Primary school enrolment

The town of Bocholt sent out the enrolment documents for children starting school in the 2027/2028 academic year in September 2026. If you have not received these documents, please contact kirsten.eiting(at)bocholt(dot)de
You must submit the enrolment documents when registering at the school.

Enrolment at primary schools in Bocholt for the 2027/2028 school year will take place during the following periods:

5 to 16 October 2026

2 to 11 November 2026

Please make an appointment well in advance in September for an enrolment interview with your chosen primary school. Appointments are arranged by the respective school.

You can find an overview of primary schools in Bocholt, including their enrolment periods and contact details, here.

In principle, you can enrol your child at a primary school of your choice.

Under Section 46(3) of the North Rhine-Westphalia Education Act, every child is entitled to a place at the primary school of the desired type in their local authority area that is closest to their home, provided the school has sufficient capacity.

You may also enrol your child at a different primary school. However, admission there is only possible if the school has sufficient capacity.

Important: You may only enrol your child at one primary school.

You and your child should attend the enrolment interviewtogether at the primary school of your choice.

Please bring the following documents with you:

• the enrolment form, fully completed and signed by all legal guardians
• the family register or the child's birth certificate
• the identity documents of the legal guardians
• the educational documentation from the childcare centre, if this is already available

In cases of sole custody, registration must be carried out by the parent with sole custody. Please bring appropriate proof of this, such as a certificate of custody, with you to the registration appointment.

If more children are enrolled at a primary school than there are places available, the school will carry out an admissions process.

Priority is given to children who are resident in the local authority area. The school management will first consider cases of hardship.

In addition, the following criteria in particular may be taken into account when deciding on admission:

• Siblings already attending the school
• Journey to school
• Attendance at a nursery near the school
• A balanced ratio of girls to boys
• A balanced ratio of pupils from different linguistic backgrounds

In the event of an excess of applications at a Catholic denominational primary school, priority is given to children of the relevant faith.

In Bocholt there are:

• Community primary schools
• Catholic denominational primary schools

At Catholic denominational primary schools, children are taught and brought up in accordance with the principles of the Catholic faith.

At community primary schools, children are taught and brought up together on the basis of Christian educational and cultural values, with an openness to Christian denominations as well as to other religious and philosophical beliefs.

The Maria Montessori School is a community primary school. Teaching and upbringing there are based on the principles of the Montessori method.

In the case of primary schools with multiple sites, the location of the enrolment interview is not necessarily the same as the location where your child will eventually attend lessons.

The decision as to which site the child will attend is made by the relevant school management as part of the class formation process and subject to available places.

Special arrangements apply to children with a recognised need for special educational support.

These children are entitled to a place at the primary school in their local area that is closest to their home, of the desired type, as recommended by the school authority, where 'Joint Learning' is in place. Registration is initially carried out via a primary school.

Before a child is admitted to primary school, a health assessment must be carried out.

The pre-school health check is carried out by the Borken District Health Authority.

The Public Health Department will inform parents of the examination date in due course.

A range of childcare services is available at primary schools in Bocholt.

These include, in particular:

• Open All-Day School (OGS) - usually until 4.30 pm
• Reliable half-day school (VHTS) - usually until 1.30 pm

You can find out which childcare options are available at each primary school in the overview of Bocholt's primary schools. Further information on the open all-day programme and the reliable half-day programme can be found here.

Under certain conditions, the City of Bocholt will cover the necessary costs of your child's journey to school. This is based on the provisions of the North Rhine-Westphalia School Transport Costs Regulation (SchfkVO).

The primary condition for the costs to be covered is that the distance exceeds the limit set out in the SchfkVO. The distance taken into account is that between the child's home and the nearest school of the chosen type to their home. Other criteria - such as proven health restrictions - that affect the reasonableness of the journey to school may also play a role.

Please direct any enquiries regarding school travel costs to: Eva Hungerkamp on 02871/953-2439 or by email to eva.hungerkamp(at)bocholt(dot)de