Ardkeeran N.S. Blog

 

Enrolment Policy

1. General Introduction

This draft enrolment policy was formulated on 25th March 2002.
It is being set out in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act (1998). The Board of Management trusts that by so doing, parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters. The Chairperson of the Board of Management, Fr. A.B. O’Shea, and the Principal, Mrs Edel Dwyer will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy. This policy was reviewed in November 2011, January 2013, September 2014 and now in November 2016.
School Name: Ardkeeran N.S.

School Address: Riverstown, Co. Sligo

Telephone No.: 071 9165411

Denominational Character: Catholic

Name of Patron: Bishop Kevin Doran

Total Number of Teachers: Four Class Teachers
One Shared Resource Teacher
One Shared Learning Support Teacher

Range of Classes Taught: Full range of Classes- mixed

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. School Policy has regard to the resources and funding available.

The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the Department of Education and Science, which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with Sections 9 and 30 of the Education Act ( 1998 ). Classes start at 9:20 am and finish at 3pm. Infant classes finish at 2pm.

2. Mission Statement:
Ardkeeran N.S. is a co-educational national school under the patronage of the Roman Catholic Church. The school promotes a Catholic ethos which aims at promoting the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil(see Catholic ethos policy). An educational establishment does not discriminate if it admits children of one particular denomination in preference to others or if it refuses to admit a child who is not of that denomination provided such a refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.(Equal Status Act 2000 Section 7(3)(c). Parent(s) or guardian(s) of pupils seeking to enrol in Ardkeeran N.S. are asked to provide the requested information and to ensure that the pupil abides by the code of discipline.(see code of discipline policy)

3. Rationale

 In order to ensure that the school can provide the services required for individual students, it is necessary to ascertain general information on the pupils’ health and specific requirements that they may have. These may be kept on record.
 The constitutional right of every child between the ages of six and fifteen to an education in the school of his/her choice has been considered.

4.Legal Framework
Section 9 (j) of the Education Act 1998 specifies, that “A recognised 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 purposes 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 schoo l’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 that 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, assess 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)].

5. Aims
• To inform parents/children about the school, it`s programmes, activities and procedures.
• To enable applications for admission to the school to be handled in an open and transparent manner.
• To put in place criteria under which applications will 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.
• To help initiate parents into the educational process and allow parents prepare their child for school.

6.General points of note:
(a) In certain cases the school may deem it necessary that further information will be necessary prior to enrolment. Pending this being received the BoM will deem this application incomplete. Upon receipt of this extra information the school then has 21 days to make a decision in respect of this application. Section 19(3) Education Welfare Act 2000.
(b) The parents must confirm that the school code of discipline is acceptable to them and that they will make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such a code by their child.(Section 23(4) Education Welfare Act 2000.)
(c) Enrolment normally takes place in the second term. The
Board will communicate generally to the school community through appropriate channels e.g. newsletter, parish bulletin, other appropriate media, outlining the application for enrolment procedures.
(d) Application form to be completed by each family member wishing to enrol a child/ for the following September.
(e) All application forms require that a PPS number is entered on the form. This is required for the POD system (Primary Online Data Base). All schools are required to enter pupils’ details on this system. Based on this system capitation grants are paid to schools and staffing levels are determined.

7.Criteria for enrolment
In the event of the number of children seeking enrolment in any given class/standard, exceeding the number of places available preceding or during the school year (due to the BOM being unable to provide suitable accommodation, or recruit the required teaching staff), the following criteria will be used to prioritise children for enrolment:
a. Brothers and Sisters (including step-siblings, resident at same address) of children already enrolled- priority to oldest
b. Children living within the parish
c. Children of current school staff- priority to oldest
d. Children whose home address is closest to the school (as measured by a straight line on OS map) if the child is normally resident outside the parish/ agreed catchment area
e. In the event of being unable to enrol a child/ren from categories a,b, or c, in a given class at the beginning of a year, or mid-year, such children will receive priority( in order of a,b,c,) for the subsequent school year over other children on the class waiting list.
8. Decision Making:
Decisions in relation to applications for enrolment are made by the Board of Management in accordance with school policy. The Board will notify parents of their decision within 21 days of receiving such information (to come in to being as per Education Welfare Act (2000)). As a general principle and in so far as practicable having regard to the school’s enrolment policy, children will be enrolled on application, provided that there is space available.

