Introduction
The Board of Management of Scoil Barra Naofa, hereby set out its Enrolment & Admissions Policy, in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, to assist parents in relation to enrolment matters. The Chairperson of the Board of Management or the Principal Teacher will be happy to clarify any matters arising from this policy.
School Information
Name of school: Scoil Barra Naofa, Monkstown
Phone No: 021-4842159
Patron: His Lordship, Bishop of Cork & Ross
Staff: Principal Teacher, Class Teachers (8), SET Teachers (3).
Opening Time: Classes begin at 8:50am
Closing Time(s): Infants finish at 1:30pm; All Other Classes finish at 2:30pm.
Rationale
This policy aims to ensure that the appropriate procedures are in place to enable the school to:
- Make decisions on all applications in an open and transparent manner consistent with the Mission Statement and Ethos of the school and all legislative requirements.
- Make an accurate and appropriate assessment of the capacity of the school to cater for the needs of applicants, in the light of resources available to it.
- Put in place a framework, which will ensure effective and productive relations between pupils, parents and teachers, where a pupil is admitted to the school.
Mission Statement
Founded on 19th February 1872 Scoil Barra Naofa is a Catholic Primary School of both boys and girls, under the Patronage of His Lordship, Bishop of Cork and Ross. The mission of the school is to provide a comprehensive, inclusive and accessible education of the highest quality, which will enable all our pupils to develop to their full potential as persons – spiritually, socially, morally, physically and academically.
We are committed to providing a learning environment which is free from discrimination, threats, bullying, and harassment for all our staff and students. In a caring and respectful way we will affirm each person’s self-worth and dignity and provide a student-centred education that nurtures the strengths, talents and potential of all.
The school is a mixed school where the full range of classes is taught, from Junior Infants to Sixth class. It is an inclusive school and caters for children of all abilities. This policy can be read in conjunction with our other school policies, including our Child Protection Policy, Anti-Bullying Policy, Special Education Needs Policy, Code of Behaviour and Health & Safety.
Scoil Barra Naofa operates under the Rules for National Schools and Departmental Circulars and is funded by grants. The Staff is resourced by the Department of Education & Skills. The school is subject to The Education Act (1998), The Education Welfare Act (2000), The Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act (2004), Children First – National Guidelines For The Protection of Children (2011), equality law and all other relevant legislation. Our Primary School follows the curricular programmes laid down by the Department of Education & Skills, Ireland.
Role of the Board of Management
- To ensure that a policy is in place and that it is reviewed.
- To appraise this policy, with regards to its suitability and the effectiveness of its implementation and to make recommendations for improvement where appropriate.
- To decide on appeals made by parents, with respect to any decision(s) made by the Board.
Role of the Principal
- To formulate a draft policy in consultation with teaching staff, parents and the Board of Management
- To monitor its implementation and to ensure that it is reviewed.
- To apply for and acquire resources, as are available in accordance with government policies.
- To ensure, within the constraints of available resources, that alternative programmes are devised where necessary and practicable to meet the needs of the pupils.
- To ensure a register of all pupils attending the school is established and maintained.
- To ensure that a record of attendance or non-attendance is maintained for each pupil registered and in the case of non-attendance, the reason for same.
- Prior to registering the child, to provide the parents with a copy of the school’s ‘Code of Behaviour’ and to ensure that they confirm in writing their acceptance of this code.
- Where a child is refused admission, to advise the parents of their right of appeal to the Board of Management and the Department of Education, setting out Title and Address of each, and advising them of time limits.
Role of Teaching Staff
- To co-operate with the implementation of this policy.
- To take the needs of all students into account in the way in which they select text books, plan and teach their lessons, and conduct assessments.
- To bring concerns about Special Needs, curricular matters and information to the attention of the Principal, Deputy-Principal and Special Education Teachers.
- To keep parents informed through regular Parent / Teacher Meetings and school reports and by meeting parents from time-to-time, as required.
Role of Parents
- To support the policy and co-operate fully with the school in its implementation.
- To bring to the attention of the school authorities any special needs their child has, or any concerns they may have in relation to the school’s provision for the educational needs of their child.
- To appraise the policy with regards to its suitability and the effectiveness of its implementation and to make recommendations where appropriate.
Policy Considerations
- The school will not refuse a child on the basis of ethnicity, special educational needs, disability, traveller status, refugee status, political or religious beliefs, family or social circumstances, provided all the necessary supports are in place in the school.
- The Board of Management, in its ‘Enrolment & Admissions Policy’, respects the rights of the existing school community and the children already enrolled. Consequently, the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the maximum number of children in each class, bearing in mind:
a) Health & Safety concerns, with regards to staff and children.
b) Available classroom space
c) Educational needs of the children in the class
d) Presence of children with special needs in the class
e) The availability of appropriate supports and resources
f) Department of Education and Skills’ class size directives
- Where the school lacks the necessary resources to meet the needs of an applicant, it will make every effort to secure those resources. However, where the resources cannot be secured, the school reserves the right to refuse admission. It is the responsibility of the parents of any child, to inform the school of any such needs on the ‘Pre-Enrolment Form’. Failure to do so, may result in a child being refused admission to the school.
