Saint Paul's Primary School

SCHOOL ADMISSIONS POLICY

Introduction:

The Board of Management of St. Paul’s is setting out, in this statement, the policy of the school, in regard to enrolment and admission of children to the school, in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998.

The Board trusts that this statement of policy will be of assistance to parents and guardians in relation to enrolment and admission matters.

The Board also wishes to state that the Chairman and the Principal of the school will be willing to clarify any matters arising from this policy statement.

PART 1. THE ETHOS OF THE SCHOOL

The school profile.

St. Paul’s is a Catholic Primary school, which caters for boys. It operates under the patronage of the Diocese of Kildare/ Loughlin. The school is managed by a Board of Management, is funded by the Dept. of Education and Science (DES), and operates within the guidelines and regulations set down from time to time by that Department.

(b) The ethos of the school.

Education in St. Paul’s is seen as the development of the whole person. St. Paul’s see education as providing for the emotional, social, sexual, physical and spiritual development of the child. It is very important that the child in St. Paul’s is happy and seen to be happy. St. Paul’s School places a great emphasis on the fact that school should have a pleasant environment in which learning can take place. A holistic approach to education is taken in St. Paul’s where each child is seen as an individual with his own talents and capabilities. The school will develop the positive aspects of each child and work on his capabilities and talents. The potential of each child will be realized. When a child finishes in St. Paul’s he will know what he is good at and where his talents lie. The question is not “How smart am I?” but “How am I smart?”

St. Paul’s School aims to educate the children for life. In preparing our children to cope with an ever-changing world, the school has devised a code of discipline that underpins the task of fulfilling the general education objectives. The emphasis will be on the positive rather than the negative. The school will pursue excellence in all its forms. The school recognises the central role of the family as the primary educator of the child. The school also accepts and supports the constitutional right and duty of the parents to provide for the religious, moral, intellectual, physical and social education of their children.

A high standard of behaviour is expected from the children in order to maintain a Christian ethos where everyone is respected no matter what background, creed or race that child comes from. The children will be reminded of the school motto “Live Life to the Full”. The ethos of St. Paul’s can be summed up in two simple rules

I will try my best
I will always have good manners.

PART 2. OPERATING CONTEXT.

The school operates within the context and parameters of the DES regulations and programmes.

The school recognises the rights of the patron as set out in the Education Act of 1998, section 15, (1) and (2).

(c) The school recognises that it is limited by the funding and resources available to it.


School Resources.

The financial resources of the school are provided by a combination of, DES grants, capitation grants, voluntary contributions and fund-raising. The teaching resources are provided by the DES teacher allocation. The implementation of the school’s admission policy must have due regard to the financial and teaching resources of the school. The school operates within the rules and regulations set down from time to time by the DES. It also follows the curricular programme prescribed by the DES, which may be amended from time to time by the DES, in accordance with the Education Act 1998, (sections 9 and 30).

Opening Times:
9.00 – 2.40 The school premises will be open to pupils from 10 minutes before official opening time. If there is any deviation from the usual times of opening or closing, for any reason, parents or guardians will receive prior notice of adjusted times.

The School Calendar:

The school calendar is drawn up at the beginning of each school year/term. Parents or guardians will be supplied with a copy of the calendar. If the calendar has to be adjusted for any reason, parents or guardians will be informed. The School Curriculum:

The school follows the curricular programme set down by the Department of Education and Science, which includes the subjects Religion, Irish, English, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Visual Arts, Drama, Science, Social Physical Health Education, Music, Information Technology.

Extra-curricular activities:

The school provides a wide range of artistic, sporting, social and cultural activities, which helps to develop the talents of the pupils. This provides them with the ability and confidence to be involved in various activities in later life. Development through team games is greatly encouraged in the school.
Extra-curricular activities include Swimming, Gaelic Football, Hurling, Soccer, Art classes, Music classes, Choir, Quizzes, Chess Club, French and Spanish Classes, Health and Fitness Club and The Homework Club.

Parent-Teacher Meetings:
Formal Parent-Teacher meetings are held once a year at the end of the first term. Parents or guardians will receive prior notice of the meetings. All parents/guardians are strongly urged to attend, in the best interest of the child.

Parents’ Association:
The school has a vibrant, active, voluntary Parents’ Association, which meets regularly. The association helps to promote the development of the students, and assists with various school activities. The Association can be contacted through the School Office.

PART 4. ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES

The school welcomes all students and aims to provide an integrated and inclusive education.

(A) Application for admission:

Application for enrolment in the school is made by completing the school’s application form, and returning it to the School Office. The application form is available from the School Office.
The Board will inform the school community of the procedure for application, through appropriate channels. A date for the return of the forms will be set. All applications will be processed after this date. Parents/guardians will be informed of their child’s acceptance or refusal within 21 days of that date. The school makes provision for late applications provided that there is adequate room in the school.

(B) Enrolment:

Except in exceptional circumstances, children will be enrolled on application. Successful applicants will be informed, in writing, of their acceptance. Parents or guardians are then required to confirm, in writing, their acceptance of a place in the school for their child. Successful applicants may be asked to attend at the school on a given date, for the purpose of assessment, in order to identify, and plan for, the educational needs of the pupils. Successful applicants [and parents/guardians] will be invited to Induction Days in the school.


