BurrowNationalSchool

Admission AND PARTICIPATION Policy

This Admissions Policy is written in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 Section 15:2 (d). The Board of Management trust that it will assist Parents/ Guardians in relation to enrolment matters.

The Chairman of the Board of Management (Rev.Kevin Brew) and the Secretary to the Board of Management (Principal Ms Lynn Harley) are available if you need further clarification.

Reviewed April 2017

Rev. Kevin Brew (Chairman)


CONTENTS

GENERAL INFORMATION3

MISSION STATEMENT5

SCHOOL ETHOS6

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION7

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATIONS9

APPEALS PROCEDURE12

APPENDICES13

General Information

Address:BurrowNationalSchoolTelephone: (01) 8325784/8325796

Howth Road

SuttonEmail:

BurrowNationalSchool is:

  • under the management of the Church of Ireland and the Patron is the Archbishop of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough.
  • a Primary School controlled by the Department of Education and Science catering for pupils (boys and girls) from four to thirteen years of age.

The general management and day-to-day running of the school is the responsibility of the Board of Management. The present Chairman is the Reverend Kevin Brew and the current Principal is Ms Lynn Harley.

Staffing:

  • Administrative Principal
  • Eight Mainstream Teachers
  • Two Resource Teachers
  • One Part-time Resource Teacher
  • One Learning Support Teacher
  • One full-time & one part-time Special Needs Assistant.
  • One full-time Secretary
  • One Caretaker.

Accommodation:

  • Office/Reception
  • Classrooms (6 Permanent, 2 Pre-fabricated Rooms and 2 small Learning Support Rooms).
  • Resource and Learning Support Rooms (Pre-fabricated)
  • Computer Room
  • Hall- for general purposes
  • Principal’s Office
  • Staff Room/Kitchen
  • Secretary’s Office
  • Disabled Toilet
  • Store Room for Files
  • Staff Toilet

MISSION STATEMENT

BurrowSchool is a Church of Ireland Primary School under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin.

We wish to provide a safe, happy environment which is conducive to the holistic development of each individual child. Each pupil will be considered unique and all parties within the school community will focus on developing the moral, spiritual, physical, academic, aesthetic and cultural aspects of each child.

This we envisage occurring in an atmosphere of mutual respect. All members of the school community are dedicated to work together in a spirit of encouragement and enthusiasm in order to advance the development of each pupil towards attaining their true potential while recognising, accepting and celebrating diversity.


SCHOOL ETHOS

BurrowSchool is a denominational school under Church of Ireland Management and the Patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin, John Neil. It is an inclusive school which embraces children of other religions and no religious affiliation. Their presence as students and their parents is much valued and enriches our school community.BurrowSchool aims to provide a happy, secure atmosphere in which learning is enjoyable and where children can grow in confidence and independence.

The school is part of a community which includes the pupils and staff, the local population, the state and ultimately the whole of society. We therefore strive to develop a sense of responsibility within the school, where children will co-operate with adults and their peers and help them to have an appreciation of themselves, the community, and the world in general and the problems therein.BurrowSchoolrecognises that each pupil has individual needs and abilities and develops at a different rate. Therefore we try to help children reach their potential and have a sense of satisfaction, having done their best.Each child is encouraged and guided in the development of sound study skills and good work habits.The school seeks to develop pupils’ thinking skills so that they will have questioning minds and know how to seek information for themselves.

Through curriculum studies, we seek to:

  • expose children to a wide range of experiences;
  • encourage effective communication with language and numbers;
  • encourage creativity;
  • be aware of the value of learning from the past;
  • develop children spiritually and make them aware of religious teaching.

BurrowSchool has a strong tradition of personal commitment by the staff to the personal and academic welfare of each child. This commitment is the foundation on which a happy school community is built. It fosters tolerance, understanding, co-operation and respect, in addition to educational advancement for all members of the school community and also using these values in dealing with the world around us.

The Board of Management supports the principles of:

  • inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of children with a disability or other special educational need;
  • equality of access and participation in the school;
  • parental choice in relation to enrolment;
  • the Constitutional Rights of children and their parents;
  • respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions,languages and ways of life in society.

