Pobalscoil Neasáin

Admissions Policy

Introduction

Pobalscoil Neasáin is a community school. The school operates within the regulations laid down by the Department of Education and Science including class sizes. The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the Department of Education and Science which may be amended from time in accordance with section 9 and 30 of the Education Act (1998).

Community Schools

Community Schools date from 1971 and were a significant development in Irish Education. Their legal underpinning is the Deed of Trust, which is a binding legal document by which the trusts of these schools are established. The control and management of the school is vested in the Trustees who together with the Board of Management (including the Principal) and the Minister for Education and Science are under a legal obligation to ensure that the school is managed according to the Deed of Trust. The Trustees hold the property in trust for the purposes of the school, which includes the purpose of contributing towards the spiritual, moral, mental and physical well-being and development of the school community.
The deed of Trust states that the Community School provides “a comprehensive system of education to all the children of the community and that its admissions policy is to be published in the catchments area or community.

The deed of trust cites that the “board shall ensure that there is a religious worship and religions instruction for the pupils in accordance with the rites of practice and teaching of the religious denomination to which the pupil belongs.

The school has an allocation of teachers for each school year in accordance with the Department of Education and Science for the school– including Principal, Deputy Principal, Guidance Counsellor, Remedial Teacher and full time Chaplain. The maximum class allowed under the Department of Education and Science regulation is thirty for general class and 24 for particular skill-based classes. Classes begin each school day at 9:00am and finish at 3:55 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Classes finish at 12:30 on Wednesdays.

Characteristic Spirit

The mission of POBALSCOIL NEASÁIN is to provide a caring and committed atmosphere in which the Partnership of staff, parents and students enables our students to achieve their full potential. This partnership aims to foster the holistic development of all our students in a supportive, safe environment of mutual respect, which develops the uniqueness of each student.
We aim to prepare our students for the rich and varied challenges, which the journey of life may present in a pluralist society.

Extra Curricular Activities

Pobalscoil Neasáin encourages its students to participate in extra curricular activities. These activities can help develop social and cultural skills as well as adding an enjoyable element to school life. We are fortunate to have a new sports hall and our activities include debating, tabletennis, athletics, basketball, soccer, Gaelic football, drama and school tours.
Admissions Policy

The Board of Management of Pobalscoil Neasáin has set out its admission policy in accordance with the Education Act 1998, the Education Welfare Act 2000, the Equal Status Act and the Deed of Trust. The Board of Management trusts that by so doing parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters and that furthermore, the chairperson of the Board of Management and the Principal will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy.

Against this background and ethos, the key principles outlined in the Education Act (S 15 2d) under-pin our Admission Policy.
These are:
Inclusiveness, particularly reasonable provision and accommodation for students with a disability or other special education needs.
Equality with respect to maximum access and participation in the school.
Parental choice in relation to choice of school having regard to the characteristic spirit of the school (Section 15d Education Act). The Act requires the Board of Management to “uphold the characteristic spirit of the school ethos as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values which are characteristic of the school.”
Respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in society.

Enrolment Process

Admission of a child to a recognised school.
From the date of the commencement of S.19 of the Education Welfare Act 2000, the Board of Management shall not refuse to admit as a student in this school any child, in respect of whom an application to be so admitted to has been made, except where such refusal is in accordance with this policy.
The parent of a child who has made an application shall provide the school with such information as outlined in the application form (see appendix A). As soon as is practicable, but not later than 21 days, after a parent has provided the information, the BOM of the school shall make a decision in respect of the application concerned and inform the parent thereof.

First Year Enrolment

The applicant must have reached 12 years of age by 1 January of their first year.
A copy of the applicant’s birth certificate must accompany his/her application without exception.
All applicants should have completed a full course of primary education or have followed an approved course.
In offering enrolment priority and preference will be allocated to applicants who live in the Howth Deanary Catchment Area. IN the event that further vacancies exist, priority and preference will be given to siblings of existing students in the school.

School Capacity and compliance with Health and Safety requirements impose imperatives that enrolment cannot exceed the intake levels set annually by the Board of Management. Therefore, if the number of applicants in any year exceeds the set intake limit, a waiting list will be established. However, a place on the waiting list does not in any way imply that enrolment will be offered to the applicant(s) who are on the waiting list. The Board of Management must review the admissions policy from time to time. The Board of Management makes the final decisions in all conflicts of policy.

Specific Procedures for First Year Enrolment
The enrolment process is by way of written application.
A Howth Deanary Area
Introduction

Pobalscoil Neasáin is a community school. The school operates within the regulations laid down by the Department of Education and Science including class sizes. The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the Department of Education and Science which may be amended from time in accordance with section 9 and 30 of the Education Act (1998).

