School Enrolment Policy
St. Fursey’s N.S.
Introductory Statement
This policy was devised and formulated by the school community, involving Board of Management, Parents’ Association and Staff of St. Fursey’s National School, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Department of Education and Science and the C.P.S.M.A.
Ethos
St. Fursey’s National School is a co-educational, primary school, which strives to provide a well ordered, caring, happy and secure atmosphere where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the pupils are identified and addressed. While respect is paid to all religious and/or value systems, St. Fursey’s National School is a Catholic school under the patronage of Archbishop Eamon Martin.
The school supports the principles of inclusiveness, equality of access and of participation in school life, with respect for diversity of tradition, values, beliefs, languages and ways of life in society, whilst working within the context of the Rules and Regulations of the Department of Education and Science.
Aims
To provide equal access to all applicants in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Department of Education and Science and the School's Enrolment Policy. St. Fursey’s National School aims to promote and develop the physical, social, emotional and educational aspects of the child.
Rationale
To provide a framework for the selection of new applicants to St. Fursey’s National School.
Policy Content
Application for Enrolment
Parents seeking to enrol their child(ren) in St. Fursey’s National School are requested to contact the office and collect their application forms during the first week of the October prior to the year of entry eg. Children starting school in September 2018 must have their application processed by the end of October 2017. Application forms must be returned within two weeks. Applicants will be informed of the closing date when they collect their application form. Children will be allocated a place based on the criteria below. If there are more applicants than places, children will be placed on a waiting list and kept informed of any changes. Parents will be requested to pay part or all of their book rental on acceptance of a place. Offer letters will be sent before October mid-term break.
Parents should supply an original Birth/Adoption Certificate, a Baptismal Certificate (If applicable and if baptised outside parish of Blackrock/Haggardstown) and a copy of a household utility bill with their application form. As there are three schools in our parish, parents are advised to enrol their child only in the school of their choice. Unsuccessful applicants will be automatically referred to the other schools.
The completion of an application form or the placement of your child’s name on a list, however early, does not confer an automatic right to a place in the school.
Offers will be made according to the criteria outlined below.
Selection Criteria
While recognising the right of parents to enrol their child in the school of their choice, the Board of Management of St. Fursey’s National School takes cognisance of the rights of the existing school community, and in particular, the children already enrolled. This requires balanced judgements in deciding questions of enrolment, guided by the principles of natural justice and acting in the best interest of all children.
The Board of Management reserves the right to determine the maximum number of children in each class bearing in mind, in particular.a
a. The size of available space in classrooms.
b. The educational needs of children.
c. The existence of multi-grade classes.
d. The presence of children with special education/behavioural needs.
e. Department of Education and Science maximum class average directives.
f. The parameters of the schools Health & Safety Policy.
In the event of the number of children seeking enrolment in any given class/standard exceeding the number of places available the following criteria, in the order set out, will be used to prioritise children for enrolment:
- Siblings (including step-siblings and half-siblings resident at the same address) who have reached the age of 4 years prior to enrolment.
- Children of current St. Fursey’s N.S. staff will be accepted in accordance with the rules for siblings.
- All other applicants living within the parish (The parish of Haggardstown and Blackrock) at the time of the offer shall be considered according to age, priority to the oldest children. (Proof of address may be required)
The following exceptions will apply to children applying from outside the parish.
Siblings of children already enrolled in the school.
Children of current staff members.
Decisions in relation to application for enrolment are made by the Board of Management. In the event of only one place remaining to be filled, where two applicants of the same birth date are next on the waiting list, the child who returned the application first will be awarded the place.
Other pupils are enrolled during the school year (if newly resident in the parish), subject to the criteria set out at a, b, c, d, e, f.
Transfer of pupils from other schools
Pupils from other schools may transfer into the school at any time if they move to a permanent address in the school catchment area.
The transfer will be subject to the following conditions:
- The transfer is in accordance with the school Enrolment Policy.
- The school is satisfied with the reasons for the transfer.
- The school regards the move to be in the best interests of the pupil and pupils within the school.
- Space is available in the school to facilitate the transfer.
Transfers not involving a change of address will also be assessed on the above and as far as possible may only be assessed at the end of a school term ie. Christmas/Easter/Summer.
Before enrolment the school will require parental consent to contact previous School Principal for information on the child's attendance, academic progress and behaviour.
There is an Annual Open Afternoon for prospective parents of incoming Junior Infants to familiarise themselves with the school.
Children with Special Needs
Parents of children with Special Educational needs are required to supply all relevant documentation e.g. medical, psychological reports with the application form. On receipt of the report(s) the Board will assess how the school could meet the needs specified in the report. If the Board deems that further resources are required, it will request the D.E.S. to provide such resources. If the necessary resources cannot be made available, parents will be advised to consider a special school which is designed and resourced to specifically cater for the individual child's needs.
Children enrolled in our school are required to co-operate with and support 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 - child(ren) co-operate with school policies in an age-appropriate way. All policies are available from school office on request.
The Board of Management reserves the right to amend Policies as required .
Appeals Procedure
Parentswho are dissatisfied with the enrolment decision, may appeal to the Board of Management. Appeals 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 refusal. Parents, if unhappy with the result of this appeal, may appeal to the Department of Education and Science under Section 29 of the Education Act on the official form provided by the Department. This appeal must be lodged within 42 days of receipt of the refusal from the school to enrol.
Signed: ______Chairperson, Board of Management
______Principal.
Reviewed January 2017