Enrolment & Admissions Policy

St Patrick’s National School

Enrolment & Admissions Policy

Introduction

The Board of Management of St Patrick’s National School hereby sets out its Enrolment and Admission Policy in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 and the Board trusts that by so doing, parents will be assisted 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.

Decisions in relation to applications for enrolment are made by the Board of Management of the school.

General School Information

Name of School: Ballinagore National School

Address: Ballinagore, Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath

Telephone No. 057 9332165

Website: www.ballinagorens.com

Email: ballinagore.ias@eircom.net

Opening times: School starts at 9.20am and finishes at 3.00pm.

Infant classes finish at 2.00pm.

Our school operates under a Catholic ethos. His Lordship Bishop Michael Smith is the Patron of the School.

At present, the teaching staff is comprised of three class teachers, including the principal, and one shared learning support teacher. The full range of classes is taught in the school and classes are of mixed gender.

The school depends on the grants and teacher resources provided by the Department of Education and Science and it operates within the regulations laid down from time to time, by the Department. The school policy has regard to the resources and funding available.

Within the context and parameters of Department of Education and Science regulations and programmes, the rights of the Patron as set out in the Education Act, and the funding and resources available, the school supports the principles of:

- Inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of children with special educational needs.

- Equality of access and participation in the School.

- Parental choice in relation to enrolment.

- Respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and the ways of life in society.

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 ethos, the mission statement of the school and legislative requirements.

· To make an accurate and appropriate assessment of the capacity of the school to cater for the needs of applicants in the light of the resources available to it.

· To put in place a framework which will ensure effective and productive relations between students, parents and teachers where a student is admitted to the school.

Application Procedures

Parents who wish to enrol their pupils in Junior Infants for the following school year should make contact with the Principal, Gillian McBride, no later than 1^st of March of that year. They will be requested to fill in an enrolment form and may be asked to provide a copy of their Birth certificate and/or Baptismal certificate (if they were not baptised in the parish). The Board of Management will outline the application for enrolment procedures to the school community through local newspapers and /or through parish bulletins. Parents/Guardians will be required to fill in an enrolment form as part of their application (Appendix 1) and the following information will be required –

· Pupil’s name, address and date of birth;

· Names and addresses of pupil’s parents / guardians:

· Contact telephone numbers and those of emergency contacts

· Details of any medical conditions which the school should be aware of;

· Baptismal Certificate, where the child is baptised outside of the Parish

· Previous school attended and reasons for transfer if applicable;

· Any other relevant information (including any such information as may be prescribed under the Education Welfare. Act 2000).

·

Decision Making

The Board, in accordance with school policy, makes decisions in relation to application for enrolment. The Board will notify parents of their decision, within 21 days of receiving such information (as per Education Welfare Act, 2000).

The Board of Management of St Patrick’s National School in its Policy of Admissions/Enrolment, respects the rights of parents to enrol their child in a school of their choice, however, the Board of Management must also respect 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) Available classroom space

b) Health & Safety concerns regarding staff and children

c) Multi-grade classes

d) Educational needs of the children

e) Presence of children with special needs

f) Department of Education & Science class size directives

g) Appropriate supports and resources are available

h) Time of the school year

The Board of Management is bound by the Department of Education and

Science’s Rules for National Schools which provides that pupils may only be

enrolled from the age of four years and upwards. The Board of Management recommends that children be at least 4 years and 6 months when starting school.

The Board of Management reserves the right to set the preferred maximum number of children in a single grade to 12, due to multi-grade teaching and availability of resources. The board may allocate additional places in junior infants if demand exists and the factors listed above allow. The number of places available in junior infants will be reviewed annually. Enrolment into senior infants to 1^st class may be accepted if the maximum of 12 in the relevant class was not reached and the applicant meets the criteria set out in this Policy.

Junior Infant Enrolment Procedure

Enrolment week is usually held in the last week of February each year.

The registration process is initiated on receipt by the school of a completed application form. This form must be signed and dated by one or both parents or guardians. The form will be dated on receipt by the school, and is attached as appendix 1 to this policy. Telephone calls or personal school visits concerning enrolment will be facilitated but are not in themselves enrolment applications.

The decision of the Board of Management will be communicated in writing to the parents within 21 days of the application (as per Education welfare Act, 2000).

Junior Infant Enrolment Criteria

The Board of Management endeavours to cater for all children from the catchment area whose parents wish to enrol them in junior infants, as far as possible, considering relevant factors (detailed above). If the number of applications exceeds the number of places available, the following prioritising criteria are used:

All children enrolled are expected to comply with and support the school’s Code of Behaviour as well as the school’s designated policies on Curriculum, Organisation and Management.

Transfer of pupils from other schools

Ballinagore National School does not accept students enrolling from other primary schools during the academic year unless they are moving into the catchment area of the school. Applications made in writing to the Principal will be brought to the attention of the Board of Management at the next scheduled meeting.

The Education and Welfare Act, 2000 contains some specific provisions in relation to the transfer of pupils including the requirement that information concerning attendance and the child’s educational progress, should be communicated between schools.

Children with special needs

Children will not be refused enrolment/admission as a result of special educational needs.

In relation to applications for the enrolment of children with special needs, the Board of Management will request a copy of the child’s medical and/or psychological report, or where such a report is not available, will request that the child will be immediately assessed. The purpose of the assessment report is to assist the school in establishing the educational and training needs of the child relevant to his/her disability or special needs and to profile the support services required.

Following receipt of the report, the Board will assess how the school can meet the needs specified in the report. Where the Board deems that further resources are required it will request the Department of Education and Science to provide the resources required to meet the needs of the child, as outlined in the psychological and/or medical report. These resources may include, for example, access to or the provision of any or a combination of the following: visiting teacher service, resource teacher for special needs, special needs assistant, specialised equipment or furniture, or other.

The school will meet with the parents of the child to discuss the child’s needs and the school’s suitability or capability in meeting those needs. Where necessary, a full case conference involving all parties will be held, which may include parents, principal, class teacher, learning support teacher, special class teacher, resource teacher for special needs or psychologist, as appropriate

Appeals

An appeal must be addressed in writing to the Chairperson of the Board, stating the grounds for the appeal and lodged within ten days of receiving the final refusal.

If a parent is unhappy with the outcome of this appeal, they may then appeal

to the Department of Education and Science.

Evaluation

The Board of Management will monitor the implementation of all aspects of the policy and review and amend the policy as required with particular emphasis placed upon:

· Effective management placed on application process

· Clarity and transparency relating to the process

· Applicants informed in good time regarding the status of their application, particularly in the case of refusal to enrol

· Positive parental feedback.

Review Procedure

This policy will be reviewed regularly in the light of experience. It will be reviewed by the Board of Management every three years. The next scheduled review of this policy will occur in 2017.

Implementation

This policy has been sanctioned by the Board of Management of St Patrick’s NS.