Admission Policy of Dripsey NS

Admission Policy of Dripsey NS

School Address: Station Road, Dripsey

Roll number: 17245B

School Patron: Bishop of Cloyne

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 08-10-2024. 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 Dripsey NS 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

Dripsey NS is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Bishop of Cloyne.

“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

(d) 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 Dripsey National School 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.

Dripsey NS is a co-educational, Catholic, primary school which strives to provide a well ordered, caring, happy and secure atmosphere where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the pupils are identified and addressed.

While Dripsey NS is a school with a Catholic ethos, it also has due recognition for people of all other religions and/or nor religion.

Dripsey NS will strive to promote, both individually and collectively, the professional and personal development of teachers through staff development programmes.

Dripsey NS will encourage the involvement of parents through home/school contacts and through their involvement in the Dripsey NS Parents’ Association.

Dripsey NS will endeavour to enhance the self-esteem of everyone in the school community, to imbue in the pupils’ respect for people and property and to encourage in them the idea of being responsible.

Dripsey NS will promote gender equity amongst the teachers and pupils.

3. Admission Statement

Dripsey NS 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.

Dripsey National School 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.

Dripsey National School 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.

Dripsey NS 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.

Dripsey NS is a school which has established Autism classes, with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, which provides an education exclusively for students with a category or categories of special educational needs specified by the Minister and may refuse to admit to the class a student who does not have the category of needs specified.

4. Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the special class

Dripsey NS with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established classes to provide an education exclusively for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Dripsey NS operates two Autism special classes.

Parents who wish to enrol their child in a Dripsey National School Autism class must complete and

present an application for enrolment on the official Application for Admission/Enrolment

Form available at all times from the school.

Applications for the Autism Classes can only be processed on the basis of a medical report,

psychological report, developmental diagnostic report and a future needs assessment

report. A diagnosis of Autism is required for all classes and a recommendation that ‘a special class attached to mainstream’ is the most suitable placement for the child.

If the child presents with a general disability, it must fall within the MILD RANGE (this diagnosis must be made using a professionally recognized clinical and psychological assessment procedure).

We at all times work closely with the NCSE and our school SENO and adhere to any

changes to guidelines for Autism class enrolment.

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
Dripsey NS is a Roman Catholic School and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not a Roman Catholic where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.
The special classes attached to Dripsey NS provide an education exclusively for students with Autism/Autistic 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:

Mainstream: Criteria

Brothers and sisters of children (including step siblings living at the same address) already in the school or who have attended the school in the past
Children of parents (or parent) who are past pupils of the school
Children from families living in the catchment area
Children of current teaching staff
Parish boundaries
Adjoining parishes

Please note that for the purpose of calculating distance from the school, the school will use the shortest distance provided by Google Maps.

Special Class: Criteria

Brothers and sisters of existing pupils
Children living in the school catchment area
Following the above areas children will be taken from the Inniscarra Parish.
Following the Inniscarra Parish children will be taken from outside areas.

Catchment area is defined as: the Model Village, Agharinagh, Fergus, Inislinne, Cronody, Dromgownagh, Kilblaffer, Kilabbey, Lismahane, Magoola, Tullig, Tulligmore.

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:

Two or more pupils tying for a place –

Children are prioritised according to age beginning with the eldest.

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, or

(II) an early start pre-school, specified in a list published by the Minister from time to time;

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

3.a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude;

other than in relation to:

admission to 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 and/or

4. the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parents;

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

6. 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 (1) siblings of a student attending or having attended the school and/or (2) parents or grandparents of a student having attended the school.

7. 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.

This is also subject to the school making offers based on existing waiting lists (up until 31st January 2025 only).

8. Decisions on applications

All decisions on applications for admission to Dripsey NS 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 Dripsey NS, 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 Dripsey NS 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 Dripsey NS 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 Dripsey NS 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:

Parents request an application by contacting the school or download from the school website. There is a specific application form for Mainstream and Autism classes. Autism Class applications will be considered complete provided that the appropriate reports with recommended educational placement included have been provided to the school.

Parents complete and submit application form.

School makes decisions on applications received.

Parents notified within the timeframe – as per Annual Notice.

School offers a place or

School places applicant on waiting list for the year concerned.

Applicant accepts the place & accepts the Code of Behaviour (Section 11) or

Applicant refuses place.

If refused, the applicant will be notified of their entitlement to appeal the decision under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998.

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:

Parents request an application by contacting the school or download from the school website. There is a specific application form for Mainstream and Autism classes. Autism Class applications will be considered complete provided that the appropriate reports with recommended educational placement included have been provided to the school.

Parents complete and submit application form –

School makes decisions on applications received.

Parents notified within the timeframe – within 3 weeks of receiving Application

School offers a place or

School places applicant on waiting list for the year concerned.

Applicant accepts the place & accepts the Code of Behaviour (Section 11) or

Applicant refuses place.

If refused, the applicant will be notified of their entitlement to appeal the decision under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998.

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

The board of Dripsey NS 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

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 Principal of 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.

18. Reviews/appeals

Review of decisions by the board of Management

The parent 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, 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.

Date: 26/09/2024

Jim O’Connell – Chairperson

Date: 26/09/2024

Catherine Murray – Principal

This Admission Policy will be reviewed in September 2025

Patron Approved 08-10-2024. Michael Walsh, Education Secretary, Cloyne Diocese

Dripsey National School

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