Enrolment Policy

Introductory Statement:
This policy was formulated by the staff of Glenbeg N.S. in November 2014. It was then
submitted to the Board of Management as a working document to be revised in accordance
with their views/observations, and discussed with the Parents Association before final
ratification.

Rationale:
We as a school decided to focus on the area of Enrolment to fulfil our statutory obligation
under the Education Act and to honour our commitment to promoting inclusivity, equality and
parental choice.

Relationship to the Characteristic Spirit of the School:

In our school we strive to uphold the characteristic spirit as determined by the cultural,
educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions of our school
ethos.

Aims:

Provide key information for parents/guardians who present their children for enrolment,
concerning the day to day running of our school.

Outline the Board of Managements position regarding decisions made concerning

enrolment.

Ensure that the principles of inclusivity, equality and parental choice are adhered to as
outlined in the Education (Welfare) Act.

Promote respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of
life in society.

Make reasonable provision and accommodation for students with a disability or other
special educational need.

The content of our Enrolment Policy comes under 2 sections:

A) General Introduction
B) Procedures
A) General Introduction
The Board of Management of Glenbeg National School hereby sets out its Enrolment and
Admission Policy in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 and the Board
trusts that by so doing, parents/guardians will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters.
The Chairperson of the Board of Management (Mr. John Leonard) or the Principal (Ms.
Catherine Fitzgerald) will be happy to clarify any matters arising from this policy.

Decisions in relation to applications for enrolment are made by the Board of

Management of the school.

Name of School: Glenbeg National School

Address: Glenbeg, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
Roll No. 15318P
Telephone No. (058) 43266
Email: glenbeg.ias@eircom.net
School Opening/Closing Times:
Classes start at 9.00 a.m. and finish at 2.40 p.m. Infant Classes finish at 1.40 p.m.

Denomination: We are a Catholic school currently under the patronage of Bishop

William Lee, Diocese of Waterford and Lismore.

No. of Teachers: (7) At present, the teaching staff is comprised of 1 Teaching

Principal, 4 Class Teachers, 1 Learning Support Teacher, 1 Part-time Resource Teacher.
The school also employs 1 part-time Special Needs Assistant, 1 secretary and 1 cleaner.

Range of Classes: The full range of classes is taught in the school and classes are of
mixed gender.

The school depends on the grants and teacher resources provided by the Department of
Education and Skills and it operates within the regulations laid down, from time to time, by
the Department. The school also relies on fundraising by the Parents Association and the
whole school community to help provide valuable resources. School policy in the area of

enrolment therefore must have regard to the resources, capacity, personnel and funding
available at any given time.

The school follows the curricular programme prescribed by 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).

Within the context and parameters of the Department regulations and programmes, the
rights of the patron (as set out in the Education Act) and the funding and resources
available, the school supports the principles of:
Inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of children with a
disability or other special educational need.
Equality of access and participation in school particularly in relation to the enrolment
of international pupils and pupils from the Travelling Community.
Choices of parents/guardians in relation to enrolment.
Democracy and respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, language and
ways of life in society.

B) Procedures:
Application and provision of specific information by parents/guardians:
Parents/guardians seeking to enrol their children in Glenbeg N.S. are requested to return a
completed:
1. Enrolment Application Form (available at the School Office)
2. Birth/ Adoption Certificate (Each pupil is enrolled with the name which appears on
their birth certificate)
3. Baptismal Certificate (where applicable).
On applying to enrol the child in the first instance, parents/guardians are requested to meet
briefly with either the Principal or Deputy Principal (Ms. Sandra Clarke). If neither is available,
the school secretary may accept the enrolment application on the condition that
parents/guardians arrange a follow up meeting with the Principal as soon as possible.
Parents/guardians will receive information about the school along with a copy of the school
Code of Behaviour and other relevant details. Their application form will be then entered into
the School Record of Applications. Every help will be given to parents/guardians who may have
literacy difficulties or language difficulties when the form is being completed.
Information sought on the form will include:
Pupils name, age and address.
P.P.S. Number.
Names and addresses of pupils parents/guardians.
Contact Details: Home, work and mobile telephone numbers and email address(es).
Emergency contact telephone numbers.
Details of any conditions (medical or other) of which the school should be aware .

Religion (if any).

Completion of an application form does not guarantee a placement in the school.

Telephone calls or personal school visits concerning enrolment will be facilitated, but
are not deemed enrolment applications.

Decision Making:
All applications will be considered by the Principal/Deputy Principal in consultation with the
Board of Management. Enrolment of pupils is on the basis of the set criteria listed in this policy.

Introductory Procedure:

Junior Infants must be four years of age by the 1st of September before starting school in
that same year.

A formal meeting with the Class Teacher may be arranged prior to any new child starting in
the school at a time convenient to teacher, pupil and parents /guardians.

Parents/guardians of pupils presenting for enrolment are required to accept and sign the
school Code of Behaviour

All pupils wishing to enrol in Glenbeg N.S. may be considered on application, provided there
is space available and there is no unforeseen impediment to that enrolment. In the event
that the school is oversubscribed the following criteria may be used to prioritize children for
enrolment while referring to the Ethos of our school at all times.

Enrolment Criteria:

The criteria for enrolment are considered in the following order:

Priority

Criterion

Department of Education and Skills maximum class average directive.

(presently 28/1)

Priority is given to brothers and sisters of children already in the school or

who have attended the school in the past. (This includes foster children/step
sisters/brothers even if they happen to live outside the school parish
boundary.)
*If the class is over-subscribed 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.

