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Enrolment Application Form

Name:              Enrolment Policy

Date                 March 2017

Revision no:     04

 

Introduction:

This Enrolment policy was drafted by the Board of Management, Staff and Parents of Yellow Furze N.S. and was developed in accordance with the guidelines of the CPSMA and the Education Act 1998.

General:

Yellow Furze National School serves the people of the Catholic parish of Beauparc and is a parish based school. It is a vertical Catholic school that has been established with the Minister of Education & Science, having as its patron Most Reverend Michael Smith the Bishop of Meath. It aims at promoting the full harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil – intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual, including a living relationship with God and other people. The school models and promotes a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Catholic school provides religious education for the pupils in accordance with the doctrines, practices and traditions of the Catholic Church and promotes the formation of pupils in the Catholic faith. There are 11 teachers – 8 class teachers, 2 special education teachers and an administrative principal, in the school. The school is funded by the Oireachtas and DES grant assistance.

Rationale / Aims:

The Board of Management hereby sets out its policy in accordance with the provision of the Education Act 1998, and trusts that by doing so parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters.

  • Equality of access is the key value that determines enrolment of children to Yellow Furze National School.
  • No child is refused admission to Yellow Furze National School on the grounds of ethnicity, special education needs, disability, language, traveller status, asylum seeker, refugee status, religious or political beliefs and values, family or social circumstances.
  • While recognising the right of parents to enrol their children in the school of their choice, the Board of Management of Yellow Furze National School respects the rights of the existing school community and may under certain circumstances make value judgements in the best interests of all the children.
  • Each year, the Board will clearly state the number of junior infants being enrolled in the school. In making its decision, the Board will have regard to the relevant Department of Education & Science guidelines in relation to class size and staffing provisions and any other relevant requirements concerning accommodation, including physical space and the health, safety and welfare of the child.
  • The Board is bound by the Department of Education & Science rules for National Schools and the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.

In the event that the  number of children seeking enrolment in any given class exceeds the number of places available, applicant children will be enrolled strictly in accordance with the following criteria and in that order. If the number of applicants under category I outnumbers the places available, children will be prioritised and enrolled in order of age, beginning with the eldest. The same applies to the other categories should places then be available.

Enrolment Criteria:

  1. Priority is given to catholic children resident within the parish and sisters and brothers, including step-siblings, of pupils already enrolled in the school.
  2. Children of current staff, including ancillary staff.
  • All children who live within the parish boundaries applying for placement in the school.
  1. Children of parents originally from this parish but now resident in adjoining parishes.
  2. Pupils resident in the parish, wishing to transfer from other National Schools within the State may be enrolled subject to the provisions of the Education Welfare Act 2000. The child’s educational progress and attendance report should be communicated to the school. In respect of children transferring from another school, the BOM is obliged to make a decision within 21 days of receipt of that completed application containing all requested information and communicate that decision in writing to the parents/guardians.
  3. Children will be enrolled only if they have reached four years of age before April 30th in the year of enrolment. This stipulation may be reviewed as a result of the number of applicants, if necessary, in order that class sizes may be kept within the stated guidelines.
  • Catholic children who live outside the parish and do not have a Catholic school in their parish.
  • Children who reside in close proximity to another primary school will only be considered in the event of vacancies after all other applicants have been catered for.

Please note that the completion of an application form or placing the child’s name on a list, however early, does not confer an automatic right to a place in the school.

Prior to the end of the school year parents of prospective new pupils are invited to a brief meeting with the class teacher and principal where any queries or concerns that they may have will be answered insofar as possible.

They will also be provided with a prospectus of the school and a copy of the code of behaviour. The Principal will also give a brief summary of the rules of the school with regard to codes of behaviour, curriculum, organisation and management of the school.

Parents are expected to cooperate with teachers in ensuring that the rules of the school are implemented insofar as is reasonably possible.

Parents and new entrants may also attend Sports Day before the end of the school year (they are asked to provide proper supervision for their child / children).