- Failure to fully complete the Pre-Enrolment / Enrolment Form may result in refusal to accept a pupil.
- No waiting lists will be kept for any class level, however the school will retain a record of all refused applicants, and how the relevant criteria applied to them.
Enrolment Procedure
- Enrolment process is initiated on receipt of a Pre-Enrolment form (online or in paper form).
- Where both parents have joint-guardianship – as is the automatic case of married parents, or where an unmarried father has applied for & been granted joint-guardianship, both signatures are required on the Pre-Enrolment form. In the case of a single guardian, this signature alone is required.
- The date on which the above form is received by the school, along with the child’s name, date of birth, and telephone contact number(s) are recorded in the school’s record of applications. Acknowledgement of the receipt of a pre-enrolment form, along with a copy of this “Enrolment & Admissions Policy” is sent to the child’s parents.
- The closing date for receipt of pre-enrolment forms for Junior Infants is the 31st October of the school year prior to admissions. Any applications made after that date will only be considered, if places are available.
- All pre-enrolment forms received will be considered in the November of the school year prior to admission, using the criteria outlined in this policy.
- Following this consideration, the Principal will make a recommendation to the Board of Management, listing proposed enrolments for the coming year.
- Once these enrolments have been approved by the Board of Management, all applicants will be informed in writing of the outcome. In the cases where admission is refused, applicants will be made aware of their entitlement to appeal under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
- Where an applicant is successful, parents will receive a letter offering their child a place (See Appendix A) along with enrolment pack. Parents will be requested to forward the following, not more than two weeks after notification of a place is offered.
- A copy of the child’s Birth and Baptismal Certificate (where relevant)
- Signed acceptance of the school’s Code of Behaviour and other policies.
- Signed Parental Permission Form (See Appendix B)
- Completed Pre-Enrolment Form (See Appendix C)
9. The Board of Management strongly recommends that applicants are at least four years of age on or before March of the school year of admissions. i.e. that children should be at least 4.5years old in September of Junior Infants.
10. An information evening for parents of new Junior Infants and an induction afternoon for the children is held in June prior to the commencement of the school year.
Junior Infant Enrolment Criteria
Where the number of applicants for Junior Infants, exceeds the number of places available, the following prioritising criteria are used:
- Siblings of children already in the school, or who have attended the school in the past.
- Families whose primary residence is in the immediate catchment area:
The immediate catchment is determined as the townland of Monkstown, as defined on the 6-inch OS Map (1:10560) Ref CK087. - Children of current teaching staff.
- Families whose primary residence is in the extended catchment area:
The extended catchment area is determined as the townlands of Parkgarriffe, Ballyfouloo (including Strawhall) and those parts of Lackaroe and Rathanker, as outlined (on the map available in the school) on the 6-inch OS Map Ref CK085. A copy of a map outlining the areas in the immediate catchment and extended catchment areas is available for viewing in the school. (See Appendix D) - If places are still available, all remaining places will be allocated on a lottery basis of the remaining applicants.
Please note:
- The above criteria are listed in order of priority. When places are allocated under ‘Criterion 1’ and more places are available, then ‘Criterion 2’ comes into play, and so on until no places remain.
- If only some of the children can be taken from a particular category, these will places will be decided on a ‘lottery’ basis.
- In a particular year, a child may fulfil the enrolment criteria and is offered a place. However, in consultation with the school it may be decided that the child is below the recommended age. In such a case the place may be deferred until the following year, when it will be automatically offered.
Enrolment Criteria for Senior Infants to Sixth Class
If there is a surplus of applications, for possible places in these classes, the following prioritising criteria are used:
- Siblings of children already in the school, or who have attended the school in the past.
- Families whose primary residence is in the immediate catchment area (as defined above).
- Children of current teaching staff.
- Families whose primary residence is in the extended catchment area (as defined above).
Please note:
- In the case of families transferring to the area, application for enrolment is only considered on confirmation of address.
- If there are no places available in the relevant class, on receipt of a pre-enrolment form, then parents are informed as soon as possible.
Acceptance of Enrolment
- The Principal will report to the Board of Management in November each year with regards to the acceptance of new enrolments.
- When the Principal refuses admission to any applicant, by the authority delegated to him/her by the Board of Management, any such refusal shall be communicated to the Board at the earliest opportunity.
- Enrolments to classes other than Junior Infants, may be accepted throughout the school year, where places are available in the relevant class, and the criteria for enrolment is applied.
Implementation, Review & Communication
This policy adopted in 2012 by the Board of Management and was reviewed on 21st September 2015. It is available to view on the school website and through the office in the school.
The Board of Management will monitor the implementation of all aspects of this Policy and amend it, as required, with particular emphasis places on:
- Effective management of the application process
- Clarity and transparency relating to the process
- Parental feedback
This policy will be reviewed by teaching staff and the Board of Management every five years or sooner, if prompted by legislative changes. Any staff member, board member or parent may request a review at any time, and such a request will be dealt with as soon as possible.
Next Review Date: September 2020
Signed: Ciara Ní Bhuaigh (Principal)
Signed: Don McAleese (Chairperson B.o.M.)