different school communities. BCE has been moving school fee levels progressively towards the amounts implied by that framework. 

Maintaining school sustainability 

Schools need sufficient income to meet their obligations, maintain educational services, manage facilities and remain sustainable over the longer term. If fee and levy income is insufficient, a school may become increasingly dependent on temporary support from elsewhere within the BCE system. 

Maintaining and improving facilities 

Different forms of government funding have different permitted uses. Fees and capital levies can assist with building works, facility improvements and debt-servicing costs that are not fully covered by recurrent government grants.

The Schooling Resource Standard, commonly called the SRS, is an Australian Government estimate of the total public funding a school needs to meet the educational needs of its students. 

The SRS has two main parts: 

1. A base amount for each student; and 
2. Additional needs-based loadings that recognise particular student and school circumstances. 

A school may receive loadings associated with student priority cohorts or school disadvantage. The Australian Government calculates the SRS annually under formulas in the Australian Education Act 2013.

 

Think of the SRS as a government funding benchmark: 

“Based on the students enrolled at this school and their educational needs, what level of public funding does the government funding model say is required?” 

The SRS is a funding calculation. It is not a schedule of what an individual family should pay. 

Capacity to Contribute, or CTC, is the Australian Government’s measure of a non-government school community’s relative capacity to contribute financially towards the ongoing operating costs of its school. 

For Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) schools, CTC is applied as a reduction to the SRS base funding amount. It does not reduce the separate SRS loadings for student priority cohorts and disadvantaged schools.

The Government begins with a base funding amount and then asks: 

“Compared with other non-government school communities, what capacity does this school community have to contribute through private income?” 

A school community assessed as having a lower capacity to contribute generally receives a smaller reduction to its government base funding. 

A school community assessed as having a higher capacity to contribute generally receives a larger reduction to its government base funding. 

CTC percentages under the Australian Government framework range from 10 per cent of base funding for schools with the lowest assessed capacity to 80 per cent for schools with the highest assessed capacity.  

This does not mean the Government gives BCE a bill for the difference. It means the Commonwealth base-funding calculation is reduced as it assumes that part of the school’s operating costs can be met from private contributions, including school fees. 

The Direct Measure of Income, or DMI, is the method used by the Australian Government to calculate a school’s CTC score. 

The DMI is based on the median family income of the students at the school. The Australian Government calculates it by linking parent or guardian names and addresses with personal income-taxation data through the Australian Bureau of Statistics Person Level Integrated Data Asset. The median family income is then converted into an annual DMI score for the school.  

DMI looks at the school community collectively. It identifies the middle point of family income information associated with students at the school and turns that into a school-level score. 

A simple way to think about it is: 

DMI produces the score. The score determines the school community’s CTC. The CTC affects the amount of government base funding the school receives. 

They are closely connected, but they describe different parts of the calculation: 

• DMI is the income-based methodology used to produce a school-level score. 
• CTC is the funding adjustment determined from that score. 
• SRS is the overall public-funding benchmark to which the CTC adjustment is applied. 

The relationship can be shown as follows:

School community income information 
↓ 
DMI score 
↓ 
Capacity to Contribute percentage 
↓ 
Adjustment to the SRS base amount 
↓ 
Government base funding received by the school 
↓ 
Fees and other income contribute towards the remaining cost of operating and sustaining the school

No. The DMI is a school-community measure used by the Australian Government for calculating school funding. It is not an assessment of every family’s circumstances. 

Families within the same school community will have different incomes, financial commitments and personal circumstances. BCE recognises that an income-based community measure does not necessarily reflect what every individual family can afford or is willing to contribute.  

That is why affordability, concessions and individual family circumstances remain important parts of BCE’s approach.

The government funding adjustment varies according to each school’s CTC score. 

In broad terms: 

• where the Government assesses a school community as having a lower capacity to contribute, the reduction to government base funding is lower; and 
• where the Government assesses a school community as having a higher capacity to contribute, the reduction to government base funding is higher. 

As a result, two schools with similar enrolments and educational needs may receive different amounts of government base funding. Their required level of private income may therefore also differ.  

BCE also considers the school’s existing fee level, operating costs, enrolments, local circumstances, financial position and long-term sustainability when recommending fee changes. 

There have been historical Australian Government funding policy shifts. The Australian Government funding is scheduled to reduce progressively as it transitions to the model’s final funding share by 2029. 

Schools with higher DMI scores are generally assessed as having a greater Capacity to Contribute. Where a school’s current fees are below the private contribution assumed by the funding model, fee increases are needed to progressively close the gap created by declining government funding and to maintain educational services and long-term financial sustainability. 

BCE recognises that a school-community measure does not reflect every family’s circumstances. BCE has been working closely with affected schools to plan the transition, moderate fee changes over time, review costs and ensure that the combined impact of funding reductions and school fees remains financially sustainable for each school and as affordable as possible for families. 

