The Board of Management of St. Colman’s N.S. has set out its policy in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 and the Board trusts that by so doing, parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters. Furthermore, the Chairperson and the Principal teacher will be happy to clarify any further matters arising.

The Board of Management of the school, in accordance with school policy, makes decisions, in relation to applications for enrolment.
Aims and Objectives of this Policy

To ensure the efficient management of the school through prudent distribution of pupil numbers through the classes
To fulfill the requirements of the Education Act, 1998 and the Education Welfare Act (2000)

The Board of Management of St. Brigid’s N.S. reserves the right of admission if such admissions contravene Department guidelines.

Admission\Enrolment Procedure

In January of the year of school entry, The Board of Management will communicate enrolment arrangements, giving closing dates for enrolment applications, through:

• Parish Newsletter from Our Lady Mother of the Church Parish
• Announcements at Masses in Our Lady Mother of the Church Parish
• School Newsletter
• Present Parent Bodies
• School Web Sit

Parents who wish to apply for enrolment are asked to place their child’s name on a New Entrants List held in the school office. (This list is active until the closing date for enrolment applications for a given year, as set out by the B.O.M. It does not infer priority for enrolment purposes.) In February of the year of enrolment, parents of children on this list are requested by letter to confirm their wish to have their child enrolled in our school by submitting an original copy of the child’s birth certificate, a baptismal certificate and a recent utility bill in the name of the parent.

Children must have reached the age of 4 years by the last day in September of that year for enrolment to Junior Infant classes. Children will not be enrolled until their 4th birthday has been reached i.e. a child who celebrates his\her 4th birthday on September 8th will be enrolled on that day if his\her application has been successful.
Enrolment Criteria:

St. Brigid’s N.S. has traditionally accepted children from Our Lady Mother of the Church Parish, Stradbally.

If, in any one year, the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, the following prioritising criteria will be used:

• Priority Criterion
• Catholic children of the parish, siblings of current pupils of the school and children of staff of the school
• Catholic children who live outside the parish and do not have a Catholic school in their parish
• All children who live within the parish boundaries but are non-Catholic applying for a placement are entitled to a place if there are vacancies after groups 1 and 2 have been allocated place
• All children who live outside the parish boundaries are entitled to a place in the school if there are vacancies in the school after the groups 1 to 3 have been allocated places

If the number of applicants from group 1 exceeds the number of places available, children will be accepted chronologically according to their age. A similar approach will be adopted if children have to be prioritised within the other groupings.

The Board will not consider for enrolment children who have been in a junior infant class in another school since the September prior to the date of closure of application. Any false or misleading information supplied by a parent may cause priority or enrolment to be forfeited.

Places must be accepted not later than 14 days after the offer of a place has been notified – a place will be forfeited if a letter of acceptance is not received in this time frame.

Parents have the right to appeal any enrolment decision to the board and this should be done in writing. Under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, any parent or guardian can appeal a school’s refusal to enrol his/her child.

Under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, any parent or guardian can appeal a school’s refusal to enroll his/her child.

Evaluation:

The Board of Management will monitor the implementation of all aspects of the Policy and amend the Policy as required.

Appendix 1:

The school will not refuse a child on the basis of ethnicity, special education needs, disability, traveller status, refugee status, political beliefs, family or social circumstances, provided the necessary supports are in place in the school, subject to the criteria of the policy.

In relation to applications for enrolment of children with special needs, the Board of Management may request a copy of the child’s medical and \or psychological report. Where such a report is not available, the Board of Management may request that the appropriate professional assess the child immediately. The purpose of the assessment report is to assist the school in establishing the educational needs of the child relevant to his/her 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 of Management deems the further resources are required, it will request the Department of Education and Science, to provide the resources required to meet the needs of the child as outlined in psychological or medical reports. Such resources may include for example the provision of any or a combination of the following:

• Visiting teacher service
• Resource teacher for special needs
• Special needs assistant
• Specialized equipment or furniture
• Transport service

The school will meet the parents/guardians of the child to discuss the child’s needs and the schools suitability or capability in meeting those needs. The school supports the principles of

Inclusiveness, in particular with reference to the enrolment of children with a disability or other special educational need
Equality of access and participation in the school
Respect for diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in society.

The Board of Management of St. Brigid’s N.S., in its Enrolment Policy, respects the rights of the existing school community and the children already enrolled. Consequently, the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the maximum number of children in each class, bearing in mind:

• Available class space
• Educational Needs of the children
• Presence of children with special needs
• Department of Education and Science class size directives
• Time of school year

It may be necessary for the Board of Management of St. Brigid’s N.S. to decide to defer enrolment of a child, pending:

• The receipt of an assessment report and\or
• The provision of appropriate resources by the Department of Education and Science to meet the needs specified in the psychological and\or medical reports.

Transfer from other schools:

The enrolment form filled out by applicants is strictly confidential and may be used in time by the class teacher for the child’s benefit.

Information sought on this form may include

• Pupil’s name, age, date of birth and address
• Parents\Guardians names, contactable phone numbers
• Contact Telephone numbers for reliable people in the event of Parents\guardians not being contactable in an emergency
• Details of medical conditions which the school should be aware of
• Religion
• Previous schools attended and reason for transfer if applicable
• Other information which the Board of Management deems relevant to the welfare of the child
• A Birth Certificate must be presented at this time.

Parents who wish to enroll a child during the school year must make a formal application in writing to the Board of Management for consideration at its next Board meeting.

Priority Criterion

• The applicant family must be resident in, or moving to the immediate area of Stradbally Parish.
• The applicant must have the goodwill of the school they are leaving
• There must be room available in the school.
• Special consideration is given to referrals from Social Services, Health Boards, courts of Law, Psychologists, etc., provided

Applicants to classes during the school year are subject to the following criteria:

• The appropriate supports are in place
• Space is available
• The applicant resides in Stradbally Parish

If the number of applicants for enrolment exceeds the number of places available at a particular class level, children will be accepted according to the following prioritising criteria, which will be used in addition to the above

Children who are not attending or accepted in a local school already.
And chronologically according to their age thereafter.

Places must be accepted in writing not later than 14 days after dispatch of B.O.M. enrolment letter.

All children enrolled are expected to comply with and support the school’s Code of Behaviour, as well as the school’s designated policies on Curriculum, Organisation and Management.