FAQs
Many families have similar questions regarding Radford College waiting lists and enrolment.
Q1: How do I go about "enrolling" my child at Radford College?
A: All children need to be registered on the Radford College waiting list, in order to be considered for a place at the College in the future.
To place a child's name on the waiting list, please see the Application for Registration online form on the Registration page of this website.
Please note that registration on the waiting list is not a guarantee of enrolment in the future.
Q2: What is the cost to register a child on a Radford College waiting list?
A: The current charge is $220 per child. Please note that credit card payment is the only option for online submission of forms. This is a one-off payment, which covers administrative costs and information provision while your child's name is on the waiting list.
Q3: Do I get my money back if my child does not gain a place, or does the $220 go towards my fees when my child starts at Radford?
A: The $220 registration fee is non-refundable and is not a deposit. It is not part of the enrolment fee or subsequent fees charged at the College.
Q4: Are there any other charges?
A: No further monies are requested until a place at the College is formally offered. Please see the Fees page of this website for current fees and charges.
Q5: Can I place my unborn child on a list?
A: No. A child must be born, as his/her actual date of birth is needed in order to be registered on the waiting list.
Q6: Does Radford College offer scholarships to students?
A: Yes. Visit the Scholarships page for more information.
Q7: How many waiting lists can I place each child on?
A: A child can only be on one waiting list at a time at Radford College. If unsuccessful in gaining a place at the requested year level, the child's name will roll across to each successive year waitlist, maintaining the original date of registration, until an offer is made and accepted or the child's schooling is completed.
For example, if a child's name is placed on the Year 3 2024 waiting list, and the College is unable to make an offer for that year level, the child's name will automatically roll up at the beginning of each year, firstly to the Year 4 2025 waiting list, then to the Year 5 2026 waiting list, then to the Year 6 2027 waiting list, and so on.
Children retain their original date of registration and are ranked by this as their name rolls up – they do not go to the bottom of the list each year.
Families are recommended to place their children's names on the earliest waiting list year level for which they would be interested in receiving an offer from the College.
Q8: Do I need to do anything else once my child is registered on the waiting list, such as phone the school from time to time?
A: It is most important to keep contact details up to date and we require changes to be made in writing via email to the Registrar. A confirmation email for your records will be sent once the requested changes have been made.
If you wish to change the preferred entry point for your child, please email the Registrar to facilitate this.
Q9: Does the school take students into every year level?
A: The current intake years at Radford College are Pre-Kindergarten, Year 3, Year 7 and Year 11. These are the year levels where the number of classes at the school are increased.
Places in Kindergarten, Years 1–2, Years 4–6 and Years 8–10 are only available should a student withdraw from the College. Radford College does not offer places commencing Year 12. When a vacancy arises through a student leaving the College, the child at the top of the relevant waiting list will be offered the place. Replacement offers are made when required, at any time of the year, depending on when a vacancy occurs.
A gender balance is maintained in all year levels.
Q10: What happens if I am made an offer and I don't want the place at that time but want a place in the future?
A: Families can decline two formal offers of places from Radford College and still retain their child's original date of registration. The child's name returns to the waiting list with their original date of registration. If a third formal offer is declined then the child's name goes back on the waiting list at the date of the third formal offer.
Please note that should you choose to decline an offer, we cannot guarantee a place at another entry point.
Q11: Who gets priority on the waiting list?
A: At the top of each year's waiting list there are children with priority status. Priority is given to children of permanent staff, siblings, children of members of the Radford Collegians Association (former students who are a member of the Collegians Association) and children of practising Anglican clergy.
After priority students, children will be ranked on the waiting list based on the interval (number of days) between date of birth and date of registration, by gender. Separate lists are maintained for girls and boys. Details of the priority policies can be provided by the Registrar.
Q12: My nephew/niece attends Radford College, does this give my children priority on the waiting list?
A: No. Priority is only given to siblings, not cousins.
Q13: If I am a former student will my child definitely be offered a place?
A: No. Children of Radford College Collegians (former students who are a member of the Collegians Association) currently receive priority placement at the College over other registered students. However, we can never guarantee a place for any child at Radford College. Details of the priority policies can be provided by the Registrar.
Q14: I am a former staff member of the College, does this give my children priority on the waiting list?
A: No. Priority is only given to children of current, permanent staff members at Radford College.
Q15: If I register my child early, am I guaranteed a place for my child?
A: We can never guarantee a place at Radford College for a child not yet enrolled.
Q16: Can I still register even if I am new to Canberra or didn't register when my child was very young?
A: The option to register a child on any of Radford's waiting lists is entirely up to each family. We do not close waiting lists.
At intake points, the enrolment process begins up to two years prior to attendance. How far down the waiting list we go depends on the interest of the families on the waiting list at that time. This can be hard to predict; many families may register their children when very young, and by the time the enrolment process starts, several years may have gone by.