Families experiencing financial hardship are encouraged to contact their school for a confidential discussion about concessions or payment arrangements.

Not necessarily.

The SRS base amount and loadings are indexed to recognise changing costs. However: 

• schools’ operating costs also increase; 
• the CTC adjustment may change; 
• enrolments may change; 
• the school may be transitioning towards its required level of private contribution; 
• its existing fees may be below the level indicated by the funding framework;
• and costs such as facilities or financing may not be fully met through recurrent funding. 

The Government’s SRS calculation and BCE’s fee-setting process therefore need to be considered together, rather than looking only at the annual increase in the SRS amount.

No. The DMI and CTC are important inputs, but they do not operate as an exact invoice to families. 

BCE also considers: 

• the school’s current fee level; its expected operating costs; 
• enrolment levels and outlook; 
• concessions and sibling discounts; 
• school-specific levies; 
• local community circumstances; 
• the school’s financial position; 
• the need for capital investment; and 
• a reasonable transition pathway.

Each BCE school has its own circumstances and its own transition path. 

A school may require a different increase because: 

• its DMI or CTC position is different; 
• its existing fees are further below the level indicated by the Government framework; 
• it has different operating or facility costs; 
• its enrolments have changed; 
• the mix of tuition fees and levies is different;
• or its local circumstances support a different approach. 

For this reason, comparing only the percentage increase between schools may not provide a complete picture. The actual dollar increase, total fee level, services included and concessions available should also be considered. 

General inflation is relevant, but it is not the only measure affecting school costs. 

Schools are service-intensive organisations, and employment costs are a major component of their budgets. Wage increases, salary-step progression, superannuation and other employment conditions can move differently from general inflation. 

A school may also need to address a gap between its historical fee level and the private-contribution level assumed under the Government’s CTC framework. In those circumstances, the increase may reflect both current cost movements and a gradual funding transition. 

Tuition fees contribute to the recurring cost of delivering education and operating the school. 

School levies may be used for defined activities, resources or services, such as technology, curriculum-related costs, camps or excursions. 

A capital levy contributes to the cost of maintaining, improving and developing school facilities and may assist with approved capital projects and related financing requirements. 

The exact components vary by school and should be set out in the school’s published fee schedule.  

Government capital funding does not meet the full cost of every school building project, land requirement or facility improvement. 

Capital levies provide a source of funding that can assist with school facility costs and associated loan repayments.  

Capital levies are therefore separate from tuition fees because they support different types of expenditure.

BCE recognises both: 

• the need for schools to remain financially sustainable and continue providing high-quality Catholic education; and 
• the financial pressures experienced by families. 

BCE’s approach includes: 

• considering local circumstances and existing fee levels; 
• transitioning fees over time rather than applying the full adjustment immediately; 
• reviewing expenditure before increasing fees; 
• applying annual parameters to moderate the size of increases; 
• providing sibling discounts where applicable; 
• making fee-concession arrangements available; and 
• providing system support to some schools during their transition. 

BCE’s School Fees and Concessions policy states that BCE schools are to remain accessible to families who seek a Catholic education, regardless of financial capacity, while balancing accessibility with the delivery of high-quality educational services.  

Families experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to speak confidentially with their school as early as possible. 

BCE schools can consider fee concessions based on individual circumstances. Genuine financial constraints and hardship should not discourage a family from seeking enrolment in a BCE school.  

Discussions and supporting information are managed confidentially. A family should contact the school principal or designated school representative to discuss available arrangements. 

A family experiencing genuine financial hardship should not assume that a published fee means assistance is unavailable. Please contact the school for a confidential discussion.

BCE’s procedure provides for percentage-based sibling discounts and supports their use across systemic schools where possible. The specific application should be confirmed with the family’s school. 

Sibling discounts are a BCE affordability measure. They are not recognised separately in the Australian Government’s CTC calculation, which is one reason the income actually collected by a school may differ from the amount implied by the government funding model.

The fee increase does not itself cause the school to receive more government base funding. Government funding is calculated under the applicable SRS, CTC and other funding arrangements. 

Fees are increased where necessary to help meet costs, respond to the private-contribution assumptions in the funding framework and maintain the school’s financial sustainability.

No. The DMI produces a school-level score based on the median family income associated with students at the school. The standard published fee is then established for the relevant school or year level in accordance with BCE’s fee-setting framework and the school’s circumstances.  

Individual family circumstances are considered separately through BCE’s concession and hardship processes.

Schools review expenditure carefully before fee increases are considered to ensure all expenditure is justified and needs-based and subject to transparent and accountable stewardship.  

However, cost reductions alone may not remove the need for an increase where: 

• essential staffing and educational services must be maintained; 
• employment and operating costs continue to rise; 
• facilities require maintenance or renewal; 
• existing fees are materially below the school’s funding pathway;or 
• government funding assumes a greater private contribution from the school community. 