(C) Excess Applications:

The criteria for deciding on acceptance or refusal of applications, where the number of applicants
exceeds the number of places available, is set down below in an open, transparent and fair manner.

The applicant is attending a feeder school Scoil Mhuire / Sacred Heart
The applicant has a brother in the school – child of staff member.
The applicant lives in the school’s catchment area
The applicant lives in the parish

(D) Protocol:

Nearly all of the enrolments take place in September of each year. The boys form Scoil Mhuire and The Sacred Heart Schools enrol in St. Paul’s at this time. Other enrolments take place during the year. In all cases, pupils are placed in the age appropriate class unless there is a valid reason for not doing so. Pupils are asked to bring reports etc so that the school can assess the pupil’s needs. In consultation with the parents, the appropriate class stream is chosen. Consultation then takes place between the Principal teacher and the teachers of the classes of the age stream. The consultation covers topics such as the numbers in each class and the individual circumstances in each class group. The pupil is then enrolled in the appropriate class. A pupil can only be enrolled during a term if the parents/guardians have moved house and St. Paul’s is the nearest school to the home. Pupils will normally enrol at the beginning of a school term.
The Principal meets the parents of prospective pupils during the school year. He outlines the policies and aims of the school and answers the parents’ questions. The parents are then shown the school and its environments. Later on in the year, the prospective pupils are given a tour of the school. The second-class teachers visit Scoil Mhuire and the Sacred Heart School and consult with the teachers there so that the needs of the new pupils are best met. The main aim of enrolment is that the child will feel welcome and that his potential is realized so that he can enjoy his time at St. Paul’s by developing all his talents to the full.


(E) Special Needs Applicants:

The school welcomes applications for admission of pupils with special educational needs. The school will use the personnel and financial resources provided by the DES, to make reasonable provision and accommodation for students with disabilities or special needs, up to a nominal cost. The school aims to identify, at an early stage, any applicant for admission who has special needs, and to become familiar with the specific needs of the child.
In making provision for children with special needs, the school needs to know if the child has had access to
1. A special needs assistant
2. A special class
3. Help, for specific needs, from any resource teacher
4. Assistance with behaviour modification
Psychological assessment
6. Any additional resources to help with special needs
Help in areas including visual impairment, hearing impairment, learning disability or emotional disturbance.
8. Any resource in relation to travel or mobility

If an expert report is provided, it should include workable strategies for addressing the needs of the child. If no expert report is available, the school will request immediate assessment, in order to determine the educational needs of the child. The school will endeavour to address these needs in so far as resources allow. Having gathered all the relevant information available, the Board of Management will assess how the needs of the child can be met. The DES will be requested in writing to provide additional resources, if such are needed. It may be necessary for the Board to defer enrolment, pending the receipt of assessment reports and/or the provision of appropriate resources by the DES. The school will meet the parents to discuss the needs of the child and the capability of the school to meet these needs. In exceptional cases, final acceptance of an applicant will depend on the additional resources being provided by the DES. Parents or guardians of children with special needs are strongly advised to make early application to the school, to allow time to follow the procedures outlined above.
As soon as possible, but not later than 21 days after a parent or guardian has provided the relevant information, the Board of Management shall decide on the application concerned, and inform the parents or guardian in writing of their decision. (Educational Welfare Act 2000, Section 19, 3.)

(F) Transfer of pupils from other schools:

Pupils from other schools may transfer into the school subject to the following conditions.
The transfer is in accordance with the school’s admission policy.
The school is satisfied with the reasons for the transfer.
The transfer is in the best interest of the pupil.
All relevant information from the former school is made available.
Space is available in the school to facilitate the transfer.
The Educational Welfare Officer is consulted, if necessary.

(G) Decision-making Process:

Decisions in relation to admissions are made by the Board of Management, in accordance with school admissions policy. The Board will have regard for the relevant conditions prescribed by the DES concerning class size, staffing provisions, accommodation, physical space, health and welfare of children and eligibility for admission. The Board reserves the right to refuse an application for admission, in exceptional circumstances, as stated in the Education Act of 1998, (Section 29).

(H) The right of appeal:

Parents or guardians have the right to appeal a refusal by the Board to admit their child. The Board’s decision will be given in writing and the reason for the refusal will be clearly stated. The parents or guardians will be informed of their right to appeal the decision, and will be supplied with the Appeals Application Form. (Circular 22/02). The appeal will be made to The General Secretary, Appeals Administration Unit, Department of Education and Science, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, on the relevant form. The school must be informed in writing of the decision to appeal.

(I) Documentation:

When applying for admission of their child to the school, parents or guardians will receive the following documentation:
(1). The Admissions Policy Statement of the school.
(2). A copy of the Code of Behaviour of the school
(3). The standard Application Form of the school.

Parents and guardians should note that the school has adopted policy statements in other areas of interest and concern, towards the best running of the school and the maximum development of the pupils.
These policy statements can be accessed in the School Office on request.
They include:

(1). The Health and Safety Statement
(2). The Anti-bullying Statement
(3). The Statement of Strategy
(4). The School Plan.

This document states the Admissions Policy of our school at the present time. It may, however, be subject to adjustments and changes in the future. Such changes and adjustments will be contained in an updated version of the school’s Admissions Policy.