- 1. Introduction
This Admission Policy complies with the requirements of the Education Act 1998, the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 and the Equal Status Act 2000. In drafting this policy, the board of management of the school has consulted with school staff, the school patron and with parents of children attending the school.
The policy was approved by the school patron on _October 2020__. It is published on the school’s website and will be made available in hardcopy, on request, to any person who requests it.
The relevant dates and timelines for. admission process are set out in the school’s annual admission notice which is published annually on the school’s website at least one week before the commencement of the admission process for the school year concerned.
Notices will also be placed in the Parish Newsletter, at the entrance in the local Play School and at the school entrances to notify parents that the school is accepting enrolment applications for the coming year. The enrolment process is by written application only. Completed application forms should be returned by the set date eachyear. All applications must be fully completed for consideration.
This policy must be read in conjunction with the annual admission notice for the school year concerned.
The application form for admission is published on the school’s website and will be made available in hardcopy or softcopy on request to any person who requests it. This form will accompany the letter of offer that will be sent to parents/guardians of successful applicants. The completed registration form must be returned to the school within the timeline specified in the letter of offer. Failure to do so will be interpreted as a refusal of the offer to enrol.
The address at which the applicant resides will be the address used only by the school for correspondence regarding enrolment.
The completion of an enrolment 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.
2. Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school
St. Dominic’s is a co-educational primary school with a Catholic under the patronage of the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise .
St.Dominic’s N.S. Mission and Aims
St. Dominic’s N.S. is a co-educational, Catholic, 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 met.
While our school has a Catholic ethos, it also shows due recognition for other religions.
In our school, we will strive to promote, both individually and collectively, the professional and personal development of our staff.
We will encourage the involvement of parents through home/school contacts and through their involvement in a Parent’s Association.
We will endeavour to enhance the self-esteem of everyone in the school community, to imbue in the pupils respect for people and property and to encourage in them the idea of being responsible.
We will promote gender equity amongst the teachers and the pupils.
Déanfaimid iarracht Gaeilge a labhairt
The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the Department of Education and Skills, 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, and the funding and resources available, the school supports the principles of:
- Inclusiveness, particularly with regard to any child who has a disability or any special educational need
- We would hope to provide equal access and participation for all children who enrol in our school
- We recognise that parents have a choice with regard to where they enrol their children
- We respect the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life of the children who attend our school and of the families from whom they come
- St. Dominic’s N.S. is a community where all pupils are equally valued and respected, irrespective of gender, social background, family circumstances, educational achievement, religion, physical characteristics, intellectual functioning or disability.
3. Admission Statement
St. Dominic’s N.S. will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:
- the gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
- the civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
- the family status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
- the sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
- the religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
- the disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
- the ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
- the Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned, or
- the ground that the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned has special educational needs
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As per section 61 (3) of the Education Act 1998, ‘civil status ground’, ‘disability ground’, ‘discriminate’, ‘family status ground’, ‘gender ground’, ‘ground of race’, ‘religion ground’, ‘sexual orientation ground’ and ‘Traveller community ground’ shall be construed in accordance with section 3 of the Equal Status Act 2000.
St. Dominic’s N.S. is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values and does not discriminate where it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not of the Catholic faith and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.
St. Dominic’s N.S. will cooperate with the NCSE in the performance by the Council of its functions under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 in relation to the provision of education to children with special educational needs, including in particular by the provision and operation of a special class or classes when requested to do so by the Council.
St. Dominic’s N.S. will comply with any direction served on the board or the patron under section 37A and 67(4)(b). In accordance with the Education Act, 1998 .
4.Special Educational Needs
St. Dominic’s N.S. welcomes pupils with disabilities and special educational needs. It will use the resources (financial and personnel) provided by the Department of Education and Skills to make reasonable provisions for such students. The school’s ability to accommodate students with particular needs is dependent on the resources necessary for the needs of the individual students being made available by the Department of Education and Skills.
5.0 Admission of Students
This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –
- the school is oversubscribed (please see section 5.1 below for further details)
- a parent of a student, when required by the principal in accordance with section 23(4) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, fails to confirm in writing that the code of behaviour of the school is acceptable to him or her and that he or she shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the student
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St Dominic’s N.S. is a Catholic faith school and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of the Catholic faith where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.
