School Fee Discount Initiative

Eligible Schools as of 26 February 2025 is defined as:

1. St Canice’s Primary School Katoomba
2. Our Lady of Nativity Primary School Lawson, and
3. St Thomas Aquinas Primary School Springwood.

The agreed percentage discount will be applied to the school-based fees and/or Diocesan fees (Diocesan tuition fee and building levy) as determined and notified by CSPD (Discount).

Subject to these Terms and Conditions, the Discount will apply from the Discount commencement date (i.e., the day the school notifies you your child is eligible for a Discount) until the end of the 2027 academic year (Discount Period). At the end of the Discount Period, the school may vary or discontinue the Discount in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

The Eligibility Requirements for the Discount are as follows:

1. The Discount is only available to new or existing enrolments at Eligible Schools.
2. The child enrolling in an Eligible School must not have been enrolled in any other CSPD school in the immediately preceding 12 month period.
3. To be eligible to receive a Discount, you must have provided a completed enrolment application form.

The Eligible School may refuse to provide the Discount if your child does not meet the Eligibility Requirements. The school may discontinue providing the Discount during the Discount Period if it later comes to the school's attention that your child does not meet the Eligibility Requirements. If the school refuses to provide, or determines to discontinue, the Discount in accordance with this item D it will provide reasonable notice to you, including the reasons.

1. The discount does not apply to any Visa Fees (Full Fee Paying Overseas Students, Visitor, Diocesan Education Fee Temporary Residents) payable under your enrolment contract (if applicable).
2. Any outstanding fees payable by you to CSPD relating to a period before the Discount is applied will remain due and payable by you.

Any fees payable by you under the enrolment application may be varied or waived depending on the amount of the Discount. If any other fees are varied or waived as part of the Discount, the school will confirm this in writing to you.

The Discount cannot be redeemed for credit or cash. You cannot transfer your right to the Discount to a third party.

The Discount provided under the Initiative cannot be used in conjunction with any other discounts offered by the school and Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese.

This fee-free program is not only an exceptional opportunity for our current families who will benefit from financial relief from 2026, but we hope that it will provide an incentive to welcome new families into our school.

From 2026, St Canice’s Primary will be school fee-free for new and existing families. This initiative will continue until the end of the 2027 academic year after which it will be reviewed for extension.

St Canice’s will waive School-Based Fees (resource fees, activities and overnight camps) and the Diocesan Fees (Building Levy and Diocesan Tuition Fee) for new and existing families.

We have no ability to discount the additional fees charged to students who hold a Temporary Visa. These fees include the DEFTR (Diocesan Education Fee Temporary Residents), FFPOS (Full Fee Paying Overseas Students) and Visitor Fees as we are bound by the regulated conditions attached to these Visas. However, we will fully waive all School based Fees and Diocesan fees (Tuition fee & Building Levy) that would normally be charged by CSPD.

There will be no income test to access fee-free enrolment at St Canice’s Primary from 2026.

The discount is available to new or existing enrolments.

It is not necessary to share the Catholic faith to apply for enrolment applications at St Canice’s Primary. We warmly welcome all families into our school.

The enrolment period for Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) begins in March for the following year. While enrolment applications are welcome at any time (where vacancies are available), launching the fee-free initiative in 2026 will allow the school to share the exciting news with the community throughout 2025.

We encourage any family experiencing financial difficulties to reach out to us through the school office for a confidential conversation with Principal Miriam Meaney about the support available. We appreciate your trust and want to ensure that all families feel supported. No child will be denied enrolment in a Catholic school due to a family’s inability to pay school fees.

This initiative will be limited to St Canice’s Primary due to particular challenges of the demographics of the Katoomba area.

St Canice’s Primary is a small school with so much to offer and we want more local students to thrive and pursue their learning goals within our faith-based community. Removing fees will not reduce student opportunities or school resources.

We will continue to offer an exciting range of extracurricular opportunities including music, creative arts, public speaking and a variety of sporting opportunities. Our students will retain access to the latest learning resources and technology to enhance their learning.

St Canice’s Primary will continue to deliver a high-quality, holistic education.

Class sizes at St Canice's Primary are generally no more than 25 students. We consistently succeed in maintaining a high staff to student ratio. This will not change.

Families are charged an excursion fee annually.

At times our school may support charitable fundraising and families are welcome, but not obliged, to make a donation.

If you would like to make a voluntary contribution to support the school, this could be arranged. However, there is no expectation of this kind of financial contribution.

St Canice’s Primary is now accepting enrolment applications, including for the 2026 enrolment year. If your family would like to join our school community in 2025, enrolment applications are most welcome.

Request and complete an enrolment application and submit it to the school office as soon as possible, applications will be processed and prioritised on receipt.

Please read the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Enrolment Policy prior to enrolment at St Canice’s Primary.

It is important to consider the readiness of a student to begin school and to give consideration to students who may require extra support. In both cases, the decision to enrol is based on the needs of the student.

Yes. All existing support services in place will be retained.

This initiative will continue until the end of the 2027 academic year after which it will be reviewed for extension.

This fee-free initiative provides a wonderful opportunity for even more local students to enrol at St Canice’s Primary where they will thrive and pursue their learning goals within our faith-based community. It will help local families with their current cost of living challenges by removing one budget item that they can repurpose towards other essential spending.