Enrolment Policy

This Enrolment Policy 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, Very Rev. Fr. Pat O'Farrell, Parochial House, Lisdowney, Ballyragget, Co. Kilkenny, and the Principal Teacher, Mr. Thomas Maher, Scoil Naomh Fiachra, Clontubrid, Freshford, Co. Kilkenny, will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy.

This policy is an interim document which will be subject to change when management authorities have taken legal advice on the requirements of an enrolment policy which will endure the demands of the Education Act 1998.

School Name:
Scoil Naomh Fiachra.

School Address:
Clontubrid, Freshford, Co. Kilkenny.

Telephone No.:
056 8832417

Email Address:
clontubridns.ias@eircom.net

Denominational Character:
The school is under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Ossory.

Patron:
Most Rev. Dr. Laurence Forristal.

Total Number of Teachers in the School:
Principal Teacher, Assistant Teacher, Shared Learning Support Teacher, Part Time Resource Teacher.

Range of Classes Taught:
Junior Infants to Sixth Class, boys and girls.

Opening Hours:
School opening hours are from 09.20 to 15.00 for all classes except Infants and from 09.20 to 14.00 for Infants.

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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).

Within the context and parameters of Department regulations and programmes, the rights of the patron as set out in the Education Act (1998), and the funding and resources available, the school supports the principles of:

Decisions in relation to applications for enrolment are made by the Board of Management in accordance with school policy. As a general principle, and in so far as practicable, having regard to the school's policy, children will be enrolled on application, provided that there is space available.

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The Board is bound by the Department of Education and Science'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.

  1. Parents seeking to enrol their child(ren) in Scoil Naomh Fiachra are requested to return a completed Enrolment Application Form (See appendix 1)(available from the school) with an original Birth/Adoption Certificate to the school by 31st May each year.
  2. The names of children for whom Enrolment Application forms and Birth/Adoption Certificates have been returned, will be placed on a class waiting list.
  3. Equality of access is the key value that determines the enrolment of children to our school. No child is refused admission for reasons of ethnicity, special educational needs, disability, language/accent, gender (except for schools with a single sex tradition) traveller status, asylum-seeker/refugee status, religious/political beliefs and values, family or social circumstances.
  4. While recognising the right of parents to enrol their children in the school of their choice, the Board of Management of Scoil Naomh Fiachra is also responsible to respect the rights of the existing school community and in particular, the children already enrolled. This requires balanced judgements, which are guided by the principles of natural justice and acting in the best interest of all children. Assisting the school in such circumstances, the BOM reserves the rights to determine the maximum number of children in each separate classroom bearing in mind:
  1. 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:
  1. Other pupils are enrolled during the school year (if newly resident in the area).
  2. Pupils wishing to transfer from other schools are enrolled subject to the Rules governing National Schools, as well as our own school's enrolment policy.
  3. New Junior Infants spend one/two informal periods in school at the end of June to familiarise themselves with their new environment.
  4. Children with special needs will be resourced in accordance with the level of resources provided by the Department of Education and Science to the Board of Management.
  5. Notwithstanding the availability of such resources, parents of children who are unsatisfied with the level of educational provision in our school, are advised to consider a special school which is designed and resourced to specifically cater for the needs of children with special educational needs.
  6. Children enrolled in our school are required to co-operate with the 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 children co-operated with said policies in an age-appropriate way. In accordance with the Department of Education's rules for National Schools, may by suspended child. These policies may be added to and revised from time-to-time.

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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 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 teacher, class teacher, learning support 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:

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Admission Day/Date

Children who are enrolling for the first time in a primary school will normally be enrolled on September 1st, or in any event, not later than September 30th of the relevant school year.

This policy was sanctioned by the Board of Management in September 2002.

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Appendix I

Scoil Naomh Fiachra, Cluain Tiobrad

Enrolment Application Form

School Year: _____________

Pupil's Full Name: __________________________________

Date of Birth: (Please attach copy of Birth Cert.) ___________________________

Father's Name: __________________________________

Mother's Name (including Maiden Surname): _________________________________

Home Address: __________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Telephone Nos.: Home: ________________

Work: ________________

Mobile: ______________

Alternative Contact: Name: __________________

Tel. No.: ______________ (e.g. close relative or child minder)

Arrangements if child is ill in school: _________________________________

Religious Denomination: _________________________________

Date and Place of Baptism: _________________________________

(Please attach copy of Baptismal Cert. if baptised outside Lisdowney Parish.)

Any Previous School(s) attended: _________________________________ _______________________________________________________

Class: _________________________________

Irish version of child's name (otherwise school will translate):___________________

In the unlikely event of serious illness or accident the school will try to contact you, the parents, using the names and contact numbers listed above. If we cannot contact you by any of these means do you give permission to take your child directly to a doctor/hospital?
_________________________________________________________

Family Doctor: Name: _________________ Tel. No.: _____________

Does any legal order exist under Family Law that the school should know about? _________________________________________________________

Is there any person into whose care the child should not be given? _________________________________________________________

List any health problems your child may have that might affect her/his work or behaviour in school (e.g. allergies, epilepsy, asthma, sight or hearing difficulty, etc.):
__________________________________________________________

Signed: ________________________ ________________________ [Parent(s)]

Date: ___________

If any of the above information [e.g. contact telephone no]. changes while your child is a pupil of the school please inform the school so that we can update our records.

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SCOIL NAOMH FIACHRA, CLONTUBRID

ADMISSION OF NEW PUPILS

Dear Parents,

I enclose an application form for admission to Scoil Naomh Fiachra, Clontubrid for the school year commencing on 1st September, 200_ in respect of your child _______________. Please complete it and return it to the school (together with a Birth Cert for State purposes and a Baptismal Cert for Church purposes) as soon as possible but not later than ...........May 200_.

As in past years, we are happy to invite you to bring the child to school for a few half days before we close, so that you will be better able to prepare him/her for September. We propose to take in the new entrants for a period from:

___________________________________________________

They will not need any bag or books on those days; you may give them a light snack for the morning break.

Those who wish to adopt the uniform should dress the pupils as follows:

GIRLS

BOYS

Other items such as socks are at your own discretion. You are free to purchase the garments wherever it suits you. However, Paul's, High St., Kilkenny stock the uniform especially for us, if you mention Scoil Naomh Fiachra, Clontubrid they will know what colours to show you. The child should also have indoor slippers, but not the large, fun, animal-face slippers which can be a hazard and cause a child to trip. Once adopted, we will insist on the uniform being worn consistently.

I would like to invite you to the school on ------------- to meet with the Teacher and to tell you about our school and to answer any queries you may have. Meanwhile, you will learn something about the school from a copy of ........................enclosed.

Also enclosed, is a leaflet "Is Your Child Ready for School?" which we hope will help you in your decision.

We look forward to seeing you then.

Yours sincerely,

_____________

Principal.

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