Fee increases should therefore be considered alongside expenditure management, not as a substitute for it. 

School fees are set within BCE’s governance, budget and delegation arrangements.

Families can: 

• review their school’s published fee schedule; 
• contact the school for an explanation of particular fees or levies; 
• ask about payment arrangements, sibling discounts or concessions; and 
• request a confidential discussion if their circumstances have changed. 

Further general information about the government funding framework is available from the Australian Government’s Schooling Resource Standard guidance and Capacity to Contribute guidance.  

BCE will adopt standard enrolment terms and conditions for new enrolment applications processed through the new enrolment system. The changes are intended to make fee responsibility clearer for families and easier for schools to administer. 

These new terms and conditions will be cross-referenced in new enrolment application and offer forms within the new system and will also be publicly available on BCE’s website.

1. The financial responsibilities form will no longer be required because school fee payment obligations will be incorporated into BCE’s standard enrolment terms and conditions.  
2. The confirmation of enrolment form will be replaced by an offer of enrolment. Parents will be required to accept the terms and conditions of the offer, which includes their financial obligations which all enrolling parties will need to sign. 

Unless otherwise advised, the new terms and conditions will not apply to enrolment applications processed under existing processes. This means that any current agreed fee responsibility should continue to be honoured. Any future changes to fee responsibility arrangements will be subject to BCE’s updated enrolment terms and conditions. This will be reflected in updates to the Revision of Financial Obligations Form. 

Where there is more than one enrolling parent, guardian or approved carer, each person will be jointly and severally liable for all school fees throughout the student’s enrolment. The practical effect is that each party will be responsible for 100% of the fees. This will also apply to any non-curricular fees expressly agreed by either party (i.e. sporting activities, camps etc.).  

Each responsible enrolling party remains liable for the full amount of the school fees, even if the parties have agreed privately to split payments in a different way. This is particularly relevant where parents are separated or where there are private financial arrangements, child support arrangements or court orders between the parties. These arrangements do not generally bind the school and will not change each enrolling party’s responsibility to ensure school fees are paid on time.

The main exception applies to particular enrolments involving approved carers and independent students. 

It is our aim to meet the educational needs of all students enrolled in our schools.  Specialist support staff at the school will discuss your child’s educational needs with you and work to develop, implement and review individual education plans and programs.

Please make sure you contact the school's learning support team or principal to arrange a meeting to talk about what can be done to best support the needs of your child.

If you feel your child's needs are not being met, it is important that you speak to either the classroom teacher and/or specialist support teacher about your concerns.  They will work with you to adjust any plans in place, so your child's individual needs are supported into the future.

The amount of funding a school receives is based on the number of students enrolled at the school with a disability.

Funding is not allocated directly to students, rather schools are allocated the resources, with principals responsible for supporting the educational programs of all students with disability in their school. 

Much of this resourcing comes in the form of staffing, professional development and the purchase of specialised equipment. For more information, please contact your school's support teacher: inclusive education or the principal.

For families of a child with a disability, finding the right school can be a daunting process.  The enrolment application and support procedure is set in place to clearly identify the needs of your child, and help assess if the school can provide the appropriate support for your child. Through the interview process, both families and the school will discuss and agree on what options are available to best support your child.

For further information on the enrolment process, please contact the school's Registrar, who will be able to provide detailed information on their enrolment process.

We welcome your feedback and want to hear your concerns. We focus on the wellbeing of every student and making sure our families are happy and well supported.In the first instance, any concerns should be raised at the school level, starting with your child's class teacher.  I

f you are unable to resolve the matter you can arrange a meeting with the school principal, who will work with you and other parties to reach a suitable resolution. The BCE Student, Parent and Guardian Complaints Management Process can be found here. 

As a parent/carer, you have a responsibility to advise the school immediately if any changes occur to your family's circumstances that has the potential to impact on the relationship between the school and parents and/or student.

You should provide the school with copies of any court orders or domestic violence orders, as soon as possible. The school will assume that both parents retain equal parental responsibility for their children, unless they are provided with court orders which provide otherwise.

Unless parental responsibility has been removed by a court order, generally both parents are entitled to be recorded at the school as legal guardians and may be provided with school reports, newsletters, school photos and invitations to school events.  However, in some circumstances a domestic violence order or family court order may prevent a parent with parental responsibility from collecting their children or attending teacher interviews or other school events.

If your child requires medication whilst at school, you will need to complete a Student Medication Request form, available at the school office or on the parent portal. 

This will need to be signed by yourself and/or your local GP and then returned to the school office.

For children who have a serious ongoing medical condition that requires a Medical Action Plan, as a parent/carer you will need to provide the school a copy of this Action Plan. 

A record of your child's condition and/or medication will be recorded at the school.

For further information about this, please contact your child's school.

It is your responsibility as a parent/carer to make sure any medication your child requires is available and up-to-date.