Enrolment

Our community in the greater Mount Barker Council District is growing. In June 2024, the government announced a new preschool and primary school would be built at Mount Barker by 2028, and from 2025, Mount Barker Primary School and Mount Barker South Primary School will operate a single shared school zone.

The shared zone will include the areas of Mount Barker, Mount Barker Springs, Mount Barker Summit, Bugle Ranges, Wistow and Paechtown.

A map of the shared zone is available in our downloads section. 

The shared school zone will allow our 2 schools to balance enrolments, as we continue to experience increasing demand from families moving into the area.

As at August, 2025 we are accepting all enrolments for the shared zone as Mount Barker South is at capacity and is not able to accept enrolments at this time.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR SCHOOL

A school zone is a defined geographical area surrounding a school from which the school accepts its core intake of students.

The shared zone does not impact our current families, and younger siblings will continue to be able to enrol, no matter where they live.

The capacity management strategies currently in place and shared zone will be reviewed in coming years with the school and local community, as part of the planning for the new primary school, announced to open in 2028. Through this process school zoning for all 3 schools will be considered.

WHEN SHOULD MY CHILD START SCHOOL

From 2024, we are taking mid-year intakes for Reception The first year of primary school is known as reception. Children must be enrolled by the age of 6. If your child turns 5 years old:

• before the 1st of May they can start reception on the first day of term one in that year.
• between the 1st of May and 31st October, they can start school on the first day of term 3 (mid-year)
• after 31st October they can start reception the following year.
• Mid-Year intake students end up doing 6 terms of Reception

You can use the Department for Education's Starting School Calculator.

STARTING SCHOOL PROGRAM

Preschool children are involved in a transition program which involves visits to the school and the classroom in term 4 prior to commencing school, as well as a Parent Meeting and Tour of the school.

Children who start reception at the beginning of the year will generally complete 4 terms of reception, while children who start reception through the mid-year intake will complete 6 terms of reception.

If you are considering enrolling your child to start school mid-year (ie term 3), you might be interested in the preschool mid-year the year prior, so they can do 4 terms before starting school.

For more information visit www.education.sa.gov.au/parents-and-families/enrol-school-or-preschool/school-enrolment/starting-school