Families whose primary residence is either

(a) in the immediate areas of Glenbeg/Dungarvan Parish, starting closest to
the school and radiating outwards from the school within the Parish or
(b) in Glenbeg/Dungarvan Parish within a 2 mile distance by road from the
school.
*If the class is oversubscribed within the application of this particular
criterion, then the furthest from the school under either (a) or (b) will be
eliminated first.

Children of current teaching staff.

*If the class is over-subscribed 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 of parents/guardians who are past pupils of the school.

*If the class is oversubscribed within the application of this particular
criterion, then those whose primary residence is furthest from the school will
be eliminated first.

Physical space available within the classroom where the proposed enrolment
is.

If space is still available, class numbers are completed from the Waiting List,
which is compiled and ordered according to the date of the original
application. The criteria are listed in order of priority when spaces are
allocated under criterion 1 and space is still available, then criterion 2 comes
into play and so on. This prioritization proceeds until all places have been
allocated.

Induction:

Towards the end of each school year, new Junior Infants who have successfully been enrolled
will be invited to spend an informal session at school, to familiarise them with their new
environment.
New entrants from other schools will be required to provide Transfer Information
along with their enrolment form. The receipt of such Transfer Information is
mandatory under the terms of the Education Welfare Act 2000.

Procedure for transfers from other schools to Glenbeg N.S. and vice-versa:

If a child is presented for transfer from another school to Glenbeg N.S. the procedure for
enrolment is as outlined previously. If there is a place available and criteria are satisfied, a
transfer notification will be sent, by the Principal of Glenbeg N.S. to the original school,
stating acceptance of transfer and date of enrolment at Glenbeg N.S. However, before a
child can be presented for transfer, a courtesy telephone call (from the Principal of Glenbeg
N.S. to the Principal of the other school) must be made to discuss the transfer in order to
establish if transfer is warranted and the circumstances surrounding the request.

If a new school requires additional information (in the case of a child leaving Glenbeg
N.S.) authorities may contact the school by telephone/e-mail. Similarly, any relevant data
required by the proposed new school to which a child may be transferring will be sent to
the Principal of that school. However, written permission from parents/guardians is required
for psychological / medical assessment reports to be transferred.

To support the integration of children transferring from other schools, parents/guardians

will be requested to sign a consent form for diagnostic assessment if deemed necessary.

Final decisions in relation to all applications and transfers will be made at

the discretion of the Board of Management of Glenbeg N.S.

Enrolment of children with Special Needs/Disabilities:

The school adopts a policy of inclusivity with reference to children with special needs. The
following procedure will be adhered to, along with application to enrol:
A copy of the childs psychological report or other relevant reports will be submitted if such
are available. If not available, parents/guardians will arrange for the child to be assessed
as soon as is practicable. Every assistance will be given to support parents/guardians in
this process. The purpose of these assessments is to assist the school in establishing the
needs of the child and to ascertain the level of support required i.e. special furniture,
structural changes, Special Needs Assistant, Audio/Visual equipment, I.C.T., Resource
Teacher etc.
A letter or report from the childs doctor/specialist may be required. This may also involve
appropriate information from other agencies involved in the childs care or support of the
family.

The Principal, Class Teacher and Learning Support/Resource Teacher may meet with the
parents/guardians to discuss the childs needs and the schools capacity to meet those
needs. Every help will be given to support parents/guardians of children with special
needs.
In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to recommend temporary
deferral of enrolment pending the receipt of An assessment (or other) report and
the provision of the appropriate resources by the Department of Education and
Skills to meet the needs specified in the report(s) particularly if said enrolment
constitutes Health and Safety concerns for the school authorities and
parents/guardians.

Right of Appeal
Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 provides for a right of appeal against a decision to refuse
enrolment. Should a situation arise, parents/guardians will be informed of their right to appeal
by the Chairperson of the Board of Management.
Any response that may be required by the Appeals Committee will be prepared by the Principal
and the Chairperson.

Expulsion/Suspension:
Every pupil enrolled in Glenbeg N.S. is expected to abide by the school Code of Behaviour. In
situations where there is a constant or severe breach of this code by a pupil and particularly
where the Health, Safety and Welfare of other pupils and members of the school community is
at risk, suspension may be considered. To comply with rule 130 of the Rules for National
Schools, the school authorities reserve the right to suspend or expel a pupil and the Board of
Management empowers the Principal to invoke an immediate suspension if she considers it
warranted. Parents/guardians of pupils who may be suspended/expelled will be informed of
their right to appeal in accordance with Section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
Suspension may occur in the following instances:

Where all other reasonable measures as outlined in the schools Code of Behaviour have
been exhausted.

Where repeated incidents of serious misbehaviour are recorded. (see the school Code of
Behaviour for examples of gross misbehaviour).

Where the behaviour of a pupil is deemed a risk to himself/herself or others.

In accordance with the Catholic Ethos of Education expulsion will only be considered as a
last resort. In very special circumstances, and when all other avenues have been explored,
a reduced school day may be considered for pupils who present with significant difficulties
particularly where there may be Health and Safety concerns. This facility will only be put in
place following consultation with all parties involved, in particular the parents/guardians of
the pupil and the pupil. Please refer to the school Code of Behaviour for details on
all of the aforementioned.

Review:
This Enrolment Policy may be reviewed and amended from time to time by the Board of
Management. The next scheduled review date is November 2016.

Ratification:
_______________________ (Chairperson)

Date:_______________

_______________________ (Principal)

Date:_______________