This guide collects what the Queensland Department of Education’s own pages say about catchments, enrolment management plans, out-of-catchment places, proof of residency and who decides an enrolment. Every rule is attributed to a named page and its date, because the pages differ in age. Two individual school plans are quoted only as examples of how one school words things, not as statewide rules.
The usual rule and where it changes
At 10 November 2026, the department’s choosing-a-school page (last updated 21 January 2026) says children usually attend the state school closest to where they live, and that parents can send their children to the state school of their choice, depending on available places. At 10 November 2026, the same page (last updated 21 January 2026) says some schools have a School Enrolment Management Plan that means students may not be able to enrol unless they live within the designated catchment zone. The same page (last updated 21 January 2026) also says a small number of schools have an Enrolment Eligibility Plan that means students may not be able to enrol unless they meet specific enrolment criteria.
At 10 November 2026, the Enrolment in state primary, secondary and special schools procedure (version 7.12, effective 19 March 2024) says eligible children may apply to enrol in any state primary and secondary school, unless there is an enrolment management plan or enrolment eligibility plan in place. That procedure (version 7.12) says this means students may not be entitled to enrol unless they live within the local catchment area or, for students from outside it, have met eligibility criteria contained in the plan.
The same procedure (version 7.12, effective 19 March 2024) says some prospective students are entitled to enrol at a school with an enrolment management plan as if in-catchment, such as those who have been excluded from another school (if approved by the Regional Director). The same procedure (version 7.12) adds that this applies to students subject to Child Protection orders, and to students verified with a disability who want the specific disability program if it is the closest program to their home and meets their individual needs.
What an enrolment management plan is
At 10 November 2026, the School Enrolment Management Plans page (last updated 1 October 2026) says the department is responsible for providing facilities to meet the educational needs of students residing within a school’s catchment area. The page (last updated 1 October 2026) says a School EMP is introduced in a state school which is nearing its student enrolment capacity, and that principals of these schools are required to restrict the enrolments from out-of-catchment students. The page (last updated 1 October 2026) also says a school’s student enrolment capacity is the number of students the school can accommodate within the existing learning spaces in the school.
On the threshold, the two official pages are worded differently, and this article does not reconcile them. At 10 November 2026, the School EMPs page (last updated 1 October 2026) says schools are required to implement a School EMP when enrolments reach 80% of the school’s student enrolment capacity. The School EMP procedure (version 7.5, effective 9 September 2024) says the trigger for implementing a School EMP is a utilisation rate of 80% or higher and trending upwards, and that the trigger point for a plan to be rescinded is a utilisation rate of 70% or lower and trending downwards. That procedure (version 7.5) also says rural or provincial schools with no neighbouring schools within a radius of 55km are automatically exempt from implementing a School EMP, irrespective of the utilisation rate, and that all new schools will open with a School EMP in place.
At 10 November 2026, the School EMPs page (last updated 1 October 2026) says that to enrol in a school with a School EMP, students must meet the eligibility criteria outlined in that plan. The page (last updated 1 October 2026) also offers a list of Queensland schools that have a School EMP.
Out-of-catchment places
At 10 November 2026, the School EMP procedure (version 7.5, effective 9 September 2024) says a principal is able to enrol out-of-catchment students, including in Programs of Excellence, only if sufficient capacity is available after meeting the in-catchment criteria and after capacity is reserved for projected in-catchment enrolment growth. The procedure (version 7.5) also tells principals to limit out-of-catchment enrolments in the entry year level, which it gives as Prep or Year 7.
Individual plans word this differently. At 10 November 2026, Mabel Park State School’s plan page (last updated 24 February 2026) says out-of-catchment applicants are placed on a waiting list, assessed in order of receipt and prioritised. The same page (last updated 24 February 2026) says places in its Programs of Excellence are only available to out-of-catchment enrolments once the demand for in-catchment enrolment has been met and sufficient capacity has been reserved for future in-catchment growth. At 10 November 2026, Brisbane State High School’s plan page (last updated 22 January 2026) says out of catchment enrolments will only be accepted if they constitute a merit entry under the selective entry program or are made as a legislative or policy requirement of the Department of Education. Those are two schools’ wording only; another school’s plan may say something else.
Finding a school’s catchment
At 10 November 2026, Mabel Park State School’s plan page (last updated 24 February 2026) says the school operates under an equidistant catchment area and that its catchment map is available from EdMap. Brisbane State High School’s plan page (last updated 22 January 2026) says the school operates under a negotiated catchment area, and that its catchment map is available at the school’s administration building or from EdMap.
