Criteria for offering a place at Timbertop
Each year, places are available to join Timbertop as a new student. The School receives more applications than the number of places available, and unfortunately not all applicants for Year 9 entry can be offered a place.
As part of the comprehensive admissions procedure, applicants must provide reports from Years 7 and 8 and NAPLAN results from their previous schools. Parents are asked to complete a Pre-Enrolment Questionnaire and together with their child, attend a detailed personal interview with the Admissions Manager or their delegate.
In keeping with the principles articulated in the School’s Enrolment Policy, prior to making an offer of a place at Timbertop, the School undertakes a rigorous and balanced process that takes into consideration a range of criteria including:
- the suitability of the child to board;
- whether reasonable adjustments can be made by the School to accommodate a child;
- intention to continue through to Senior School;
- academic progress of the student, including grades and comments on attitude, behaviour and effort;
- interests and activities of the child;
- the needs of the current Year 8 cohort;
- siblings currently attending the School;
- family association with the School; and
- date of application.
Health, safety and wellbeing factors are considered with regard to the student’s ability to thrive in the extreme boarding environment of Timbertop and the social, physical and emotional demands that the programme imposes.
Students whose first language is not English must sit an approved English Language Proficiency Test to ensure they meet the minimum requirements for entry.
Each applicant is considered on individual merit. Earlier date of application and association with the School cannot automatically guarantee a place at Timbertop. For the safety and wellbeing of the student, a number of other factors must receive priority weighting.
Current Year 8 students at the School do not need to apply for entry to Timbertop; we highly encourage all families who are wishing for their child to attend Timbertop, to consider entry to the Middle School years at the Corio Campus in the major intake years of Year 7 and Year 8, or entry to the Toorak Campus in Year 7 (from 2027) or Year 8 (from 2028). Please note, however, that enrolment as a Middle School student does not guarantee a place at Timbertop if health and wellbeing reasons require otherwise or if reasonable adjustments cannot be made by the School to safely accommodate your child at Timbertop.