5.1 Oversubscription
In the event that the school is oversubscribed, the school will, when deciding on applications for admission, apply the following selection criteria in the order listed below to those applications that are received within the timeline for receipt of applications as set out in the school’s annual admission notice:
- Applicants with siblings currently enrolled in the school (including stepsiblings, resident at the same address), priority eldest;
- Applicants with siblings who are past pupils of the school (including stepsiblings, resident at the same address), priority eldest;
- Children residing in the parish, priority eldest;
- Random selection (independently verified)
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The criteria are listed in order of priority when spaces are allocated under criterion 1 and space is still available, then criterion 2 comes into play and so on. This prioritisation proceeds until all places have been allocated.
In the event that there are two or more students tied for a place or places in any of the selection criteria categories above (the number of applicants exceeds the number of remaining places), the following arrangements will apply:
Random selection (independently verified)
5.2 What will not be considered or taken into account
In accordance with section 62(7) (e) of the Education Act, the school will not consider or take into account any of the following in deciding on applications for admission or when placing a student on a waiting list for admission to the school:
- a student’s prior attendance at a pre-school or pre-school service, including naíonraí,
- the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school
- a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude;
- the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parents;
- a requirement that a student, or his or her parents, attend an interview, open day or other meeting as a condition of admission;
- a student’s connection to the school by virtue of a member of his or her family attending or having previously attended the school;
- (except as per selection criteria based on; (1)Applicants with siblings currently enrolled in the school (including stepsiblings, resident at the same address), priority eldest;
(2) Applicants with siblings who are past pupil of the school (including stepsiblings, resident at the same address), priority eldest;) - the date and time on which an application for admission was received by the school,
- This is subject to the application being received at any time during the period specified for receiving applications set out in the annual admission notice of the school for the school year concerned.
6. Decisions on applications
All decisions on applications for admission to St. Dominic’s N.S. will be based on the following:
- Our school’s admission policy
- The school’s annual admission notice (where applicable)
- The information provided by the applicant in the school’s official application form received during the period specified in our annual admission notice for receiving applications
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(Please see section 2 below in relation to applications received outside of the admissions period and section 13 below in relation to applications for places in years other than the intake group.)
Selection criteria that are not included in our school admission policy will not be used to make a decision on an application for a place in our school.
7. Notifying applicants of decisions
Applicants will be informed in writing as to the decision of the school, within the timeline outlined in the annual admissions notice.
If a student is not offered a place in our school, the reasons why they were not offered a place will be communicated to the applicant. Details of the applicant’s right to seek a review/right of appeal of the school’s decision (see section 16 below for further details) will also be provided.
Applicants will be informed of the right to seek a review/right of appeal of the school’s decision (see section 16 below for further details).
8. Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant
In accepting an offer of admission from St. Dominic’s N.S., you must indicate--
(i) whether or not you have accepted an offer of admission for another school or schools. If you have accepted such an offer, you must also provide details of the offer or offers concerned and
(ii) whether or not you have applied for and awaiting confirmation of an offer of admission from another school or schools, and if so, you must provide details of the other school or schools concerned.
9. Circumstances in which offers may not be made or may be withdrawn
An offer of admission may not be made or may be withdrawn by St. Dominic’s N.S. whereit is
- established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.
- an applicant fails to confirm acceptance of an offer of admission on or before the date set out in the annual admission notice of the school.
- the parent of a student, when required by the principal in accordance with section 23(4) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, fails to confirm in writing that the code of behaviour of the school is acceptable to him or her and that he or she shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the student; or
- an applicant has failed to comply with the requirements of ‘acceptance of an offer’ as set out in section 8 above.
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10. Sharing of Data with other schools
Applicants should be aware that section 66(6) of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 allows for the sharing of certain information between schools in order to facilitate the efficient admission of students.
Section 66(6) allows a school to provide a patron or another board of management with a list of the students in relation to whom--
(i) an application for admission to the school has been received,
(ii) an offer of admission to the school has been made, or
(iii) an offer of admission to the school has been accepted.
The list may include any or all of the following:
(i) the date on which an application for admission was received by the school;
(ii) the date on which an offer of admission was made by the school;
(iii) the date on which an offer of admission was accepted by an applicant;
(iv) a student’s personal details including his or her name, address, date of birth and personal public service number (within the meaning of section 262 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005).
11. Waiting list in the event of oversubscription
In the event of there being more applications to the school year concerned than places available, a waiting list of students whose applications for admission to St. Dominic’s N.S. were unsuccessful due to the school being oversubscribed will be compiled and will remain valid for the school year in which admission is being sought.