At 10 November 2026, that Brisbane State High School page (last updated 22 January 2026) says the boundaries of its catchment area are subject to periodic review and may be subject to change at any time. The page (last updated 22 January 2026) asks families to check the school’s catchment in the year prior to the proposed commencement date to determine which residences are located within the catchment area.
Proof of residency
At 10 November 2026, the enrolment procedure (version 7.12, effective 19 March 2024) lists proof of residency documents, where a school has an Enrolment Management Plan, among the evidence that a prospective student is entitled to apply for enrolment. For an example of a list, Brisbane State High School’s plan page (last updated 22 January 2026) says that for all local catchment enrolment applications the school requires documentary evidence that students seeking to enrol genuinely reside in the catchment, and that current proof of residency at the address indicated must be provided.
That page (last updated 22 January 2026) says its examples of proof of residency documents include but are not limited to a list. For owned property the list includes a current rates notice and a minimum of three current bills and evidence of payment that demonstrate reasonable levels of usage. For leased property the list includes a current commercially drawn, arms-length, residential lease agreement in the name of the legal parents or guardians. The page (last updated 22 January 2026) also says the school will require parents and guardians to sign statutory declarations under the Oaths Act 1867, and that if false or misleading information has been used to obtain enrolment, a student’s enrolment will cease. That is one school’s list; this article does not claim other schools ask for the same documents.
Who decides, and when a place can be refused
At 10 November 2026, the enrolment procedure (version 7.12, effective 19 March 2024) lists making enrolment decisions as a responsibility of primary and secondary principals only, and says the principal determines if the prospective student is entitled to be enrolled at the school. Where the principal determines the student is not entitled, the procedure (version 7.12) says the principal advises the applicant in writing as soon as practicable, including the reasons. That advice, the procedure (version 7.12) says, includes that information on the complaints process is available from the department’s compliments and complaints webpage and the Queensland Ombudsman. Brisbane State High School’s plan page (last updated 22 January 2026) says an application for enrolment does not guarantee confirmation of a place.
On paperwork, the procedure (version 7.12) says the enrolment form need only be signed by one parent/carer, or the student if mature age or independent, and that all applicants who request the form are entitled to receive one. The procedure (version 7.12) says schools should explain that failure to complete the mandatory sections of the form, or to provide required documentation, may result in a refusal to process the application. The procedure (version 7.12) also says it is not the role of the school to resolve disagreements between parents/carers about school enrolment.
At 10 November 2026, the Refusal to enrol – Risk to safety or wellbeing procedure (version 4.4, effective 10 November 2023) covers refusal on safety grounds and says the Director-General or their delegate can refuse the enrolment of a prospective student if they reasonably believe that, if enrolled, the student would pose an unacceptable risk to the safety or wellbeing of members of the school community. The same procedure (version 4.4) tells principals it is unlawful to refuse or place special conditions on a prospective student’s enrolment on grounds they have a disability.
Related guides
For the Prep age rules and the basic steps, see Starting Prep in Queensland: Enrolment Basics. For the move to secondary school, see Starting High School in Queensland: Year 7 Enrolment Basics.
Frequently asked questions
What is a School Enrolment Management Plan?
At 10 November 2026, the School Enrolment Management Plans page (last updated 1 October 2026) says a School EMP is introduced in a state school which is nearing its student enrolment capacity, and that principals of these schools are required to restrict the enrolments from out-of-catchment students.
Can I enrol my child in any Queensland state school?
At 10 November 2026, the enrolment procedure (version 7.12, effective 19 March 2024) says eligible children may apply to enrol in any state primary and secondary school, unless there is an enrolment management plan or enrolment eligibility plan in place.
Where can I find a school’s catchment map?
At 10 November 2026, Mabel Park State School’s plan page (last updated 24 February 2026) says its catchment map is available from EdMap. Brisbane State High School’s plan page (last updated 22 January 2026) says its map is available at the administration building or from EdMap.
What happens if a school says my child is not entitled to enrol?
At 10 November 2026, the enrolment procedure (version 7.12, effective 19 March 2024) says the principal advises the applicant in writing as soon as practicable, including the reasons, and that information on the complaints process is available from the department’s compliments and complaints webpage and the Queensland Ombudsman.
