Tús maith,leath na h-oibre
Enrolment Policy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
2. SCHOOL ETHOS
3. MISSION STATEMENT
4. POLICY RATIONALE & AIMS
5. POLICY CONTENT
a. Applications for Enrolment b. Selection Considerations
c. First Round: Offers of Places – Junior Infants d. Second Round: Offers of Place – Junior Infants e. Third Round: Offers of Place – Junior Infants f. Senior Infants / First Class
g. Transfers
h. Multiple Applications
6. GENERAL INFORMATION
a. Special Education Needs b. Code of Behaviour
c. Information Evening & Visits d. Primary Online Database (POD) e. Queries & Appeals
f. Child Protection
1. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT:
The Board of Management, Parents and Staff of St. Sylvester’s Infant School have devised and formulated this policy, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Department of Education and Skills and the CPSMA. (Catholic Primary Schools Management Association).
Equality of access is the basis of the School Enrolment Policy. No child is refused admission for reasons of ethnicity, special educational needs, disability, language/accent, gender, traveller status, asylum seeker/refugee status, religious/political beliefs and values, family or social circumstances.
2. SCHOOL ETHOS:
St. Sylvester’s Infant School is a co-educational primary school which promotes the full and harmonious development of the pupil, including his/ her relationship with God, with other people and with the environment
Religious Education is provided for all pupils in accordance with the doctrine and tradition of the Catholic Church, with prayer a feature of the school day
Close contact is maintained between the school and home
Parents and teachers support one another and collaborate as partners in assisting the children to achieve their full potential in a safe and happy environment.
3. MISSION STATEMENT:
Our Mission in St. Sylvester’s Infant School is to nurture our pupils spiritually, physically, mentally, morally and socially, thereby encouraging their interest in life-long learning. Our motto is; Tús Maith – leath na h-oibre – A good start is half the work
4. POLICY RATIONALE & AIMS:
The aim of this policy is to facilitate equal opportunity education for all applicants in accordance with:
The Rules and Regulations of the Department of Education and Skills
It also seeks to:
Promote the full and harmonious development of the physical, social, emotional and educational needs of the pupil
Provide a framework of principles to guide in the consideration of applications of new entrants to St. Sylvester’s Infant School.
5. POLICY CONTENT:
a. Applications for Enrolment
The date of Enrolment each year will be announced in some or all of the
following:- A locally delivered free newspaper
The Parish church
A large banner outside school
In notes to children already in school/in the school newsletter
A “text- a- parent” from both St. Sylvester’s Infant School & Pope John Paul II
On the school website www.stsylvestersinfantschool.com
In order to give parents sufficient time to gather all necessary documentation Application Forms for 2018/19 will be available from the office from 6th December, 2017. However, the enrolment process for
2018/19 will not officially commence until Wednesday 10th January, 2018.
The Board 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 and upwards, though compulsory attendance does not apply until the age of six years.
Parents seeking to enrol their child(ren) are requested to collect an
Application Form from the school office.
The school will not be held responsible in the event that applications are not received
If posting completed Application Forms to the school, parents are advised to use registered post
The closing date for receipt of completed Application Forms is 26th
January, 2018.
Parents will be notified within twenty one working days of the closing date, or a reasonable time thereafter, whether their child has or has not been offered a place.
Each year, the Principal visits a number of local crèches/Montessori pre-schools. The school will endeavour to place children with at least one child from their pre-school/crèche. Requests to place children with a specific friend/neighbour etc. will not be considered.
Applications will not be deemed complete until such time as all the relevant documentation below has been submitted with completed Application Forms.
Original Birth Certificate, or
Adoption Certificate (where appropriate)
Original Baptismal Certificate
Two original recent Utility Bills
o (Gas/Electric only) Banks statements/Mobile phone bills are not acceptable
Two recent passport photos (Please write child’s name on back of photos)
Three stamped addressed envelopes
€100.00 School Management Voluntary Contribution
€80.00 School Supplies
All monies are non-refundable (once places have been offered and
accepted). Cheques should be post-dated to 12th March, 2018.
b. Selection Considerations
While respecting the right of parents to enrol their child in the school of their choice, the Board of Management of St. Sylvester’s Infant School is responsible for respecting the rights of the existing school community also and in particular, the children already enrolled.
Balanced judgements are therefore required in deciding the priority in which applications for enrolment are to be ranked. The Board is guided by the principles of natural justice and it strives to reach its judgements in the best interest all.
School. Therefore, the Board of Management reserves the right to limit the number and cycle of classes made available in order to accommodate a smooth transition to (and to avoid excessive enrolment at) Pope John Paul II School.
In terms of transition to other schools in the Malahide area, it is important to note that each school has its own enrolment policy.
The Board of Management reserves the right to determine the maximum number of children in each class in any given school year bearing in mind, in particular:
Department of Education and Skills guidelines on class size
Staffing provisions
Available space in classrooms
The educational needs of children of a particular age
The existence of multi-grade classes
The presence of children with special education/behavioural needs
The demands of the school’s Health and Safety Policy
c. First Round: Offers of Place – Junior Infants
Applications for Junior Infants will be considered only from children who have not previously been enrolled in other National Schools. All age appropriate applicants will be considered but are not guaranteed a place.
In the event of applications for enrolment exceeding the number of places available, the Board of Management will initiate the following process to rank applicants in priority and to offer places
The Board will process all completed applications and will decide (on an annual basis) on a cut-off date-of-birth for all applicants. Please note that the cut-off date-of-birth may vary from year to year and the Board reserves the right to determine the cut-off date-of-birth for criteria i-v below, once all applications have been received.