Application Procedure:

  • Parents who wish to enrol their children in junior infants or subsequent years in the

school must complete an application form.

  • Parents of Catholic children must provide a baptismal certificate in addition to a birth certificate and parents of non-catholic children a birth certificate. Proof of address will also be required.
  • Written application is required to be received before the last Friday before the mid-term break in October in the year preceding the start date for school (i.e. by October 24th 2014 if child is to be enrolled in September 2015.)
  • Before the end of the summer term preceding the junior infant start date, parents of new entrants will receive a letter inviting them to a meeting with the principal and class teacher. This letter will state the number of children the school intends enrolling in Junior Infants in that particular year.
  • Parents should be aware that neither the completion of an application form nor the placing of their child on an Applicant to Enrol list confers an automatic right to a place in the school. No processing of applications can be made before the closing date for applications (last Friday of term in October of the year preceding enrolment), fixed by the Board of Management
  • Inaccurate information on the application form renders it null and void.
  • PPS numbers will be requested to fulfil the POD requirement of the DES.
  • Parents are asked to sign a consent form on the enrolment of their child agreeing to adhere to school policies on Code of Behaviour (incl. Child Protection Policy), Costs, Diagnostic Tests, School Activities and RSE

Enrolment of children with Special Needs:

Parents of a child with special needs will be required to furnish all relevant reports together with the enrolment form to enable the BOM make a decision as to whether or not the school can or cannot meet the needs of the child. We seek to provide for children with special needs both physical and educational in accordance with the level of resources provided by the Department of Education and Science and the Board of Management.  Insofar as is possible we favour the integration of children with special needs into mainstream classes with the support of resource teachers and / or SNA’s.

In accordance with Department of Education and Science provisions and in discussion with parents / guardians, children may be assessed by Educational Psychologists under the N.E.P.S. scheme to determine the level of support to be provided.  In this way we seek to maximise the educational opportunities of all children in the school.

Appeals:

  • Parents who are unhappy with an enrolment decision may appeal to the Board of Management. This appeal must be addressed, in writing, to the Chairperson of the Board, stating the grounds for the appeal and lodged within ten days of receiving the final refusal.
  • If unhappy with the outcome of this appeal, they may then appeal to the Department of Education and Science on the official form provided by this Department. This appeal must be lodged within 42 days of receipt of the final refusal form the school.

 

Exceptional Circumstances:

The school reserves the right to refuse enrolment to any pupil in exceptional cases. For example such an exceptional case could arise where either:

  • The pupil has special needs such that, even with additional resources available from the Department of Education & Science, the school cannot meet such needs and /or provide the pupil with an appropriate education.

Or

  • In the opinion of the Board of Management, the pupil poses an unacceptable risk to other pupils, to school staff or to school property.

The parents of any pupil who has been refused enrolment, for any reason, are entitled to appeal that refusal pursuant to Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 and in such circumstances should be advised in writing of their entitlement to such an appeal.

Splitting of new entrants into two equal classes – i.e. Two Junior Infant classes:

In the event that enrolment numbers are such that it will be necessary to have two Junior Infant classes, the Board of Management ( at the March 2017 meeting) agreed that the entrants will be divided as follows:

  • Separation of the new entrants into 2 classes will be by Lottery.
  • There will be separate boxes for girls and boys, names will be drawn sequentially from each box to ensure gender balance in each class.
  • Parents of twins will be given the option of keeping them together if so desired.
  • The Lottery will take place at the Board of Management meeting in March / April each year that this situation arises. It will be in the presence of an independent witness to ensure strict compliance with the guidelines. The class composition will be notified to parents by the end of May.
  • The class as constituted by the Lottery will remain in place from Junior Infants through to 6th class unless staffing constraints force a change.

 

Review of policy:

Boards of Management have the right to propose amendments to this enrolment policy. Otherwise this policy will be reviewed in 2017.