Enrolment Policy
Newtownwhite E.T.N.S.
Section A. General Information
This enrolment policy is being set out in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act (1998). The Board of Management trusts that by so doing parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters.
School Details:
Name: Newtownwhite Educate Together National School
Address: Ballysakerry, Ballina, Co. Mayo
Telephone: 096 32728
Email: newtownwhite@gmail.com
Roll Number: 09040k
Principal: Catherine Boland
The school day starts at 9:10am and finishes at 1:50pm for Junior and Senior Infants, and from 9:10am to 2:50pm for all other classes.
General Information:
This policy has been set out in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 and provides for equality of access and participation in the school for all children in our society whatever their social, religious, cultural and racial background and whether or not they have a disability or special educational need.
Newtownwhite ETNS is under the patronage of Educate Together. Parents/ Guardians are advised to familiarize themselves with the Educate Together ethos prior to enrolling their child in the school.
The school caters for children from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. It is co-educational and multi- denominational. Newtownwhite ETNS is a national school and as such operates in accordance within the Rules for National Schools and is dependent on such grants and teachers’ resources as are provided by the Department of Education and Skills (DES). All school policies must have regard to the resources and funding provided.
Newtownwhite ETNS 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).
Eligibility Criteria
Newtownwhite Educate Together N.S. recommend that children are 4 years old by 1st of June in the year they start school. However, Junior Infants will be accepted at 4 years of age on or before 1st of September in that year.
Siblings of children currently enrolled in the school are given priority over those on the pre-enrolment list subject to the conditions outlined below in the Admissions Procedures. All remaining places are offered on a first come, first served basis.
In determining admissions the Board of Management shall take account of Department of Education and Skills regulations in relation to staffing, class size and class average. The Board of Management shall also have regard to issues such as Health and Safety of children and staff, physical space, multi-grade classes, and the presence of children with special educational and/or behavioural needs.
Admissions Procedures
1. Parents/Guardians wishing to apply for a place for their child must complete and return a pre-enrolment form. This form can be obtained by contacting the school office or may be downloaded from the school website. This form requires the parent/guardian to give the school certain information regarding their child.
2. On receipt of a completed pre-enrolment form a pre-enrolment number will be allocated to each applicant. If more than one application form is received on a particular day then these numbers are awarded in the order of post-date on the envelope. If the post date on the envelopes is the same then children will be put on the admissions list one after the other in alphabetical order of surnames.
3. Each child will be placed on the list according to the pre-enrolment number. If parents have twins, triplets, etc. then the children will be put on the list one after the other in alphabetical order of the child’s first name.
4. Two separate lists will be kept for each year, a Junior Infant and a non Junior Infant list. Children will be listed in order of pre-enrolment number.
5. No guarantees of places will be given or implied by pre-enrolment.
6. Children will, as a rule, only be admitted into Junior Infant classes during the month of September. Children may be admitted to a Junior Infant class during the school year provided they are transferring from another school.
a. Siblings of children currently attending the school shall be offered places subject to availability and provided that their applications are received within six months of their dates of birth/adoption. All remaining places will be offered by order of pre-enrolment number on the pre-enrolment list.
b. Fostered or adopted children will be placed on the pre-enrolment list in accordance with their birth date. Their place on the pre-enrolment list will depend on the time elapsed between placement of the child with the family and the enrolment date. For example, a child placed with the family at age two but placed on the enrolment list at age three will be treated as a child enrolled at age one. Confirmation from the relevant agency of the date of placement of a child with the family will need to be provided with the enrolment form. A pre-enrolment number will be provided which is relevant to the child’s place on the list. It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the school of this at pre-enrolment (not when offers are being made!)
7. Letters of offer will be sent out starting in February of the year for which the child is pre-enrolled. Parents/Guardians must reply in writing to confirm an offered place or the deferral of an offered place within 14 days. Failure to respond within 14 days will result in the place being forfeited.
8. On acceptance of a place the child’s birth certificate should be provided to the school, a copy will be taken, and the original sent back.
9. Parents/ Guardians of Junior Infants may defer the child’s place for one year, providing the child is under 6 years of age by the first of September of the year in which he/she starts school. This means that the child will be placed on the list for the following year according to the original pre-enrolment number. Deferral does not guarantee a place the following year. Parents/Guardians of children for classes other than Junior Infants cannot defer a place.
10. If a place is not offered during the school year for which a place is sought and parents wish their child’s name to be put on the waiting list for the following year (either for Junior Infants or for another class) they must inform the school by the 30th September of the year for which the place is sought. By doing this the child will be placed on the list for the following year according to their original pre-enrolment number. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to make such a request in writing; otherwise the application will be removed from the school’s pre-enrolment list.
11. It is the sole responsibility of the parent to inform the school promptly of any change of address, telephone number or other relevant circumstances.
Enrolment of Children with Special Educational Needs into Mainstream Classes:
Where it is apparent that a child has a disability or other special educational needs, the school may require that these needs be assessed prior to admission in order to enable the school to make suitable advance preparations for the admission of the student and, if necessary, to seek additional resources.
The school will use the funding provided to it by the Department of Education and Skills to make reasonable provision and accommodation for students with a disability or other special educational needs, including, where necessary, alteration of buildings and provision of appropriate equipment.
Newtownwhite ETNS endeavours at all times to practice the school policy of inclusion and welcomes applications from children with special educational needs. Such applications are subject to the enrolment principles outlined above. In order to assist the school in establishing the educational and physical needs of the child relevant to his/her ability or special needs, and to profile the support services required, the school requests that the parent/guardian of the child:
- Informs the school of any special needs as early as possible in the pre-enrolment /enrolment process.
