VPRS 20109 Student Transfer Notes and Exit Forms

Full description

This series comprises Student Transfer Notes and Exit Forms from Apollo Parkways Primary School (School No. 5184) (VA 5443). 

These records capture details of students who transferred to or from the school and are not a complete record of all the students that attended this school.  Schools used various formats to record this information over time. Standardised ‘Transfer Notes’ volumes were used initially before being replaced in the 1990s with more varied formats, such as ‘Transfer Cards,’ ‘Exit Forms,’ and ‘Exit Lists.’

From the 1980s, schools began transitioning to the Computerised Administrative System Environment in Schools (CASES) database, a centralised digital enrolment system maintained by the Education Department (VA 714) or its successors. Initially not widely used, the then Department of Education (VA 3098) introduced an updated CASES21, which became the mandatory system of record for financial information and reporting for all Victorian government schools from 2006. While CASES21 was also used for student and school administration processes, schools were permitted to utilise other third-party software to meet their needs in conjunction with the system.

Transfer Notes

From 1928, the Education Department (VA 714) or its successors provided standardised volumes, titled ‘Transfer Notes’ to document student transfers between state government schools.

Two copies of the form were completed for each pupil or group of siblings as legislated in Section 43 of the Education Act 1928 (Vic).  One was for the parent to deliver to the receiving school, and one was retained by the originating school.  

The receiving school’s Head Teacher was expected to return a detachable segment to confirm the student's start date. Students without a Transfer Note were admitted, but their previous school was contacted for documentation, and their names were not added to the Attendance Roll until the paperwork was completed.  The Transfer Notes typically recorded details such as the current and destination schools, the student’s name, date of birth, attendance, grade level, register number, and parent information. 

Starting in 1961, schools were required to send copies of each transfer to the Director of Child Health (Medical) in the Department of Health (VA 695), though the purpose and end date of this requirement remain unclear.

It appears that in the 1990s the Ministry of Education and Training (VA 1112) phased out the use of the standardised volumes and they were replaced with school-managed systems. Many schools implemented forms titled ‘Student Transfer Notes’ which appear to be from the student management database, likely CASES database or similar. These forms include mostly the same details and process that were in the original standardised volumes, including a detachable segment signed by the receiving school. In some cases, only the returned segment remains. This form also indicates that a duplicate of the student’s school record at the school would be sent alongside the note to the new school.

Transfer Cards

As an alternative to Student Transfer Notes, a school may have created Transfer Cards which contained less information and consisted largely of personal details of the student such as parent or guardian details, medical information and emergency contact details. It is not known if a copy of these cards were given to the transferring school. 

Exit Forms

In the early 2000s, Student Exit Forms (also called ‘Exit a Student from the School’ form) were introduced. Unlike transfer notes, these forms appear to have been kept solely for the files of the school, even if transferring to another school.

This form was required to be filled out by students prior to departing the school and content varied between schools. Student Exit Forms typically included current enrolment details such as the student’s name, address, year level, and date of birth, along with new address details if applicable. Parents or guardians were often required to provide a declaration confirming the student’s last day of attendance and their intended destination, whether employment, transferring to another school, or pursuing further education. For students completing the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), an additional declaration was required to either withdraw from VCE or transfer their enrolment and VCE records to their new school. The form also usually featured a checklist of actions to complete before departure, such as returning borrowed books, clearing lockers, and settling outstanding fees.

Exit Lists

Exit Lists follow a standardised format and appear to be a printed report generated from a digital database, likely CASES or similar for a certain date. The printed report has been kept where the original born digital record is unlikely to exist or is no longer accessible. 

These lists typically include information such as the student's name, gender, date of birth, date of enrolment, and date of transfer. They may also provide details such as the student's old and new addresses, current and previous form or class, destination school, previous school, and the names of their parents or guardians.