Placement on the waiting list of St.Dominic’s N.S. is in the order of priority assigned to the students’ applications after the school has applied the selection criteria in accordance with this admission policy.
Applicants whose applications are received after the closing date, outlined in the Annual Admission Notice, will be placed at the end of the waiting list in order of the date of receipt of the application.
Offers of any subsequent places that become available for and during the school year in relation to which admission is being sought will be made to those students on the waiting list, in accordance with the order of priority in relation to which the students have been placed on the list.
12. Late Applications
All applications for admission received after the closing date as outlined in the annual admission notice will be considered and decided upon in accordance with our school’s admissions policy, the Education Admissions to School Act 2018 and any regulations made under that Act.
Late applicants will be notified of the decision in respect of their application no later than three weeks after the date on which the school received the application. Late applicants will be offered a place if there is place available. In the event that there is no place available, the name of the applicant will be added to the waiting list as set out in Section 13.
13. Procedures for admission of students to other years and during the school year
The procedures of the school in relation to the admission of students who are not already admitted to the school to classes or years other than the school’s intake group are as follows:
Applications for enrolment during the school year will be considered subject to school policy, available space and the provision of information concerning attendance and the child’s educational progress.
Such applications will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis but will normally only be considered for admission on the first day of each new term unless the applicant is newly resident in the area.
The procedures of the school in relation to the admission of students who are not already admitted to the school, after the commencement of the school year in which admission is sought, are as follows:
In the event of there being more applications to the school year concerned than places available, a waiting list of students whose applications for admission to St. Dominic’s N.S. were unsuccessful due to the school being oversubscribed will be compiled and will remain valid for the school year in which admission is being sought.
Placement on the waiting list of St. Dominic’s N.S. is in the order of priority assigned to the students’ applications after the school has applied the selection criteria in accordance with this admission policy.
Junior Infants, with the exception of students transferring from another school, may only be admitted to the school prior to the start of the new school year.
All children enrolled are required to agree and comply with and support the school's Code of Behaviour.
14. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees - The board of St. Dominic’s N.S or any persons acting on its behalf will not charge fees for or seek payment or contributions (howsoever described) as a condition of-
- an application for admission of a student to the school, or
- the admission or continued enrolment of a student in the school.
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15. Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction
Our school is of Catholic ethos and, in keeping with that ethos, children of all or no other faith are welcome to apply to this school.
The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent(s)/guardian(s) have requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction (etc.) in the school. These arrangements will not result in a reduction in the school day of such students:
A written request should be made to the Principal of the school. A meeting will then be arranged with the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student, to discuss how the request may be accommodated by the school.
16. Reviews /appeals- Review of decisions by the board of Management
The parents/guardians of the student, may request the board to review a decision to refuse admission. Such requests must be made in accordance with Section 29C of the Education Act 1998.
The timeline within which such a review must be requested and the other requirements applicable to such reviews are set out in the procedures determined by the Minister under section 29B of the Education Act 1998 which are published on the website of the Department of Education and Skills.
The board will conduct such reviews in accordance with the requirements of the procedures determined under Section 29B and with section 29C of the Education Act 1998.
Note: Where an applicant has been refused admission due to the school being oversubscribed, the applicant must request a review of that decision by the board of management prior to making an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
Where an applicant has been refused admission due to a reason other than the school being oversubscribed, the applicant may request a review of that decision by the board of management prior to making an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
Right of appeal
Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parents/guardians of the student, may appeal a decision of this school to refuse admission.
An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1) (c) (i) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due to the school being oversubscribed.
An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1) (c) (ii) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due a reason other than the school being oversubscribed.
Where an applicant has been refused admission due to the school being oversubscribed, the applicant must request a review of that decision by the board of management prior to making an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998. (see Review of decisions by the Board of Management)
Where an applicant has been refused admission due to a reason other than the school being oversubscribed, the applicant may request a review of that decision by the board of management prior to making an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998. (see Review of decisions by the Board of Management)
Appeals under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 will be considered and determined by an independent appeals committee appointed by the Minister for Education and Skills.
The timeline within which such an appeal must be made and the other requirements applicable to such appeals are set out in the procedures determined by the Minister under section 29B of the Education Act 1998 which are published on the website of the Department of Education and Skills.
· Implementation and Review - This Policy will be reviewed, as deemed necessary, by the Board of Management.
· Policy Ratification - The policy was ratified by the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s N.S. on 27-4-2020. .