Admissions

Policy for admissions

Springfield Convent School is an independent Catholic school for girls. It is a day school with no boarding facilities.
Springfield serves the Catholic community in Cape Town and while welcoming children of other faiths, it aims to maintain a substantial enrolment of Catholics in every grade.
All families who are accepted at Springfield must be willing and able to support the ethos of the School.
Springfield caters for girls from Nursery to Grade Twelve.

The age norm for each grade is:

Nursery

the year she turns

Pre-Reception

the year she turns

Reception

the year she turns

Grade One

the year she turns

Grade Eight

the year she turns

Grade Twelve

the year she turns

ENROLMENT CAPACITY

Two Nursery classes of girls who turn 4 during their Nursery year.
Two classes per grade from Pre-Reception to Grade Seven. However, if the enrolment in a
particular grade in the Foundation Phase warrants three classes, this will be implemented.
In the Senior School, subject choices have an impact on class sizes.
A total of approximately 500 pupils in the Junior and Senior Schools is optimal from an educational and sustainability perspective
The School reserves the right to review the number of classes per grade and the number of
pupils allocated per class.

ADMISSION GUIDELINES

The school Principals are led by the following guidelines for preferential acceptance:

Catholics
Applicants of colour
Siblings of current and past pupils
Daughters of past pupils
For the Nursery intake: age at date of application

ADMISSIONS PROCEDURE

Nursery, Pre-Reception and Reception
The main intake at Springfield happens at Nursery level, with smaller intakes happening at Pre-Reception, Reception and Grade One. All new families applying for Nursery are interviewed in the first quarter of the year prior to enrolment. Interviews for Pre-Reception and Reception take place when there are vacancies. When vacancies occur, the guidelines of this policy are applied.

Grades One to Seven
There is automatic acceptance from Pre-School into Junior School, providing an acceptable level of behaviour and academic progress has been maintained, and that the school fees have been paid. Interviews for Grades One to Seven take place when there is a vacancy. When vacancies occur, the guidelines indicated in this policy are applied and there should be a reasonable expectation that the prospective pupil will flourish and develop to her full potential at Springfield.

Grade Eight
There is automatic acceptance from the Springfield Junior School into the Senior School, providing acceptable levels of behaviour and academic progress have been maintained, and that the school fees have been paid.

New admissions to Grade Eight:
A composite profile of each applicant will be prepared that will include the following:

Interviews are conducted with each pupil
An entrance assessment
The pupil will complete a questionnaire that will allow her to highlight her interests

The profile will be reviewed by the Senior School management with a view to identifying those applicants who will flourish and develop to their full potential at Springfield.

When vacancies occur in Grades 9 to 12, the guidelines indicated in this policy are applied and the prospective pupil should be able to demonstrate that she will flourish and develop to her full potential at Springfield.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

- A copy of the child’s birth certificate
- A copy of the baptism certificate or other indication of religious affiliation
- A copy of each parent’s ID document
- A copy of the latest school report (where applicable)
- Should an applicant not be in possession of a South African Birth Certificate, a Study
  Permit or Residence Permit needs to accompany the application. It is the
  prospective/current parent’s responsibility to submit a new Study Permit to the School,
  after the date has expired

ACCEPTANCE PROCEDURE

A letter of acceptance
A letter of acceptance is sent to each successful applicant.

Final placement requirements

- A placement fee of R15000-00 is to be paid. This initial placement fee is non-refundable,
  does not constitute a tuition fee and is directed towards improvements, renovations and
  upgrades of the School’s facilities.
- Pre-School: the completed and signed Registration Form and Parent/Pupil Information
  Sheet, together with the signed acceptance of the school’s Parent Charter, are to be
  returned to the school.
- Grades 1 to 12: the completed and signed Registration Form, Parent/Pupil Information
  Sheet, completed Financial Clearance Certificate, together with the signed acceptance of
  the School’s Parent Charter, are to be returned to the school.