Community Schools

Community Schools date from 1971 and were a significant development in Irish Education. Their legal underpinning is the Deed of Trust, which is a binding legal document by which the trusts of these schools are established. The control and management of the school is vested in the Trustees who together with the Board of Management (including the Principal) and the Minister for Education and Science are under a legal obligation to ensure that the school is managed according to the Deed of Trust. The Trustees hold the property in trust for the purposes of the school, which includes the purpose of contributing towards the spiritual, moral, mental and physical well-being and development of the school community.
The deed of Trust states that the Community School provides “a comprehensive system of education to all the children of the community and that its admissions policy is to be published in the catchments area or community.

The deed of trust cites that the “board shall ensure that there is a religious worship and religions instruction for the pupils in accordance with the rites of practice and teaching of the religious denomination to which the pupil belongs.

The school has an allocation of teachers for each school year in accordance with the Department of Education and Science for the school– including Principal, Deputy Principal, Guidance Counsellor, Remedial Teacher and full time Chaplain. The maximum class allowed under the Department of Education and Science regulation is thirty for general class and 24 for particular skill-based classes. Classes begin each school day at 9:00am and finish at 3:55 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Classes finish at 12:30 on Wednesdays.

Characteristic Spirit

The mission of POBALSCOIL NEASÁIN is to provide a caring and committed atmosphere in which the Partnership of staff, parents and students enables our students to achieve their full potential. This partnership aims to foster the holistic development of all our students in a supportive, safe environment of mutual respect, which develops the uniqueness of each student.
We aim to prepare our students for the rich and varied challenges, which the journey of life may present in a pluralist society.

Extra Curricular Activities

Pobalscoil Neasáin encourages its students to participate in extra curricular activities. These activities can help develop social and cultural skills as well as adding an enjoyable element to school life. We are fortunate to have a new sports hall and our activities include debating, tabletennis, athletics, basketball, soccer, Gaelic football, drama and school tours.
Admissions Policy

The Board of Management of Pobalscoil Neasáin has set out its admission policy in accordance with the Education Act 1998, the Education Welfare Act 2000, the Equal Status Act and the Deed of Trust. The Board of Management trusts that by so doing parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters and that furthermore, the chairperson of the Board of Management and the Principal will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy.

Against this background and ethos, the key principles outlined in the Education Act (S 15 2d) under-pin our Admission Policy.
These are:
Inclusiveness, particularly reasonable provision and accommodation for students with a disability or other special education needs.
Equality with respect to maximum access and participation in the school.
Parental choice in relation to choice of school having regard to the characteristic spirit of the school (Section 15d Education Act). The Act requires the Board of Management to “uphold the characteristic spirit of the school ethos as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values which are characteristic of the school.”
Respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in society.

Enrolment Process

Admission of a child to a recognised school.
From the date of the commencement of S.19 of the Education Welfare Act 2000, the Board of Management shall not refuse to admit as a student in this school any child, in respect of whom an application to be so admitted to has been made, except where such refusal is in accordance with this policy.
The parent of a child who has made an application shall provide the school with such information as outlined in the application form (see appendix A). As soon as is practicable, but not later than 21 days, after a parent has provided the information, the BOM of the school shall make a decision in respect of the application concerned and inform the parent thereof.

First Year Enrolment

The applicant must have reached 12 years of age by 1 January of their first year.
A copy of the applicant’s birth certificate must accompany his/her application without exception.
All applicants should have completed a full course of primary education or have followed an approved course.

School Capacity and compliance with Health and Safety requirements impose imperatives that enrolment cannot exceed the intake levels set annually by the Board of Management. Therefore, if the number of applicants in any year exceeds the set intake limit, a waiting list will be established. However, a place on the waiting list does not in any way imply that enrolment will be offered to the applicant(s) who are on the waiting list. The Board of Management must review the admissions policy from time to time. The Board of Management makes the final decisions in all conflicts of policy.

Admission criteria for First Year Entrants

The Board of Management of Pobalscoil Neasáin retains the right and discretion to determine the number of pupils to be accepted by the school each year and for any class/year group. Enrolment is limited by school capacity and by the requirements of the school curriculum and organisation as prescribed from time to time by the Board of Management and as determined by Department of Education and Science regulations and standards.

The following criteria will apply with regard to enrolment:

Pobalscoil Neasáin will give preference in the following order to student application::

Students resident in or attending schools in the parishes of Bayside, Baldoyle, Sutton or Howth who select Pobalscoil Neasáin as their first choice on the Howth Deanery form
Siblings of students attending or who have attended Pobalscoil Neasáin who select Pobalscoil Neasáin as their first choice on the Howth Deanery form
Students resident in or attending schools in the Howth Deanery area who select Pobalscoil Neasáin as their first choice on the Howth Deanery form
Students resident outside the Howth Deanery area
Students attending Howth Deanery schools that have not selected Pobalscoil Neasáin as their choice on the Howth Deanery form.


No applications will be accepted from outside the Howth Deanery until the Howth Deanery closing date.

In the event of the number of places exceeding the number of places available in any of the above categories, allocation of places will be done on a lottery basis. This lottery will be conducted under the supervision of an independent person.

