In line with Dept of Ed and Skills guidelines the Board of Management has drawn up the following Admissions Policy. If you have any feedback please email Caitlin O’Connor, Principal, caitlin.oconnor@scmj.ie

School Admission Policy             

Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin

 

 

Name of School: Scoil Mhuire Junior

 

Address: Ballymany Newbridge Co Kildare

 

Roll Number: 19550Q

 

Patron:                Most Reverend Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin

 

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 ____________.  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 Scoil Mhuire Junior’s 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.

This policy must be read in conjunction with the annual admission notice for the school year concerned.

Scoil Mhuire Junior is a member of the Newbridge Central applications committee and initial applications are sent to Newbridge Parish Office, Station Road, Newbridge.

The application form for admission is published on the school’s website and will be made available in hardcopy on request to any person who requests it.

Applications for enrolment for all classes other than in response to an annual admissions notice, shall be made through the Newbridge Parish central enrolment process, utilising the standardised application form available from the Parish Office, with completed applications returned to the Parish Office.

 

 

 

 

2.      Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school

 

Scoil Mhuire Junior is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos. The Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin is the Patron of this school.

 

‘Catholic schools are communities which are open, welcoming and inclusive. Therefore, Catholic schools may include children who adhere to other religions or other stances for living. While mindful of their duty to educate in the distinctive beliefs, values, and practices of the Catholic community, teachers will bear witness to an attitude of respect for and appreciation of all’.

                                                            ‘The Catholic Preschool & Primary Religious Education Curriculum p15’

 

Catholic Ethos’ in the context of a Catholic primary school means the ethos and characteristic spirit of the Roman Catholic Church, which aims at promoting:

• the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil, including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; and
• a living relationship with God and with other people; and
• a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and the formation of the pupils in the Catholic faith,
• and which school provides religious education for the pupils in accordance with the doctrines, practices and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, and/or such ethos and/or characteristic spirit as may be determined or interpreted from time to time by the Irish Episcopal Conference.

In accordance with S.15 (2) (b) of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management of [Insert the name of the school] shall uphold, and be accountable to the patron for so upholding, the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which inform and are characteristic of the objectives and conduct of the school.

Mission Statement

That the board of management, staff and parents working as a team provide support and education to all children of every class, creed or ability. That every aspect of each child’s intellectual, emotional, spiritual and social needs be nurtured and encouraged to develop to its utmost potential, in his or her own time, in a happy safe environment.

 

Admission Statement

 

Scoil Mhuire Junior 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

 

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.

 

All denominational schools     

Scoil Mhuire Junior is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes Roman Catholic values and does not discriminate where it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not Roman Catholic and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

Schools with a special education class (es)

Scoil Mhuire Junior is a school which has established a class, with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, which provides an education exclusively for students with a category of special educational needs specified by the Minister and may refuse to admit to the class a student who does not have the category of needs specified.

 

3.     Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the School/Special Class

 

Scoil Mhuire Junior with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established a class to provide an education exclusively for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

 

4.    Admission of Students

 

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –

 

1. the school is oversubscribed (please see section 6 below for further details)

 

1. 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

 

 

 

All Denominational Schools

 

Scoil Mhuire Junior is a Roman Catholic school and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of Roman Catholic where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

 

School with special education class(es)

The special class attached to Scoil Mhuire Junior provides an education exclusively for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and the school may refuse admission to this class, where the student concerned does not have the specified category of special educational needs provided for in this class.

6        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:

Priority will be given to the following applicants:

1. Children who have attained 4 years of age by the date denoted on the Annual Admissions Notice.

1. Siblings of children currently enrolled in Scoil Mhuire Junior or Senior. If there is oversubscription on the basis of this criterion, then places will be allocated on the basis of age, starting with the oldest applicant, until all places are allocated.
2. Siblings of children who have attended the school in the past. If there is oversubscription on the basis of this criterion, then places will be allocated on the basis of age, starting with the oldest applicant, until all places are allocated.
3. Children of staff members employed in either Scoil Mhuire Junior or Senior.
4. Children from Newbridge Parish. Priority given to children whose primary address on the date of application, is nearest the school using Google maps to calculate distance.

6. Children whose parents have indicated Scoil Mhuire Junior as their first preference on the parish application form. Priority will be given to children living at a Newbridge address, who live nearest to the school.

1. Children whose parents have indicated Scoil Mhuire Junior as their second preference on the parish application form. Priority will be given to children living at a Newbridge address, who live nearest to the school.