- Ensures that copies of the child’s medical and /or psychological report(s) are provided to Newtownwhite ETNS.
Where such a report is not available, a request should be made that the child would be assessed immediately. Following receipt of the report the Board of Management will assess how the school can meet the needs specified therein. Where the Board deems that further resources are required, it will, prior to enrolment, request the DES and/or TUSLA provide the resources required to meet the needs of the child as outlined in the psychological and/or medical report.
The Principal may, in conjunction with the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) or DES inspector, meet with the parents/guardians of the child to discuss the child’s needs and the school’s suitability or capability in meeting those needs.
Applications for admission in respect of a child with a disability or other special educational needs, where the nature of the child’s needs are such that they would make impossible, or have a seriously detrimental effect on, the provision of education by the school to other children may be refused.
Code of Behaviour:
Children enrolled in Newtownwhite ETNS are required to co-operate with the school’s Ethos and Code of Behaviour and other policies on curriculum, organisation and management. Parents/Guardians are responsible for ensuring that their children co-operate with these policies in an age appropriate way.
Parents/guardians of children who have been offered a place will be supplied with a copy of the school’s code of behaviour. Admission of a child to the school is conditional upon the child’s parent(s)/guardian(s) confirming in writing that the code of behaviour so provided is acceptable to them, and that they shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with this code by the child.
Failure to Secure a Place:
Parents may appeal a refusal of admission to the school to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills.
For further information, contact:
Section 29 Appeals Unit
Department of Education and Skills
Friars Mill Road
Mullingar
Co. Westmeath
T | (044) 9337008
E | www.education.ie
Parent who are experiencing difficulty in securing a place for their child should contact the National Educational Welfare Board to seek the assistance of their local Educational Welfare Officer: www.newb.ie | info@newb.ie | 01 873 8700
Additional Information:
Newtownwhite ETNS endeavours to provide the highest standards of care for its pupils. In order to achieve this objective successfully, it is vital that the school be informed of any relevant situation regarding health, bereavement, domestic circumstances etc. Any such information should be passed by the school principal and shall be treated in strictest confidence.
Data Protection
The school acknowledges its obligations as a data controller under the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. Information obtained for the purposes of allocating places in the school to applicant children will only be used and disclosed in a manner which is compatible with this purpose. Only such personal data as are relevant and necessary for the performance of this function will be retained. The school undertakes to ensure that such information is processed fairly, that it is kept safe, secure, accurate, complete, and up-to-date. Individuals have the right to have any inaccurate information rectified or erased. All data submitted as part of the admissions process will be destroyed within twelve months of the deadline for receipt of application forms (as opposed to registration) forms. A copy of all personal data obtained and kept as part of the admissions process will be made available to the subject of such data on receipt of a written request to the chairperson of the board of management.
Ratification and Review
This policy was ratified by the board of management on 4th March 2015. It is scheduled for review in March 2017. Educate Together, as patron, approved the manner of this policy’s publication in March 2015.
The board of management reserves the right to alter this policy, subject to its statutory obligations, including its obligations to Educate Together as patron. Should the policy be altered, applicant parents will be advised in writing, and will be supplied with an amended policy. All alterations will come into effect 30 days after the date of notification.
Signed: Martha O Shaughnessy (Chairperson BOM)
Date: March 2015
Contacts
Please refer all admission-related queries to the school secretary, Newtownwhite ETNS
Email: info@newtownwhiteetns.ie
Appendix 1
Legal Framework
Section 9 (j) of the Education Act 1998 specifies, that “A recognized school shall ….Subject to this Act and in particular section 15 (2) (d), establish and maintain an admissions policy which provides for maximum accessibility to the school”.
Section 15 (2) (d) states the Board of Management shall “publish …. The policy of the school concerning admission to and participation in the school and ensure that policy principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parents’ choice are respected”.
Section 27 (1) states that “A board shall establish and maintain procedures for the purposes of informing students in a school of the activities of the school” and (2) that “the procedures established and maintained under subsection (1) shall facilitate the involvement of the students in the operation of the School having regard to the age and experience of the students, in association with their parents and teachers”.
The Education Welfare Act, 2000 [Section 19 (1)] requires that a Board of Management shall not refuse to admit a child except where such refusal is in accordance with the school’s Admission Policy. Section 19 (2) requires that parents must provide relevant information to the school while Section 19 (3) requires that the Board of Management, shall as soon as possible (but no later that 21 days) after receiving such information “make a decision in respect of the application concerned and inform the parent in writing thereof”
The Equal Status Act, 2000 [Sections 5 & 7 (2)] prohibits discrimination on the grounds of “gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Travelling Community” regarding admission, assess to programmes, participation in the school or regarding expulsion or any other sanction. There are limited exceptions regarding single-sex schools and schools promoting particular religious values [Section 7 (3)].
Circulars 0038/2007, 07/07, 02/05, 22/02 – available on Dept of Education & Science website·
Management Board Member’s Handbook.
Education Act, 1998, Sections 9, 15 (2), 29, 30·
Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, Sections 19, 20, 23, 24, 28·
Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, 2004·
Data Protection Act, 1988, 2003
Equal Status Act 2000, Section 7
Questions and Answers on The Education Act 1998 and The Education Welfare Act 2000, INTO
Equality and Education. The Equality Authority 2001
An introduction to The Equal Status Act 2000. The Equality Authority
–Educational Establishments
Websites:
DES
INTO
IPPN
The Equality Authority
National Council for Special Education