All the relevant partners in the school community work in co-operation to provide a safe, happy environment in which each child is valued as a unique individual and their holistic development advanced appropriately.

Criteria for Selection

The Board of Management considers each Application on an individual basis and will assign priorities to enroll children using the following guidelines:

  1. Church of Ireland parishioners of Howth Parish.(This area comprises of the lands within the Howth peninsula, the coast road as far as the Kilbarrack Road, the right hand side of the Kilbarrack Road up to the train line, along the train line as far as Portmarnock and along the road back to Baldoyle and back to Howth.)
  1. Church of Ireland parishioners of neighbouring Parishes customarily served by the school, where no Church of Ireland School exists.
  1. Children from main stream Protestant Churches within the Parish Boundaries.
  1. Children of staff members as a practical incentive to encourage staff to remain working at the school.
  1. Children from inter-church families living within the parishes listed at A & B where parents express a wish to have their child educated specifically within a Church of Ireland Ethos.
  1. Siblings of students currently attending the school.
  1. Children from all other faiths and children with no religious affiliations living within the parish boundaries.

Applications for children who are members of Protestant, Reformed, Old Catholic Churches, Mar Thoma Church, Evangelical Lutheran Churches of Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and Denmark are treated similarly to children from the Church of Ireland (category 2)

Applications from children who are members of the Eastern Orthodox or Oriental Orthodox Churches and Greek or Russian Orthodox and are living within the parish are treated similar to children from the mainstream protestant churches (category 3).

Where a connection with a Protestant Church is indicated, in the allocation of places, the Board of Management may require written confirmation of Church attachment as follows:-

  • Baptismal Certificate
  • Family name on register
  • Letter from the Church of Ireland incumbent or where Church of Ireland incumbent signs the Application form.

This equivalent process may happen for other denominations also.*

The school will not refuse admission of a pupil with special educational needs. However if the school cannot physically meet their needs i.e. in the case of toileting issues, hoists or wheelchair accessibility etc., a place in the school can be deferred until such a time when these are put in place and the Board of Management can comply with the requirement in the Education Act to provide appropriate education for the child. Any such action would be done, following prior consultation, with the parents. The Department of Education & Science has indicated that identified needs will be met by the allocation of resources following appropriate assessment. The Board of Management of the BurrowNationalSchool believes it would be incorrect to enrol a child unless the resources are in place.

Successful Applicants will be notified in cases of 1st round offers by the Board of Management of the offer of a place for their child. Families have 10 working days from the 31st day of January in the relevant year, to respond in writing regarding their intent to accept/refuse the place. Parents of successful Applicants complete an Enrolment Form. (See Appendix D)

When all places have been filled, the School writes to all unsuccessful candidates and informs them. They automatically go on a waiting list and are advised on the right to Appeal.

Parents are also informed that if they refuse an offer of a place for their child, that the offer lapses. They will not automatically be entitled to an offer of a place in the following academic year or in subsequent years when the Application Procedures outlined herein are applied.

Children who leave the school are not automatically entitled to a place upon their return. Their subsequent application is treated in accordance with the Admission Policy unless they are attending a specialised unit for a short period of time, then they may reapply to be awarded their place when they return.

On a yearly basis the Principal and the Enrolment Secretary reserve the right to select applicants from Category 7 based on gender balance of the class or an affiliation to the school i.e. parent/sibling past pupil.

PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATIONS

  1. Application Form
  2. Receipt of Application Form
  3. Enrolment Decision: Notification of Enrolment places
  4. Acceptance/Refusal of Enrolment places (if any refusals, work through the waiting list from those not offered a place in the first instance

Please note.

  1. All Applications for Enrolment must be with the Board of Management on or before the 31stday of January prior to the September in which children would be eligible for enrolment.
  1. An Appeals Procedure is available where admission is refused (seeSection 29 of the 1998 Education Act).
  1. BurrowSchool agrees to treat all information submitted to the school in accordance with the provision of the Data Protection Act (1988).

