Enrolment Policy

The Board of Management of St. Patrick’s J.N.S. Corduff is setting out the above policy in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998. The B.O.M. trusts that parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment issues and that the Principal will be willing 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.

1) St. Patrick’s Corduff is a Catholic Co-educational Junior Primary School under the patronage of his Grace the Archbishop of Dublin.

(2) It currently has twenty three teachers comprising administrative

Principal and fourteen Class Teachers. There are additional Support Teachers catering for Early Start, Learning Support, Learning Disability, Foreign-Nationals and Home/School/Community Liaison.

(3) Classes range from Junior Infants to Second with a half unit of Early Start-i.e.

30 pupils.

(4) Our school is staffed and resourced by the Department of Education and Skills and we operate within the regulations laid down by the Department with due regard to the resources and funding available.

(5) Our school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the D.E.S. which may be amended from time to time in accordance with Section 9 and 30 of the Education Act 1998.

(6) Within the context and parameters of Department regulations and programmes, the rights of the Patron and the funding and resources available, our school supports the principles of:

(a) inclusiveness to include the enrolment of children with a disability or other specific educational needs

(b) equality of access and participation to the school

(c) parental choice in relation to enrolment

(d) respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages,

culture and ways of life in society.

(7) Our school opens at 9.00a.m. and closes at 2.40p.m.

(8) Our breakfast club is available to all pupils from 8.30a.m. daily.

(9) A list of school closures for the year is drafted, sanctioned by the Board of

Management and distributed to parents by September 30th yearly.

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 and
• 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.

Section 9 (j) of the Education Act 1998 specifies, that “ A recognized school shall … Subject to this Act and in particular section 15 (2) (d), establish and maintain an admissions policy which provides for maximum accessibility to the school”.

Section 15 (2) (d) states the Board of Management shall “publish …. The policy of the school concerning admission to and participation in the school and ensure that policy principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents’ choice are respected”.

Section 27 (1) states that “ A board shall establish and maintain procedures for the purpose of informing students in a school of the activities of the school” and (2) that “the procedures established and maintained under subsection (1) shall facilitate the involvement of the students in the operation of the School having regard to the age and experience of the students, in association with their parents and teachers”.

The Education Welfare Act, 2000 [Section 19 (1)] requires that a Board of Management shall not refuse to admit a child except where such refusal is in accordance with the school’s Admission Policy. Section 19 (2) requires that parents must provide relevant information to the school while Section 19 (3) requires that the Board of Management, shall as soon as possible (but no later than 21 days) after receiving such information “make a decision in respect of the application concerned and inform the parent in writing thereof”

The Equal Status Act, 2000 [Sections 5 & 7 (2)] prohibits discrimination on the grounds of “gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Travelling Community” regarding admission, access to programmes, participation in the school or regarding expulsion or any other sanction. There are limited exceptions regarding single-sex schools and schools promoting particular religious values [Section 7 (3)]

The school shall have in place appropriate channels of communication and procedures

• To inform parents about the school, it’s programmes, activities and procedures.
• To enable applications for admission to the school to be handled in an open, transparent manner.
• To put in place criteria under which applications shall be considered
• To ensure that these criteria are informed by our ethos, our mission statement and current legislation.
• To specify what information is required by the school at the time of application.

The school’s procedures for enrolment which are subject to regular review are as follows:

1. Application:

Parents/Guardians who wish to enrol pupils in Junior Infants will be required to come to the school in January of the year of commencement and fill out an application form. A copy of the pupil’s birth and baptismal certificate if applicable is required and a utility bill for those who reside in the parish.

Enrolment dates are communicated through the School, Parish Newsletter, Home/School/Community Liaison Co-ordinator and other parents.

Information on the Enrolment Form may include:

Pupils’s name, age and address. Name and address of pupil’s parents/guardians.

Contact telephone numbers.

Contact telephone numbers in case of emergency.

Details of any medical conditions which the school should be aware of.

Religion

Previous schools attended if any, and reasons for transfer (if applicable)

Any other relevant information (including any such further information as may be prescribed under the Education Welfare Act (2000) or Education for persons with Special Education Needs Act (2004)

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians of any child to inform the school of any particular needs on the enrolment application form for the child’s own welfare. In this context the school authorities will have equal regard for the welfare of all the students and their right to an education in an atmosphere that is not detrimental to their physical, emotional, moral, social or intellectual development. Failure to fully complete the application form, failure to supply any relevant information requested by the school or failure to make reasonable arrangements to meet with the school authorities to discuss the application may result in a child being refused admission to the school.

Application for immediate admission in the current school year

· Application forms are available from the school secretary

· Failure to fully complete forms will result in refusal to admit the applicant

Decisions in relation to applications for enrolment are made by the Principal on behalf of the Board of Management in accordance with our school policy. Parents will be informed of decision within 21 days of a written application. (Education Welfare Act 2000)

In general the Board of Management, in so far as practicable, having regard for our enrolment policy will enrol children on application provided that there is a place available. The Department of Education and Skills guidelines for class size in our school is 20-1.

The Board of Management is bound by the Department of Education and Skills Rules for National Schools which provides that pupils may only be enrolled from the age of four years.

Criteria for enrolment for schools under the Patronage of His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin.

1. Catholic children of the parish and sisters and brothers of pupils in the school.

2. Children who attend the Early Start Unit of St. Patrick’s J.N.S.

3. Catholic children who live outside the parish and do not have a Catholic school in their parish.

4. All children who live within the parish boundaries but are not Catholic applying for a placement are entitled to a place if there are vacancies after the groups from (1) to (4) have been allocated places.

5. All children who apply to the school are entitled to a place in the school if there are vacancies in the school after groups from (1) to (5) have allocated places.

If the applications within categories exceed the number of places available, older children will have precedence.