Admissions

Admission Policy

Admission Policy of S.N. An Fhaithche

Toorgarve, Fahy, Westport, Co. Mayo F28 R9C9

Roll number: 13555T

School Patron: Archbishop of Tuam

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 23/01/2023. 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 S.N. an Fhaitche’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

S.N. an Faithche is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Archbishop of Tuam.

‘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:

a) The full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil, including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; and

b) A living relationship with God and with other people; and

c) A philosophy of life inspired by belief in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and

d) The formation of the pupils in the Catholic faith,

Which the 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 S.N. an Fhaithche 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. In doing so, it caters for the cognitive, intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual development of Children from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.

The School is funded by and depends on grants and teacher resources provided by the Department of Education & Skills and operates within the regulations laid down by the Department. The Board of Management is accountable for and must take due regard of the resources and funding made available. The School follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the Department of Education & Skills. The School is subject to relevant legislation in particular the Education Act (1998), the Education Welfare Act (2000), the Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act (2004), health and safety law, and equality law.

Within the context and parameters of Department regulations and programmes, the rights of the Patron as set out in 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 to, and participation in, the School

• Parental/Guardian choice in relation to enrolment

• Respect for diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in society in general.

The principle role of the School is to provide an education for children who are resident in the half parish of Fahy. The School is a co-educational School and therefore girls and boys can be enrolled. The catchment area served by the School consists of the half parish of Fahy and surrounding area. The School has classes for boys and girls from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. Currently, there are two single stream classes, Junior Infants and Senior Infants. All other classes cater for two classes in each classroom, a total of eight classes in all. The Board of Management determines the number of pupils in each class, taking into account a variety of factors, including the maximum class size as recommended by the Department of Education and Skills. The Department determines the number of teachers on the basis of pupil enrolment at a specific time during the previous School year. At present there are 7 teachers in the School including a Teaching Principal and 2 Special Education Teachers.

3. Admission Statement

S.N. an Fhaithche will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:

(a) the gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(b) the civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(d) the sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(e) the religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(f) the disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(g) the ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(h) the Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned, or

(i) 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.

S.N. an Fhaithche is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values and does not discriminate where it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not Roman Catholic and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

• S.N. An Fhaithche will cooperate with the National Council for Special Education in the performance by the Council of its functions under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 relating to the provision of education to children with special educational needs, including in particular by the provision and operation of a special class or classes when requested to do so by the Council.

• S.N. An Fhaithche will comply with any direction served on the patron or the board, as the case may be, under section 37A and any direction served on the board under section 67(4B) of the Education Act.

4. Admission of Students

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –

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

b) 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

c) S.N. an Fhaithche is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values and does not discriminate where it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not Roman Catholic and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

5. 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: The Board will use these categories in determining how places are to be allocated when applications exceed availability. Applicants in Category 1 get first priority; those in Category 2 get second priority and so on. If an applicant qualifies in more than one category, then the higher category shall be used.

The categories are:

Category 1

Children of the parish (including children of the Travelling Community residing within the parish).

Category 2

Brothers and sisters of children in the school.

Category 3

Children of school staff

Category 4

Children who live outside the parish and do not have a Catholic school in their parish.

Category 5

Children who apply to the school and are not resident within the parish boundaries.

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:

· The Board shall make offers based on the age of the applicant, with the oldest applicant getting the first offer, and the second oldest getting the second offer and so on.

6. 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 a waiting list for admission to the school: of the following in deciding on applications for admission or when placing a student on

(a) a student’s prior attendance at a preschool or pre-school service, including naíonraí,

(b) the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school;

(d) the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parents;

(e) a requirement that a student, or his or her parents, attend an interview, open day or other meeting as a condition of admission;

(f) a student’s connection to the school by virtue of a member of his or her family attending or having previously attended the school (other than, in the case of the school wishing to include a selection criteria based on siblings of a student attending or having attended the school – see section 6)

(g) 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.

7. Decisions on applications

All decisions on applications for admission to S.N. an Fhaithche 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.

8. 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).

9. Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant

In accepting an offer of admission from S.N. an Fhaithche, 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.

10. 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 S.N. an Fhaithche where—

(i) it is established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.

(ii) 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.

(iii) 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

(iv) an applicant has failed to comply with the requirements of ‘acceptance of an offer’ as set out in section 10 above.

11. 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).

12. 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 S.N. an Fhaithche 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 S.N. an Fhaithche 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.

13. 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 a 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.

14. 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:

For all applicants other than the pupils in Junior Infants in S.N. an Fhaithche whose enrolment is automatic. Admission forms may be obtained from the School Secretary’s office or downloaded from the School's website.

A copy of the School’s Admission Policy is available to download from the School website and may also be obtained from the School Secretary’s office. All parents submitting an application are acknowledging they have read or had the opportunity to read the Admission Policy and understand the same.

Requirements for Application

All applications must be submitted to the School by the 1st of March each year. Parents will be informed of the decision regarding their application. The completion of an enrolment form does not confer any right to a place in the School.

Applications which contain false or misleading information may be rejected by the Board at its discretion. If the Board exercises this discretion, a child shall not be entitled to a place in the School, and the Board may cancel an offer already accepted, even if he would qualify on the basis of the criteria for enrolment.

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:

Admission forms may be obtained from the School Secretary’s office or downloaded from the School's website. A copy of the School’s Admission Policy is available to download from the School website and may also be obtained from the School Secretary’s office. All parents submitting an application are acknowledging they have read or had the opportunity to read the Admission Policy and understand the same.

Requirements for Application

All applications must be submitted to the School by the 31st May each year. Parents will be informed of the decision regarding their application. The completion of an enrolment form does not confer any right to a place in the School.

Admission of students to S.N. an Fhaithche is in the order of priority assigned to the students applications after the school has applied the selection criteria in accordance with our Admissions policy.

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

The board of S.N. an Fhaithche or any persons acting on its behalf will not charge fees for or seek payment or contributions (howsoever described) as a condition of-

(a) an application for admission of a student to the school, or

(b) the admission or continued enrolment of a student in the school.

16. Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction

The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parents have requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction 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 Board of Managementof the school. A meeting will then be arranged with the parent(s) or the student, as the case may be, to discuss how the request may be accommodated by the school.

17. Reviews/appeals

Review of decisions by the board of Management

The parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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 parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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.

Review of This Policy

This policy and its implementation will be reviewed by the Board of Management once in every school year during the month of January The next review will take place in January 2025

Written notification that the review has been completed will be made available to school personnel and provided to the Parents’ Association.

A record of the review and its outcome will be made available, if requested, to the patron and the Department.

Signed: ____________________ Signed: _________________________ (Chairperson of Board of Management) (Principal)

Date: ______________________ Date: _______________________