ADMISSIONS POLICY

Admission Policy of Derryquay N.S

School Address: Derrymore East, Tralee, Co. Kerry

Roll number: 15878H

School Patron: Bishop of Kerry

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 07th July 2020. 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 Derryquay N.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.

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.

2. Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school

Derryquay N.S is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Bishop of Kerry.

“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, a living relationship with God and with other people; and
including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; 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 Derryquay N.S 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

Derryquay School is a Catholic Primary School under the patronage of the Bishop of Kerry. We foster and nourish the spiritual, academic, physical and social education of the pupils in a happy and caring environment. We encourage each pupil to develop their

uniqueness and individuality to the full. We embrace difference and respect equally the varying cultures of our pupils. We welcome children of all faiths and none. We encourage our pupils to use their talents and skills in the service of their communities as the take their place in society.

3. Admission Statement

Derryquay N.S 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.

4. Categories of Special Educational Needs Catered for in the Derryquay National School’s Special Class

Derryquay Primary School with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established one class to provide an education exclusively for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

5.Admission of Students

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –

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

Derryquay N.S is a Catholic school and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of the Catholic faith where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

Note for Parents: the inclusion of the above wording was mandated by the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.

The special class attached to Derryquay National School provides an education exclusively for students with Autism 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:

Applicants with siblings currently enrolled in the school (including stepsiblings, resident at the same address), priority eldest;
Children residing in the parish, priority eldest;
Children of staff members, priority eldest;
Random selection (independently verified).

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:

Priority to eldest in accordance with the above criteria

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, other than in relation to a student’s prior attendance at—(I) an early intervention class
the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school;
a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude; (other than in relation to:
admission to (a) a special school or (b) a special class insofar as it is necessary in order to ascertain whether or not the student has the category of special educational needs concerned
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;
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 Derryquay N.S will be based on the following:

Our school’s admission policy
The school’s annual admission notice (where applicable)
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, including, where applicable, 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.

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 Derryquay N.S, 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 Derryquay N.S 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 above.

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 Derryquay N.S 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 Derryquay N.S 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 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:

Applications for enrolment during the school year will be considered subject to school policy, available space and the provision of information concerning attendance and the child’s educational progress.

Such applications will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis but will normally only be considered for admission on the first day of each new term unless the applicant is newly resident in the area.

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:

Junior Infants, with the exception of students transferring from another school, may only be admitted to the school prior to 30th September.

16. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees

The board of Derryquay N.S 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

Our school is of a Catholic ethos and, in keeping with that ethos, children of all or no other faith are welcome to apply to this school.

We respect the decision of parents to withdraw their child/children from taking part in the religious education curriculum, religious ceremonies, school Masses, etc.

The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent(s)/guardian(s) have requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction (etc.) in the school. These arrangements will not result in a reduction in the school day of such students:

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

18. Reviews/appeals

Review of decisions by the board of Management

The parents/guardians of 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 parents/guardians of 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)

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.

The policy was reviewed by the Board of Management of Derryquay N.S on 1th December 2021.

Signed: __________________________________ Chairperson, Board of Management

The contents of this policy have been approved by St. Senan’s Education Office, acting on behalf of the Patron.

Appendix (1)

Enrolment Application Form

Derryquay National School Enrolment Year 22/23

Pupil’s First Name: _________________________

Surname: _________________________

Date of Birth: _________________________

Gender: _________________________

Address (at which the applicant resides): __________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________Eircode___________________________

Name and class of Sibling(s) currently enrolled:_________________________________________

________________________________________________

Parish in which the applicant resides: _________________________________________________

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) Details:

Name: _______________________________________ [ ] Parent [ ] Custodian [ ] Legal Guardian

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________Eircode____________________

Home Tel. __________________

Mobile _____________________

Email. _______________________

Name: _______________________________________ [ ] Parent [ ] Custodian [ ] Legal Guardian

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________Eircode______________________

Home Tel. __________________

Mobile _____________________

Email. ________________________

Signature 1: _________________________ Date: _________________

Signature 2: _________________________ Date: _________________

Completed enrolment applications must be returned to Derryquay N.S no later than 2:50pm on 31st May 2022.