 

1. Children whose parents have indicated Scoil Mhuire Junior as their third preference on the parish application form. Priority will be given to children living at a Newbridge address, who live nearest to the school.

 

 

1. Children from Newbridge parish whose parents have indicated their preference to enrol in a parish school other than Scoil Mhuire Junior, if there is no room in the particular class in the preferred school and there is room in the same class level in Scoil Mhuire Junior.

 

1. Children from outside the parish whose parents have indicated their preference to enrol in a parish school other than Scoil Mhuire Junior, if there is no room in the particular class in the preferred school and there is room in the same class level in Scoil Mhuire Junior.

 

 

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:

Places will be determined by lottery/Places will be determined on the basis of age, with the oldest child being prioritised

 

Oversubscription to the ASD Class:

If the number of children wishing to enrol in the ASD Class exceeds the number of places available, places will be allocated in the following order.

1. Children already enrolled in the school if they are transferring to a Special Class in the school.
2. Siblings of children enrolled in Scoil Mhuire Senior
3. Should the need arise (when there are not enough places in one of the units, for children transferring from the Junior School to the Senior School or for a child in the Senior School who receives a diagnosis mid school year) a child will, where possible be accommodated in the unit of the school that has a place or places. This matter was discussed with the SENO, Mary McAuliffe, the school inspector, Eileen O’Sullivan and the NEPS psychologist, Annette Corkery. Such a child would be enrolled in the school whose unit they attend but would integrate with their age appropriate mainstream class.
4. All other applications are made through the Parish Office, Station Rd. Newbridge to the Central Applications Committee.

 

7        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
• a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude, other than in relation to our ASD Class insofar as it is necessary in order to ascertain whether or not the student has the category of special educational needs concerned and/or
• 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, other than siblings of a student attending or having attended the school
• 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).

 

8        Decisions on applications

All decisions on applications for admission to Scoil Mhuire Junior will be based on the following:

• Our school’s admission policy
• The school’s annual admission notice
• 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

 

(Please see section 14 below in relation to applications received outside of the admissions period and section 15 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.

 

 

9       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 in writing to the applicant. If their parents have indicated other schools as preferences on the parish application form, their application will be processed by the other schools, in order of their preference. However, if the student does not procure a place in any school and Scoil Mhuire Junior was their school of first choice, the student will remain on Scoil Mhuire Junior’s waiting list. Details of the student’s ranking against the selection criteria and details of the student’s place on the waiting list for the school year concerned, will be communicated to them in writing.

 

Applicants will be informed of the right to seek a review/right of appeal of the school’s decision (see section 18 below for further details).

 

10    Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant

 

In accepting an offer of admission from Scoil Mhuire Junior, 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.

 

11   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 Scoil Mhuire Junior where—

• it 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 10

 

 

 

12   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).

 

 

13   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 Scoil Mhuire Junior 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 Scoil Mhuire Junior 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 Junior Infants 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.

 

14   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.

 

15   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:

• The Application Form is available from the Parish Office, Station Road, Newbridge.
• An application for enrolment will be considered by the parish application committee on every third week.
• Enrolment follows the procedures in the school’s annual admission notice,

If the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available (subject to pupil-teacher ratio as per DES), the following prioritising criteria will be applied.

• Children having reached the age of 4 by a date noted on the annual admissions notice.
• Siblings of children currently enrolled in either Scoil Mhuire Junior or Scoil Mhuire Senior. If there is oversubscription on the basis of this criterion, then places will be allocated on the basis of age, starting with the oldest applicant, until all places are allocated.
• Siblings of children who have attended the school in the past. If there is oversubscription on the basis of this criterion, then places will be allocated on the basis of age, starting with the oldest applicant, until all places are allocated.
• Children from Newbridge Parish. Priority given to children whose primary address on the date of application, is nearest the school.
• Children whose parents have indicated Scoil Mhuire Junior as their first preference on the parish application form. Priority will be given to children living at a Newbridge address, who live nearest to the school.

 

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:

 

16   Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees

 

This rule applies to all schools.

 

The board of Scoil Mhuire Junior 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.

 

17    Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction

 

A written request should be made to the principal of the school.  A meeting will then be arranged with the parent(s) to discuss how the request may be accommodated by the school.

 

18    Reviews/appeals

 

Review of decisions by the Board of Management

The parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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 parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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.