St. James’ National School
Glenmore N.S.
Co. Kilkenny
Roll No. 18158L
Enrolment Policy
This is the enrolment policy of our school. It is subject to periodic review. The staff and Board of Management welcome comments and suggestions which enhance the document.
Mission Statement:
The aim of the Board of Management and Staff of the school is to help the pupils reach their full potential in a happy, caring atmosphere.
The characteristic spirit of the school is one of respect for one another and for the environment.
The school is under the patronage of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory and the teachings of the Catholic Church inform and guide the ethos of the school.
St. James’ National School, Glenmore 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 addressed.
While Glenmore N.S. is a school with a Catholic ethos, it also has due recognition for all other religions.
Glenmore N.S. will strive to promote, both individually and collectively, the professional and personal development of teachers through staff development programmes.
Glenmore N.S. will encourage the involvement of parents through home/school contacts and through their involvement in the Parents Association
Glenmore N.S. 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.
Glenmore N.S. will promote gender equity amongst the teachers and pupils.
Operating Context of the School.
i. The school supports the principles of the Education Act 1998. We are one element in a partnership which includes the pupils, the parents, the state and the wider community. The school is accountable to its stakeholders: very often this accountability forms a legal imperative; at other times it is a moral one.
ii. The operation of the school must be consistent, open and fair. Equality of access and respect for diversity of traditions, values, beliefs, languages and ways of life will be strongly promoted.
iii. The financial and teaching resources of the school are provided by a combination of DES grants, local i.e. parish contributions and fundraising.
iv. Implementation of the school plan and school policy must have due regard to resources and funding available.
v. The school operates within the regulations laid down from time to time by the DES.
vi. The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the DES, which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with Sections 9 and 30 of the Education Act 1998.
School Details
v Glenmore N.S. is a rural mixed school. As of September 2008, we have 133 pupils enrolled, 5 mainstream teachers and a learning support teacher. We also currently have the services of a resource teacher for a number of pupils who have been diagnosed with a low incidence learning disability.
v The school is managed by a Board of Management which consists of nominees of the Bishop, Parents’ representatives, the principal and a representative of the teaching staff.
v A Parents’ Association is in place. The Principal meets members of the committee from time to time.
v Our School Secretary is on duty on Monday,Thursday and Friday mornings from 9.30am to 12.30pm
v The school is open for teaching from 9.20 until 3.00pm. The infants leave the school at 2 pm.
v It has been custom and practice in the school for many years for the children to go on an age-appropriate educational tour annually. Other trips are arranged as circumstances allow and at the teachers discretion.
v All parents are encouraged to dress pupils in the uniform adopted by the school. Details of the uniform are set out in the School Uniform Policy
v Playtime is supervised at all times by the teachers.
v A requirement of the Education Welfare Act is that each absence is covered by a note from the parents. Requests for early release i.e. before 3 pm should be in writing.
v The Board of Management has a duty to point out to parents that occasions may arise when the school will be unable, without giving prior notice, to operate. This could be occasioned by severely inclement weather, failure of heating plant, etc. Contingency plans should be made for such an eventuality by all parents. Likewise, there may arise an occasion when a parent must be contacted urgently.
Procedures
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 enrolment policy, children will be enrolled on application, provided that there is space available.
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.
v Parents seeking to enrol their child(ren) are requested to return a completed Enrolment Application Form (available in the office) with an original Birth / Adoption Certificate to the office.
v The names of children for whom Enrolment Application forms and Birth/ Adoption Certificates have been returned, will be placed on a class waiting list.
v 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, traveller status, asylum-seeker/refugee status, religious/ political beliefs & values, family or social circumstances.
v While recognising the right of parents to enrol their child in the school of their choice, the Board of Management 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 right to determine the maximum number of children in each separate classroom bearing in mind:
v size of / available space in classrooms
v educational needs of children of a particular age
v multi-grade classes
v presence of children with special educational/ behavioural needs
v DES maximum class average directives.
v 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:
v Brothers & Sisters (including step-siblings, resident at same address) of children already enrolled – priority to oldest
v Children living within the parish (in the case of parish schools) – priority to oldest
v Children of current school staff – priority to oldest
v Children whose home address is closest to the school (as measured by a straight line an OS map) if the child is normally resident outside the parish/ agreed catchment area
v In the event of being unable to enrol a child(ren) from categories a, b, or c, in a given class at the beginning of a year, or mid-year, such children will receive priority (in order of a, b, c, ) for the subsequent school year over other children on the class waiting list.
v Other pupils are enrolled during the school year (if newly resident in the area).
v 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 and local agreements with other schools.
v There is an Annual Open Day/ evening for prospective parents held in May.
v 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.
Children with Special Needs.
Glenmore N.S. welcomes pupils with special educational needs. In order for the school to address the specific needs of each pupil, parents are requested to inform the school and keep the school fully informed of any medical or psychological condition that may impact on the child’s time in school. Having gathered all the relevant information, the Board assesses how needs can be met. If further resources are required, the DES will be requested to provide the resources e.g. special needs assistant, specialised or furniture, transport etc.
The Board of Management will do all it possibly can to identify, plan and provide for the needs of a special needs pupil seeking admission to the school.
Right to Refuse
The Board of Management reserves the right to refuse an application for admission in exceptional circumstances.ie. per Section 29 Education Act 1998 and DES Circular 22/02
Right to Appeal
Parents have the right to appeal a refusal by the school to enrol a student under Section 29 of the Education Act. In any letter to parents refusing admission / enrolment, this right will be restated and the application form will be made available to the parents.
Code of Behaviour
The school’s code of behaviour is attached to and forms part of the school’s enrolment policy.
This policy was revised in June 2009 and ratified by the Board of Management of Glenmore N.S. on ______
Signed : ______
Scoil Náisiúnta Seamus Naofa
Glenmore
Enrolment Form
Child’s Name :Address :
P.P.S. No. :
Date of Birth :
Place in Family :
Mother’s name :
Father’s name :
Mother’s occupation :
Father’s occupation :
Home phone :
Mother’s work / mobile :
Father’s work / mobile :
Religious denomination :
Parish of residence :
Place of Baptism :
Previous school / playschool / nursery :
Reason for transfer
(if applicable)
Any disabilities or special needs
In the event of an emergency where neither parent can be contacted, do we have your permission to take your child to hospital ?
Is there any additional information the doctor / hospital should be aware of ?
Is there any additional information the teacher should be aware of regarding the health of your child ?
PLEASE ENCLOSE BIRTH CERTIFICATE. A BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATE IS ALSO NECESSARY IF YOU WISH YOUR CHILD TO RECEIVE THE SACRAMENTS. BOTH CERTS WILL BE RETURNED.
Signature of parent making application : ______