The risk of George Street Normal School bursting at the seams has prompted the Ministry of Education to implement an enrolment scheme at for the first time in the school's 130-year history.
In order to avoid overcrowding and ensure the best use of the school's facilities, the Ministry and the school's Board of Trustees have confirmed an enrolment scheme will be set in place for the beginning of term 3 this year.
Principal Rod Galloway said the school had experienced a significant roll increase during the past two years, and after enrolling 170 children in 2010, the school roll has reached 458 - the highest since 1971.
He believed several factors had contributed to the school's increasing popularity.
Committed and capable staff, school-wide initiatives in international education, information communication technology, character education and strength-based approaches had grown an active and supportive school community, he said.
Mr Galloway said a long and close association with the University of Otago College of Education as a Normal School was another point of difference for some parents.
Although the enrolment scheme will begin on August 1, 2011, Mr Galloway said all children already at the school could continue to be enrolled, regardless of where they live.
All parents living within the George Street Normal School home zone had the right to enrol children, and the enrolment of out-of-zone pupils was governed by the provisions of the Education Act 1989, he said.
"If the number of applications for out-of-zone places exceeds the number of actual places available, a ballot will be held."
Out-of-zone applications to enrol children for term 3 and 4 of 2011 will close on March 25 at 3pm.
"If a ballot is required, the first priority for each ballot will be siblings of children enrolled.
"A second priority will be siblings of former pupils. The third priority will be children of former pupils.
"The fourth priority will be children of staff members and the fifth priority will be everyone else."
Mr Galloway expected there would be many places for out-of-zone pupils.
Most of the school roll was made up of children living outside the home zone, he said.
New enrolment zone:
The corner of Albany and George Sts down to Anzac Ave; along Anzac Ave north turning right into Union St East to Parry St; along Butts Rd continuing into Dundas St to Leith St North, including St Abbs Pl, Lovelock Ave up to No 4, and Gore Pl; right into Leith St North to Brook St, right into North Rd up to and including Cornhill, Carlyle and Chacombe Sts, along Bank St turning left then right on to Pine Hill Rd, continuing on the Dunedin Northern Motorway to Patmos Ave; along Patmos Ave to Malvern St, then follow Leith Valley Rd to Dunedin-Waitati Rd (State Highway 1); along Hillswick St to Islay St, including Booth Rd and following Wakari Rd as far as Burma Rd; following along Burma Rd to the start of Cannington Rd, connecting through Ross Creek Reservoir to Woodhaugh St, around Prospect Park to the corner of Lachlan Ave, connecting with Queens Dr, Drummond St, Pitt St, to include Elder St, turn left into George St to the corner of Albany St.
Both sides of streets, roads, avenues and terraces are included in this home zone.