Adopted by the Board of Management of Pobalscoil Neasáin 2/2/2009

Information Evening and Entrance Assessment:
Parents whose children have been offered a place in POBALSCOIL NEASÁIN are expected to attend an information evening prior to the child attending the school.
The Howth Denary Education Committee sets the entrance assessment date. All applicants are required to attend this assessment.

Enrolment of Children with Special Needs

Special Education Needs “means”, the educational needs of students who have a disability and the Educational needs of exceptionally able students. (Education Act 1988 S15(2)g and Equal Status Act 2000 S(4)1 and 4(b) and (d).
The school will use the resources provided by the Department to make reasonable provision and accommodation for students with disabilities. These students are free to participate in the life of the school in so far as is reasonably possible e.g. drama, debates, music. School may make a different provision in respect of the provision of organisation of sporting events or sporting facilities.
Every reasonable endeavour is made to accommodate students with special needs. The Board may request a copy of the child’s medical and/or psychological report. It may be necessary for the Board to decide to defer enrolment of a particular child pending receipt of an assessment report and/or the provision of appropriate resources by the Department of Education and Science to meet the needs specified in the medical and/or psychological report.
The school will meet with the parents to discuss the student’s needs and the school’s suitability or capacity in meeting these needs.

Students Transferring
Students may transfer to the school subject to:
The school’s admission policy.
Available space.
The approval of the Department of Education and Science.
Ability of school to provide for their education needs.
School authorities are satisfied with reasons for transfer.

References, education records and behaviour records will be sought in each case from the pupil’s previous school/schools. Where it is established that a student’s behaviour is unacceptable in their previous school/schools, the Principal may decide not to accept such a student in the interest of the general school community.
Any rejection of an application on the grounds of poor general conduct and behaviour in the previous school/schools may be appealed to the Board of Management. The Welfare Act 2000 enjoins that:
Parents must provide information as prescribed by the Minister.
Principal of the Pupil’s previous school must notify of:
Record of schools attendance.
Educational Progress.

Organisations

Parents’ Association
The Parents’ Association promotes the interests of the students in Pobalscoil Neasáin in co-operation with the Board of Management, Principal, teachers and students and for that purpose may adopt a programme of activities, which promote the involvement of parents in consultation with the Board of Management and the Principal in the operation of the school.
Student Council
Information to students (Section 27 Education Act 1998). The Board of Management has established and maintains to promote the interest of the school and involvement of students.
The Students’ Council facilitates the involvement in the operation of the school, having regard to the age and experience of the students, in association with their parents and teachers.
Pobalscoil Neasáin promotes positive behaviour among students. A youth leadership course is in place to encourage leadership, respect and co-operation. The students’ council seeks to promote a sense of responsibility within an atmosphere of friendliness, care, honesty, justice and commitment to each other.
Code of Behaviour/Discipline
Central to the operation of an effective and caring school is a fair and efficient Code of Discipline to which students, parents, and management can subscribe, which has regard to the rights and responsibilities of all concerned. The school Code of Discipline accompanies this enrolment policy document. (Appendix B)
Parents/Guardians and students are required to renew their acceptance of the schools code of behaviour at the commencement of each school year.

Sanctions
Pobalscoil Neasáin recognises that the vast majority of students behave very well and understand the necessity of good order in classrooms and in the school. However difficulties may arise. In order to cope with these difficulties, clearly defined procedures and sanctions are required.

Suspension
In the event of a student being suspended from Pobalscoil Neasáin, the following procedures will apply.
Parents will be notified to attend a meeting with the Year Head/Principal/Deputy Principal.
Where suspension is deemed an appropriate sanction by the school authorities, the parent will receive a letter with the details of the suspension and procedure for appealing such a suspension to the Board of Management.
In the event of an appeal, the suspension will be referred to the Board of Management.
In accordance with EWA where a student is suspended for a total of 6 days or more the EWO will be notified.

Expulsion:
In the event of gross misconduct the normal progressive discipline process would not be appropriate.
The Principal/Deputy Principal/Year Head withdraws the pupil from class.
The Principal, Deputy Principal or Year Head undertakes a full investigation.
The student is made fully aware of complaint.
Parents/Guardians are invited to attend a formal meeting at which the student will be given the opportunity to fully state his/her version of events.
The Principal/Deputy Principal or Year Head will carefully reconsider all the relevant facts and recommend an appropriate course of action.
Once a decision has been reached to refer to the Board of Management by the school authorities, the following procedures will apply.

The parents will be informed in writing of their rights to attend the Board of Management
Meeting at which the matter will be considered. Parents may choose to be accompanied to this meeting by a nominated person.
The parents will be provided with copies of all documentation that will be presented to the Board.
If, in the event of a decision by the Board of Management to permanently exclude the student, an appeal by parents may be made. This appeal should be made within 42 days of notification of exclusion, to Appeals Administration Unit, D.E.S.

Ratified by Board of Management
Date: 10 October 2004.
Amended by Board of Management: 2 February 2009