Admission Policy 2020 to 2021 - Scoil Chormaic COMMUNITY NATIONAL SCHOOL

Scoil Chormaic
  COMMUNITY NATIONAL SCHOOL
    SCOIL NÁISIÚNTA POBAIL

     Stephenstown, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
       Baile Stiofán, Baile Brigín, Co. BÁC

Admission Policy
 2020 to 2021

Admission Policy 2020-2021

Contents
Introductory Statement
General Information
Enrolment Procedures for Admission September 2020
   -     Junior Infants
   -     Registration Procedure for Junior Infants 2020
   -     Returning Forms of Acceptance
   -     Acceptance Procedures
   -     Waiting List
Registration Procedure for other Class Levels 2020
Equality of Access
Monitoring
Review
Ratification and Communication

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Admission Policy 2020-2021

Introductory Statement

This policy is set out in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998.
School Management trusts that by so doing, parents will be assisted in relation to
enrolment matters. Furthermore, the Board of Management and the principal
teacher will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy.

General Information
Scoil Chormaic CNS will operate within the regulations laid down by the
Department of Education and Skills and will follow the Primary School Curriculum
prescribed by the Department of Education and Skills which may be amended from
time to time, in accordance with Sections 9 and 30 of the Education Act (1998). The
on-going internal monitoring by principal and staff will be supported by external
evaluation by the Department of Education & Skills Inspectorate.

Scoil Chormaic Community National School is a co-educational primary school
which is under the patronage of Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training
Board. Scoil Chormaic is one of sixteen Community National Schools in Ireland. The
school aims to promote the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the
child: intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual. Scoil Chormaic CNS seeks
to provide a high standard of education where each child is encouraged to reach
his/her personal potential. The school is committed to a spirit of inclusion, equality
and harmony where each child and member of the school community is valued and
treated with respect.

Scoil Chormaic CNS is a multi-belief school. It is the policy of Scoil Chormaic CNS to
respect, celebrate and recognise diversity in all areas of human life. Children
attending Scoil Chormaic CNS will be taught and encouraged to view diversity as
something which reflects the community from which the children are drawn. The
school will endeavour to encourage the children committed to its care to have a
pride in what makes them different and a belief that difference, when respected
and valued, gives strength and vibrancy to the total school community and the
wider community in which they live. As part of its ethos, Scoil Chormaic CNS
welcomes children from all beliefs and none. In common with the other Community
National Schools under ETB patronage, Scoil Chormaic CNS will recognise the
wishes of parents to have their children receive religious education, or morality
based education as an integral part of the school curriculum.

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Admission Policy 2020-2021

Scoil Chormaic CNS opened in September 2010 with Junior Infants classes. Until
June 2011 the school was located in Castlelands and shared a building with
Ardgillan Community College. From September 2011 to June 2012 Scoil Chormaic
CNS shared a building with Gael Scoil Baile Brigín. From September 2012 to January
2018 Scoil Chormaic was located in Castlemill. In January 2018 Scoil Chormaic
moved to its permanent home in Stephenstown, Balbriggan.

Scoil Chormaic Community National School is a developing school and caters for
the full range of Primary classes, from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.

Under Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Trainings Board patronage, a
management board was established in September 2018. The board of management
will be committed to the successful implementation of recent legislation, in
particular the Education Act, 1998, the Education Welfare Act 2000, and the Equal
Status Act 2000.The Board of Management will fully subscribe to the principles of
partnership, accountability, transparency, inclusion and respect for diversity,
parental choice and equality.

In view of the pilot nature of the new patronage model and population change
within the area served by the school, this admissions policy will be subject to
regular review and possible change.

Enrolment Procedures for Admission September 2020
                                    Junior Infants
These procedures will be subject to regular review by the Board of Management.

Applicants must be at least four years of age before the 30th April of the year in
which they intend starting in school, i.e. for admissions in September 2020
applicant’s date of birth must be no later than 30th April 2016. (Compulsory
attendance at school does not apply until the age of 6 years). Junior Infants starting
school will normally not be enrolled after 30 September. The catchment area, for
enrolment purposes, consists of Balbriggan and the environs. The Board of
Management will communicate arrangements regarding admission through local
advertising.

Every effort will be made to accommodate all applicants. In the event of the number
of children seeking enrolment in any given class/standard exceeding the number of
places available, the following criteria in the order which they are listed below, will
be used to prioritise children for enrolment:

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Admission Policy 2020-2021

Category A.
1. Brothers & Sisters (including step-siblings, foster siblings resident at same address)
of children already enrolled.
2. Children living within the catchment area.

3. Children of current staff members.
In the event of the number of children in Category A exceeding the number of places
available in a given year/class group, children will be offered a place according to
their chronological age

Then

Category B
Children living outside the catchment area
The same criteria will be applied in relation to Category B, until all places are filled.

All unsuccessful applicants will be placed on a waiting list, in order of application.

Registration Procedure for Junior Infants for September 2020.
Junior infant classes will be capped at the Department of Education and Skills
pupil-teacher ratio annually. For school year 2020 to 2021 this is capped at 26
pupils per junior infant class.

Registration for the pending school year will take place from September of the
preceding year. All applications for places must be received by 30th September 2019.
All applications received on or before 30th September, will be responded to during
November each year. These applicants will be placed on List 1.