Priority will be given to applicants in the following order.
i. Catholic children and siblings of pupils enrolled in St. Sylvester’s/ Pope John Paul’s who reside in Yellow Walls Parish
iv. Siblings of pupils enrolled in St. Sylvester’s/Pope John Paul’s who do not reside in Yellow Walls Parish
v. Catholic children living outside the Parish who do not have a Catholic school in their own Parish
Once the cut-off date-of-birth is reached in each criterion, the Board will move onto the next criterion. In the event that the number of applications in any criterion exceeds the number of available places, the eldest children will be given higher priority.
1. Acceptance Forms will be issued when places are offered. These must be signed and returned on or before 9th March, 2018. Failure
to comply will result in your child’s placement being withdrawn.
2. All late applications will be placed in the Second Round of Offers of Place (if second round offers are made).
d. Second Round: Offers of Place – Junior Infants
If there are still places available, a second round of offers of place will be offered to those children in (descending) age order from criterion i-v as per Section 5(c) above. Second Round Offers, if made, will issue during the second week of May 2018.
e. Third Round: Offers of Place – Junior Infants
All remaining applications will be placed in a third round of offers.
The Board of Management has the final say regarding places offered.
f. Senior Infants/First Class 2018/19
Other pupils may be enrolled during the school year where places become available and will be subject to the same criteria set out for Junior Infants enrolling in the school.
g. Transfers
Pupils in Same Grade in Primary Schools”. In all cases the Board of Management will ensure that:
The school Enrolment Policy adhered to
It is satisfied with the reasons for the transfer
It is conscious of its duty of care under the Health and Safety Act and that the applicant poses no risk to himself / herself or others
The move is in the best interests of the pupil
There is available space in the school
Parents making a transfer request must furnish a full report of their child’s record from the previous school, regarding attendance, behaviour, educational progress, disabilities, special needs and other matters that may influence a decision on acceptance of the transfer. The school needs to be mindful of its capacity to cater for each applicant, and such Reports may inform the school’s consideration of the applications.
Pupils transferring from St. Sylvester’s to other schools
A copy of their school report will accompany the pupil as per Circular 56/11
Under Section 20.5 of the Education Act 2000, the Principal will notify the new Principal of any issues relating to attendance and any matters relating to the child’s educational progress as appropriate.
h. Multiple Applications
Agreements exist between the Boards of Managements of the local schools to address multiple applications. If an applicant submits applications to more than one of the local schools, it is the policy of the Boards of Management to assign such applications to the school nearest (i.e. within the shortest walking distance) to the primary residence of the child.
Unsuccessful Application Forms are shredded. Parents are requested to collect accompanying documentation/monies from the office and to sign a receipt.
6. GENERAL INFORMATION:
a. Special Education Needs
The Board of Management may request a copy of a child’s medical and/or psychological report. If such a report is not available the Board may request that the child be assessed without unnecessary delay. The purpose of the assessment is to assist the school in establishing the educational needs of the child and the support services required.
Parents of children with Special Educational Needs, who feel relevant resources available to the school are inadequate for the special needs of their children, are advised to consider enrolment in a special school which is designed and resourced to specifically cater for the needs of children with Special Educational Needs.
The Board of Management, however, reserves the right to refuse enrolment if the pupil has special needs such that, even with additional resources available from Department of Education and Skills, the school cannot adequately meet such needs and/or provide the pupil with an appropriate education.
b. Code of Behaviour
Children are required to co-operate with and respect the school’s Code of Behaviour as well as all other policies on curriculum, organisation and management. Parents/Guardians are responsible for ensuring that their children adhere to the above policies, in an age-appropriate way. The Application Form includes a section, to be signed by parents, acknowledging this responsibility. The Code of Behaviour Policy along with a number of other policies can be viewed on our website at www.stsylvestersinfantschool.com. Other policies are available for viewing from the school office on request.
c. Information Evening / Visits by Junior Infants
An information evening will be held for parents of incoming pupils to St. Sylvester’s I.S. in March/April.
Incoming Junior Infants spend one informal period in the school in June to familiarise themselves with their new classroom. At the same time, parents are invited to the School Hall to meet other parents.
d. Primary Online Database (POD)
Please note consent is not required for point (i.) below.
i. PPS number, Name, Address and Date of Birth ii. Nationality/Language spoken at home
iii. Religion
iv. Ethnic and Cultural Background
v. Whether your child is in receipt of Learning Support
Further information regarding POD is available from www.education.ie
e. Queries & Appeals
All enquiries, queries or appeals should be addressed to the Principal by:
1. Writing to
a. the Principal and / or
b. the Chairperson of the Board of Management or
2. Requesting an appointment (through the school Secretary) to meet with the Principal
The Board of Management reserves the right to refuse an application for enrolment in exceptional circumstances. Parents whose children have been refused enrolment may appeal the decision of the Board of Management by writing to the Board through the Principal, who is the secretary of the Board of Management. Alternatively, parents may appeal the Board’s decision to the Department of Education & Skills under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 Appeals process. Further information is available at www.education.ie
f. Child Protection Policy
7. IMPLEMENTATION:
This policy has been ratified by the Board of Management of St. Sylvester’s Infant School in accordance with the Enrolment Policy of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.
This policy is reviewed on an annual basis.
Signed:
________________
Mrs. Denise Boyne, Date: 12th
June, 2017 Chairperson,