Families' lives can change in that time, and they may no longer be interested in a place at Radford for their children (for example, they have moved out of Canberra).
Until the enrolment process starts two years ahead, it is not possible to predict how far down the lists we go when offering places.
Q17: When is the best time to place my child on a waiting list?
A: The earlier in the child's life they are registered on the waiting list, the earlier their registration date will be. Children will be ranked on the waiting list based on the interval (number of days) between date of birth and date of registration, by gender.
Q18: Can I have a look at the school before I register?
A: Of course. Please visit the Tours and Information Sessions page for more information.
Q19: When will I know if I have a place for my child?
A: The enrolment process for intake years begins two calendar years ahead with a Confirmation of Interest survey to registered families via email (please ensure your email contacts remain current). Formal offers commence after this process is finalised.
Places are offered first to children with priority status, then to children based on the interval (number of days) between date of birth and date of registration, by gender, maintaining a balance of male and female students in each year group.
The process continues as families accept and decline places. No notification will be sent indicating that a student on a waiting list has not been offered a place.
Q20: My child is currently in Year 4, and I am keen to know whether she will be offered a place at Radford College in Year 7, so that we can plan ahead. Can you tell me now if she will be offered a place in Year 7?
A: Offers for places in Year 7 are made when students are in Year 5. Until then, waiting lists are not finalised for Year 7. It is not possible to indicate whether or not we will be able to offer a place to your child in Year 7 until two calendar years ahead.
Q21: Why can't I be told what number on the list my child is?
A: The waiting lists for Radford College are not static. They change regularly as children are moved from one list to another, priority students join lists, and children's names roll up into the next year level. At all times, children are ranked by the interval (number of days) between date of birth and date of registration.
For example, a girl (let's call her Anna) may be fourth on the Year 2 2030 waiting list, ranked by her date of registration. During the year another girl, Bella, who was ranked further down the list, gains sibling priority as her older brother joins the school, so Bella moves up ahead of Anna, moving Anna to fifth place. Then, at the end of the year, all the girls on the Year 2 2030 list "roll up" to the Year 3 2031 waiting list. There are already girls on the Year 3 2031 waiting list, who weren't interested in an earlier place at the school. All the girls from the Year 2 2030 list and the Year 3 2031 list are re-ranked based on their registration interval period. It turns out that there are ten girls who have earlier registration dates than Anna, so they are ranked ahead of her. So, on the Year 3 2031 waiting list, Anna is now 15th on the list.
This is an example, but it shows that if Anna's parents had been told that she was fourth on the waiting list in 2030, and then she moved to 15th position in 2031, the original advice would have been misleading. Therefore, we do not give out waiting list ranking numbers.
Q22: I've been offered a place for Pre-Kindergarten but prefer a Year 3 entry. Can I accept this offer now for Year 3 instead?
A: Offers to Radford College are for a specific year level and calendar year. They are not transferable to a different year level or calendar year.
Q23: I've been made an offer for my daughter in Year 3 next year, but would really like my son to start in Year 5 next year. Can I accept this offer for my son instead?
A: Offers to Radford College are for a specific child. They are not transferable to a different child.
Q24: I have twins. Will they be able to come to the school together?
A: If the College is able to offer a place to one twin, the other twin automatically receives an offer for the same year level/calendar year.
Q25: Does Radford College accept full fee paying students from overseas?
A: No. Radford College does not have the necessary registration to enrol international/overseas students. A child needs Australian citizenship or hold a permanent residency visa in order to attend Radford College.
Q26: What is Radford's enrolment process?
A: Enrolment process for intake years (Pre-Kindergarten, Year 3, Year 7 and Year 11)
The enrolment process for intake years begins two calendar years ahead and the relative position of a child on the waiting list is not established until this time. For this reason, the College is only able to comment generally on a student's place on the waiting list.
The enrolment process commences with a Confirmation of Interest survey to registered families via email (please ensure your email contacts remain current). Enrolment process information is sent with this survey. Formal offers commence after this process is finalised.
If an offer is forthcoming, parents are asked to sign enrolment forms and pay a non-refundable enrolment fee of $2500. Upon acceptance of an offer and payment of the enrolment fee students and parents will attend a compulsory interview with College staff. The enrolment process continues throughout the year/s until all available places have been confirmed.
If an offer is not forthcoming, then your child's name will roll up in the database to successive years, retaining and being ranked by the interval (number of days) between date of birth and date of registration. A student's name will not be removed from the waiting list unless the College is notified in writing.
Notifications will not be sent indicating that a student has not been successful in gaining a place.
Enrolment process for non-intake years
Places in Kindergarten, Years 1–2, Years 4–6 and Years 8–10 are only available should a student withdraw from the College. When a vacancy arises through a student leaving the College, the child at the top of the relevant waiting list will be offered the place. Replacement offers are made when required, at any time of the year, depending on when a vacancy occurs.