Applications for places in Junior Infants made after 30th September will be placed
on a second waiting list, List 2. These applicants will only be considered when List 1
is cleared. The ranking of names on List 2 will reflect this, i.e. if there are 12 names
on List 1, the first applicant after the closing date of 30th September 2019, will be
ranked number 13. The ranking on List 2 will be in order of application and not in
accordance with chronological age. This process enables Scoil Chormaic CNS to give
a definite ranking to children on both waiting lists which will not be subject to
change with each new applicant.

For the school year September 2020 all applications for places must be received on
or before 30th September. All applications received on or before 30th September will
be listed in chronological order. Seventy-eight (78) places will be offered in writing

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Admission Policy 2020-2021

no later than the third Monday in November 2019. All place offers must be
responded to by parents/guardians in writing within ten school days. After these
ten days have expired any remaining unfilled places will be offered to those not
originally offered places, again in chronological order.

To assist parents with their applications and to provide information on Scoil
Chormaic Community National School, Balbriggan, an admissions day may be held
in the school building each year. Admission forms are obtainable from the school.
Admission forms can also be emailed, posted to parents on request or can be
downloaded from www.scoilchormaiccns.ie Requests for admission forms should
be made to

Admissions,
Scoil Chormaic Community National School,
Balbriggan,
County Dublin.
Telephone: (01) 8416948

Email: scoilchormaiccns@ddletb.ie

Registration alone does not guarantee a place in the school. Decisions in relation to
applications for admission are made by the Board of Management in accordance
with the Admissions Policy.

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Admission Policy 2020-2021

Returning Forms of Acceptance
Letters of offer for places in Junior Infants will be made by post in writing no later
than the third Monday in November 2019. All completed registration forms must be
returned to:

Admissions,
Scoil Chormaic Community National School,
Balbriggan,
County Dublin.
Telephone: (01) 8416948
Within ten school days of the date on the letter of offer.

Acceptance Procedures
It is the duty of parents to ensure that, by that date, the school has:
An original long form Birth Certificate (together with a photocopy)
and
2. Two utility bills as proof of address (together with a photocopy, these must be
dated within two months of place offer):
and
€65 non-refundable deposit.
On accepting a child’s place this €65 is the full amount for school costs 2020 /
2021.
If the school does not receive this documentation by the nominated closing date,
the Board of Management will assume that the place is not being accepted and the
place will be offered to the next child on the waiting list.

Waiting List
All those applicants not offered a place in Junior Infants for September 2020 can if
the parents wish be retained on a list if any places arise in September 2020.
Unsuccessful applicants may also be placed on the waiting list for Junior Infants for
2021. (Given places based on the ranking they are in)

Unsuccessful applicants will be informed in writing by post of their place on the
waiting list, once all 90 places have been allocated.

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Admission Policy 2020-2021

All unsuccessful applicants have a right of appeal under Section 29 of the Education
Act, 1998.

Registration alone does not guarantee a place in the school. Decisions in relation to
applications for admission are made by the Board of Management in accordance
with school policy.

There will be an introductory meeting for parents of incoming Junior Infants in the
final term of the school year of 2019 /2020.

The number of places available in junior infants in Scoil Chormaic CNS may be
subject to change due to directive from Department of Education and Skills.

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Admission Policy 2020-2021

Registration Procedure for other class levels for September
2020.
Applications for other class levels due to transfer reasons will be considered as
follows:

The catchment area, (For enrolment purposes, consists of Balbriggan)

Every effort will be made to accommodate all applicants. In the event of the number
of children seeking enrolment in any given class/standard exceeding the number of
places available, the following criteria in the order which they are listed below, will
be used to prioritise children for enrolment:

Category A.

1. Brothers & Sisters (including step-siblings, foster siblings resident at same address)
of children already enrolled. (If applicable)

2. Children living within the catchment area.

3. Children of current staff members.

In the event of the number of children in Category A exceeding the number of places
available in a given year/class group, children will be offered a place according to
their chronological age

Then

Category B
Children living outside the catchment area

The same criteria will be adapted in relation to Category B, until all places are filled.

All unsuccessful applicants will be placed on a waiting list, in accordance with the
above criteria for places that may become available at a later date

Scoil Chormaic CNS abides by the following regulations from ‘Rules for National
Schools’

Chapter 8 Rule 64 (4) (a) ‘the principal teacher should ascertain from the parent
whether the pupil was previously enrolled in another national school’

Chapter 8 Rule 64 (6) ‘As a rule, no pupil over six-and-half years of age may on
admission to a school be enrolled in an infants’ class’

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Admission Policy 2020-2021

                                Equality of Access
No child is refused admission for reasons of religion, special educational needs,
disability, language, gender, social status, ethnicity, or political beliefs & values.

In relation to applications for the admission of children with special needs, the
school will meet with the parents of the child to discuss the child’s needs. It is open
to the school to request a copy of the child’s medical and/or psychological report
or where such a report is not available, to request that the child be assessed
immediately.

The purpose of the assessment report is to assist the school in establishing the
educational and training needs of the child relevant to his/her disability or special
needs and to profile the support services required.

Those wishing to apply for a place in the special class for children with autism
must refer to the separate policy, available on the school website and on request in
the school.

Monitoring

Implementation of the policy will be monitored by the Board of
Management and the school Principal

Review

This policy is subject to regular review by the Board of Management.

Ratification and communication

This policy has been communicated directly to staff in the course of staff
meeting, and will be made available electronically also. A hard copy will be
available alongside other school policies.

The policy will be placed on the school website for parents to view and can be
requested in the school office.

Signed:   Gráinne Maguire
Gráinne Maguire
Chairperson, Board of Management
Date: _June 2019

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