Stage 1. Application Form

An Application Formis available from the school or online at

An Application Form is issued withthe Admission & Participation Policy (which also includes the Ethos Statement)

AllApplication Formsmust be returned to the school on or before 2.15pm on the31st of Januaryprior to the September in which children would be eligible for enrolment.AnApplication FormDOES NOTguarantee a place in any class in the school.

Stage 2 Receipt of Application Form

A receipt of theApplication Form will be issued from the school by email as soon as possible.

The application process is begun and completed within 21 days of the Closing Date for Applications.

Stage 3. Enrolment Decision

The number of enrolment places available in any one Academic year is based on whole school numbers, taking into account pupil/teacher ratios, space available, staffing and additional staffing considerations in line with the Education Act 1998 and the Equal Status Act 2000. See Primary Circular 0021/2010 - available from Department of Education & Science website

When Application Forms are received in the Schoolon or before the 31st day of January prior to the September in which children would be eligible for enrolment, the Enrolment Secretary, Principal and Chairman categorise the Forms according to the current criteria for selection. The Enrolment Secretary presents this list to the Board of Management for ratification for the following /upcoming Academic Year.The Board of Management considers each application on an individual basis. The Board of Management (in so far as is possible) assign the criteria for selection in accordance with the School’s own Admissions and Participation Policy. (See Education Welfare Act 2002 Section 19(1).

The parents of successful applicants are emailed the following in the Summer term:-

1)Information Booklet about BurrowSchool.

2)Voluntary Subscription Information.

3)‘Reminders’ List.

4)Holiday List.

5)Healthy Eating Policy.

In June there will be an afternoon for “Meet & Greet” (parents and students with school staff).


Appeals Procedure

If parents/guardians are dissatisfied with the decision of the Board of Management not to enroll their child, they may (within 42 days of receipt of the Board of Management’s decision):

  1. (a) Submit a written Appeal to the Board of Management on foot of the above.

(b)The Board of Management will review the Appeal and respond in writing to the appellant.

2. If dissatisfied with the outcome of their local Appeal to the Board ofManagement, the parents/guardians can then lodge an Appeal, underSection 29 of the Education Act, with the Secretary General of the Department of Education & Science. This appeal must be lodged to The Department of Education & Science within 42 days from the datethe decision was notified to the parents/guardians by the Board ofManagement. These appeals are dealt with within a period of 30 days from the date of the receipt of the appeal by the Secretary General, except in unusual circumstances.

The number of enrolment places available in the School is based on whole school numbers taking into account pupil/teacher ratios, space available, staffing and additional staffing considerations in line with the Education Act 1998 and Equal Status Act 2000.

See Primary Circular 0021/2010 - available from Department of Education & Science website


APPENDICES

Application FormAppendix A

Receipt of Application Appendix B

Offer of Enrolment Place LetterAppendix C

Enrolment FormAppendix D

Letter of Refusal to Junior InfantsAppendix E

Letter of Refusal to Other ClassesAppendix F

Appendix A

BurrowNationalSchool,

Howth Road

Sutton

Dublin 13

Tel: 01-8325784/01-8325796Principal: Ms. Lynn Harley

email:

______

(Please read notes overleaf and ensure all sections are completed using Block Capitals)

PUPIL’S SURNAME: / PUPIL’S FIRST NAME:
ADDRESS:
GENDER: / PPS NUMBER: / DATE OF BIRTH:
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION: / NATIONALITY: / LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME:
PROPOSED DATE OF ENTRY: / CLASS: / TIME IN IRELAND:
GUARDIAN 1: / REALTIONSHIP TO CHILD:
GUARDIAN 1 EMAIL:
ADDRESS (if different from the child):
DAY-TIME CONTACT NO.: / RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION:
GUARDIAN 2: / REALTIONSHIP TO CHILD:
ADDRESS (if different from the child):
GUARDAIN 2 EMAIL :
DAY-TIME CONTACT NO.: / RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION:
PRESENT & PREVIOUS SCHOOLS (incl. Playschools):
SIBLINGS AT THIS SCHOOL OR OTHER PAST PUPIL CONNECTION:

I ACCEPT THE SCHOOL CODE OF BEHAVIOUR, ANTI BULLYING POLICY AND THE ADMISSIONS AND PARTICIPATION POLICY (INCLUDING THE ETHOS STATEMENT) OF THE SCHOOL.

SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN:……………………………….…… DATE: ………………………………….

**** By signing above you have read and accepted the policy. If you are unable to access the policy online, please contact the school for a hard copy****

I DECLARE THAT THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS TRUE AND ACCURATE:

SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN: ………………………………….. DATE: …………………………………

If your child has been refused a place, they automatically go on a waiting list should there be any refusals.

Where the term "Church of Ireland" is used it must be clearly stated how such affiliation is proved e.g.

  • Family name on parish register
  • Letter from Church of Ireland incumbent
  • Baptismal record issued by Church of Ireland.

The same would be relevant where other denominations are concerned ie Church of England.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS FORM MUST BE IN THE SCHOOL BEFORE LAST DAY OF JANUARY PRIOR TO THE SEPTEMBER IN WHICH THE CHILD WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR ENROLMENT. YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE RESULT OF YOUR APPLICATION WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THIS DATE.

NOTES

1.Parents should be aware that the school is under Church of Ireland management and that religious instruction is in accordance with the Church of Ireland.

2.Pupils are normally admitted in September and must have reached their 4th birthday on or before they are enrolled in the school.

3.You should be aware that the Board of Management approaches parents for a financial contribution to help bridge the gap between running costs and Government grants.

4.All applications for admission must be with the School by the last day of January prior to September in which children would be eligible for enrolment.

5.Please note there is an Appeals process where admission is refused (see Section 29 of the 1989 Act).

6.All data is stored in compliance with the Data Protection Act of 1998.

7.If there are any changes of information on this form made at a later date, it is your obligation to notify the school of these changes.

Appendix B

BurrowNationalSchool

Howth Road

Sutton

Dublin 13

Tel: 01-8325784/01-8325796Principal: Ms. Lynn Harley

email:

______

Roll No: 09642P

Date:

Our Ref:

Name:

Address:

Dear ______,

I acknowledge receipt of your application to the BurrowSchool for your son/daughter. I note that you wish ______to commence at this school in September 20__. Our closing date for applications is January 31st and you will be notified accordingly after this date.

Yours sincerely,

______

Ms. Lynn Harley

Principal.

Appendix C

BurrowNationalSchool

Howth Road

Sutton

Dublin 13

Tel: 01-8325784/01-8325796Principal: Ms. Lynn Harley

email:

______

Date:

Our Ref:

Name:

Address:

Dear ______

I am pleased to inform you that the Board of Management wishes to offer

______a place in the BurrowSchoolfor the forthcoming academic school year 20__/20__ in ______(Class).

Please read and sign the necessary forms and documentation and return them to the school within ten days (email is acceptable).

Yours sincerely,

______

Ms. Lynn Harley

Principal.

Appendix D

BurrowNationalSchool

Howth Road

Sutton

Dublin 13

Tel: 01-8325784/01-8325796Principal: Ms. Lynn Harley

email:

______

ENROLMENT FORM

I confirm that I DO/DO NOT (please delete as appropriate) wish to accept the offer to enroll ______, as a pupil in The Burrow School for the forthcoming academic year 20___/___.

Name of Child: ______

Address of Child: ______

Guardian (1) : ______Occupation: ______

Guardian (2): ______Occupation: ______

(Please enclose two passport photos).

We/I confirm that we/I have read and that we/I accept:

CODE OF BEHAVIOUR:

Signed: ______Dated: ______

Parent/Guardian

ANTI BULLYING POLICY:

Signed: ______Dated: ______

Parent/Guardian

ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY:

I have read the Acceptable Use Policy and grant permission for my son/daughter to access the Internet. I understand that Internet access is designed for educational purposes. I also understand that the school cannot be held responsible if pupils access unsuitable websites but that every reasonable precaution has been taken by the school to provide for online safety.