The Board will have regard for relevant Department of Science and Education guidelines in relation to class size and staffing provisions and/or any other relevant requirements concerning accommodation, including physical space and the health and welfare of children.

The Board is bound by the DES’s Rules for National Schools which provides that pupils may only be enrolled from the age of 4 years and upwards, though compulsory attendance does not apply until the age of 6 years. It will also be our policy to only take new Junior Infants, who have turned 4 by September 1st.

(D) Orientation Day- this will be organised by the Staff. On this day, parents may come into the school with the children to be newly enrolled, and speak to the Principal and teachers.

(E) Admission Day- First day of new school year.

9. Application for immediate admission in the current school year

• Application forms are available from the school secretary, Mrs. Joanne Tuohy or the Principal, Mrs. Edel Dwyer.
• Failure to fully complete forms will result in refusal to admit the applicant.
• The behaviour record of a student in their previous school shall be considered.
• The attendance record of a student in their previous school shall be considered.
• Reports must be sent from previous school.

10.Enrolment of Children with Special 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 be assessed immediately. 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, prior to enrolment, 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, transport services 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.

It may be necessary for the Board of Management to defer enrolment of a particular child pending:
• The receipt of an assessment report; and / or
• The provision of appropriate resources by the Department of Education and Science to meet the needs specified in the psychological and/or medical report.

11.Refusal to enrol
This can only occur in the following exceptional circumstances.
(a) The pupil has special needs such that even with additional resources available from the DES the school cannot meet such needs and/or provide the pupil with appropriate education.
(b) In the opinion of the BoM the pupil poses an unacceptable risk to other pupils, school staff and/or school property.
( c) The Board of Management of Ardkeran National School, in its Policy of Admissions/Enrolment, 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:

• Health & Safety Concerns regarding Staff and Children
• Available classroom space
• Multi-grade classes
• Educational needs of the children
• Presence of children with special needs
• Department of Education & Science class size directives
• Appropriate Supports and Resources are available
• Time of school year

12. Right of Appeal:
The BoM will inform the parents of their right to appeal the decision under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998. This information will be given in writing following the boards refusal to enroll a child. Should an appeal be initiated it is the responsibility of the BoM to prepare a response to the Appeals Committee.

13.Other general points of note on enrolment form

 Exemption from the study of the Irish Language shall be in accordance with Circular 12/’96
 Parents/Guardians who are enrolling a child/ward in Ardkeeran N.S. who is over the age of six and who has not previously attended school will be required to account for education received to date by the child/ward and to consent to the child being assessed by a learning support teacher.
 Parents/Guardians will be issued with an Enrolment form/Code of Discipline.
 Parents/Guardians shall be asked to sign a form permitting their child/ward to attend R.S.E. classes.
 Parents are asked to sign a permission slip allowing their child`s photograph to appear in the school blog/Facebook page.
 The school will maintain a list of refused applicants for each class, their place on that list having been determined under the criteria outlined.

14. Code of behaviour

Children enrolled in our school are required to co-operate with and support the School/Board of Management’s Code of Behaviour as well as all other policies on Curriculum, organisation and management. The BOM places Parents/Guardians responsible for ensuring that their child/ren co-operate with said policies in an age appropriate way. In accordance with the Department of Education’s Rules for National Schools, a child may be suspended. These policies may be added to and revised from time to time.

15. Review;
This policy will be reviewed in 2 years.

16. Ratification
This policy was ratified at a BoM meeting

17. Communication/circulation
Copies may be made available to any parents who request same.