Appendix (2)

Enrolment Registration Form

This form will be used to obtain

SEN information
Emergency contact details
Medical details
Birth/Baptismal Certificates
Guardianship/custody/access arrangements
Other information sought by the school

Derryquay National School

ANNUAL ADMISSION NOTICE

in respect of admissions to the 2023/2024 school year

Admission Policy and Application Form

A copy of the school’s Admission Policy and the Application Form for Admission for the 2023/2024 school year is available as follows: –

To download at: www.derryquayns.ie

Or on request: By emailing info@derryquayns.ie or writing to Derryquay N.S, Derrymore East, Tralee, Co. Kerry.

PART 1 - Admissions to the 2023/2024 school year

Application and Decision Dates for admission to 2023/2024

The following are the dates applicable for admission to Junior Infants

The school will commence accepting applications for admission on 02/10/2022

The school shall cease accepting applications for admission on 31/05/2022

The date by which applicants will be notified of the decision on their application is 16/06/2022

(This date must be within 3 weeks of the closing date for receipt of application or within 3 weeks of the application date for late applications)

The period within which applicants must confirm acceptance of an offer of admission is 1 week after notification of decision of application

*Failure to accept an offer within the prescribed period above may result in the offer being withdrawn

Note: the school will consider and issue decisions on late applications in accordance with the school’s admission policy.

Number of places being made available in 2023/2024

The number of places being made available in junior infants is 20

Derryquay N.S is a school that has 2 classrooms and one ASD class that cater for different categories of SEN.

Derryquay N.S has made offers of school placement which have been accepted prior to the commencement of Section 62 of the Education (Admission to Schools) 2018 on 1 February 2021, the number of those places offered and accepted for junior infants group for 2022/2023 is: 4

Appendix 3 : ASD Class Enrolment Procedures

The decision to provide a special class for children with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder in Derryquay National School was taken by the Board of Management of the school in 2021. These decisions were taken with a view to providing an education in a mainstream setting for children who have a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder and who fulfil the relevant enrolment criteria.

It is envisaged that this special class will cater primarily for children resident in the parish of St. John’s and the townland of Tralee. The Board of Management notes the Department of Education and Skills’ policy to allow Boards of Management of recognised Primary Schools to establish similar ASD classes in their schools.

The ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) Class at Derryquay National School is a class for children:

who have a recognised ASD diagnosis
who have been recommended for placement in an ASD Class in a mainstream Primary School
who have the potential to integrate into a mainstream, age appropriate class.

NOTE:

All placements will be reviewed annually in order to ensure that the placement continues to be appropriate for each child.
The maximum class size is 6 pupils.
The provision of an ASD Class in the school was proposed by the Board of Management to our SENO and approved by the NCSE for the January 2022. The class opened in September 2022.
The establishment of this class is contingent on approval for additional accommodation being granted by the Department of Education School’s Capital Appraisal Section and also on the necessary funding and resources being furnished to Derryquay National School by the Department of Education and Skills.

Aim

We aim to offer a positive and meaningful educational experience, for children who are on the Autistic Spectrum and which allows the child to develop to his/her full learning potential in an environment that offers clarity, predictability and calm.

Our ASD class offers an autism specific learning environment within a mainstream co-educational primary school. This setting facilitates optimum inclusion in mainstream education as part of the school community, as appropriate, while having due regard for levels of general learning disability, resources and each child’s current suitability for such inclusion.

We wish to provide a broad curriculum which focuses on the abilities and strengths of each child while supporting his/her areas of need. We will strive to enhance the communicative and social skills of the children in the ASD class.

Enrolment Procedure

Registration begins with a referral from the SENO, outside agencies, a telephone call or a visit from parents.
Requests for Enrolment Application Forms for the ASD Class and queries regarding supporting documentation should be made to: The Principal, Derryquay National School, Derrymore East, Tralee, Co. Kerry. Telephone: 066 7130269.

A school Enrolment Application Form for the Class for Pupils with ASD is then completed.

The Enrolment Application must be accompanied by all of the following supporting documentation supplied by parents:

The child must have a diagnosis of Autism / Autistic Spectrum Disorder made using the DSM-IV/V or ICD 10 by the psychologist or team.
Original Birth Certificate.
A written psychological assessment /report or a written Report from a multi-disciplinary Team must be provided. A multi-disciplinary team may consist of a Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech & Language Therapist, Social Worker and a Physiotherapist. (Please note all reports on a child should be provided to the school for assessment by the Principal and SET team.
There must be a recommendation by the relevant professionals in the report that a special class placement in a mainstream school is both necessary and suitable for the child. In this regard it should be noted that the academic ability of the child will be taken into account when considering an application and will be subject to continuous assessment and review.

The closing date for applications for the 2023/24 school year will be included on the Admission Notice as outlined in our School’s Admission Policy.
Completed applications will be responded to within 21 days of the closing date for receipt of applications.
The list of applicants will be reviewed by the Principal and the Special Class Teacher.
All applications received by the closing date will be considered.
The school may seek the advice of the school’s allocated NEPS psychologist to aid enrolment decision making.

Factors taken into consideration during the enrolment process are:

Diagnosis – Child must be diagnosed as being on the Autistic Spectrum and have a recommendation for placement in a special class attached to a mainstream school.
Integration - Child must be capable of integrating into mainstream, even at a minimal level, at an appropriate age level.
Appropriateness – Child must be capable of accessing the Primary School Curriculum.

Once the School is satisfied that the child presents as fulfilling the requirements in 1,2,3 above, places will be allocated in accordance with the criteria set out below. The School may request further information or a meeting with the parent and the child in the school setting, if deemed to be necessary. The school acknowledges that all children with ASD present with differing profiles. For this reason, all applications will be considered on a case by case basis.

NOTE: The receipt of the enrolment application forms, psychological report and written recommendation is not a guarantee of enrolment. It is simply the recording of an application for admission to our school. Decisions in relation to applications for enrolment are made by the Principal.

Before allocating places the Principal will:

Review all applications and all documentation relevant to a child applying for a place in the class for pupils with ASD.
Come to a decision on the suitability of the class for pupils with ASD to meet the needs of the child.
Verify that there is a recommendation from a recognised Psychologist for placement in a special class in a mainstream school.
Come to a decision as to the suitability of the child for potential meaningful integration in an age appropriate mainstream class
Verify that the child is 4 years old on or before August 31st on the year of enrolment

Places will be allocated in the ASD class in accordance with the following criteria and in the following order:

Pupils currently enrolled in our mainstream school and seeking to transfer to the ASD class.
Applicants with siblings currently enrolled in the school (including stepsiblings, resident at the same address).
Children living within the St. John’s parish and the townland of Tralee.
Children of current school staff.
If any places remain, they will be allocated on the basis of age, the eldest child/children enrolled first, according the child’s/children’s Birth Certificate.

Transfers

Pupils may transfer to the ASD class during the school year subject to availability of places. Pupils transferring must enter the same class level that they are leaving, and have the necessary diagnosis and recommendations as outlined above. The school may request other relevant documentation if a pupil is transferring from another school. All documents need to be received in order for the application to be deemed fully completed.

Placement

After placement in the class a relevant Student Support Plan will be provided for the child. This plan will have an input from all parties involved with the education of the child. The Class teacher will prepare the Student Support Plan which will be reviewed in the Spring as is the Special Education Teaching policy in the school. It is up to the professional opinion of the teacher involved if the Student Support Plan needs to be updated more frequently.
Each child in the ASD class will be assigned to an age appropriate mainstream class for integration purposes provided that this is in the best interests of the child, while having due regard to the educational benefit of all pupils enrolled in our school. Every opportunity will be used to promote inclusion in mainstream classes provided the child is ready for this step and has the necessary supports in place.
A review will take place at the end of the child’s first year (and at the end of each subsequent year) to assess whether the child’s placement is appropriate. The review will be carried out by school staff with parental involvement.

The first year in the Class will be used to;

Assess the child’s educational needs.
Develop a Student Support Plan to address identified needs.
Assess whether the child’s placement is appropriate.

Taking into account the Department regulations and programmes, the rights of the patron as set out in the Education Act, and the funding available, the school supports the principles of:

Inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of children with a disability or other special education need.
Equality of access and participation in the school.
Parental choice in relation to enrolment.
Respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in society.

Discharge Policy

It is school policy to facilitate the discharge of pupils once they have completed 6th Class and/or reached the age of thirteen after September 30th in any year. This means a June discharge in the following year. The onus will be on the parents to negotiate the placement with a suitable post-primary School. Derryquay National School will facilitate all transfer of records/reports as well as assist with any information required with regard to students. Discharge from the ASD Class may also happen if a pupil is fully integrated into the mainstream school.