Admission Policy 25/26

Kilcarrig Ave, Fettercairn, Dublin 24 Roll Number : 20173T

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 St. Anne’s P.S has consulted with the school staff, the school patron and with the parents of children attending the school.

It is published on the school website and will be made available in hardcopy on request.

The relevant dates and timelines for St. Anne’s P.S admission process are set out in the school’s Annual Admission Notice which is published on the school’s website at least one week before the commencement of the admission process for each school year.

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.

2. Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school

St. Anne’s Primary School is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Archbishop of Dublin.

“Catholic Ethos” in the context of a Catholic primary school means that the ethos and characteristic spirit of the Roman Catholic Church, which aims to promote:

1. the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person, including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; and
2. a living relationship with God and with other people; and
3. a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and
4. the formation of the pupils in the Catholic faith

In accordance with S. 15 (2) (b) of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management of St. Anne’s P.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.

While St. Anne’s P.S is a school with a catholic ethos, it also has due recognition for all other religions.

At St. Anne’s P.S we strive to provide a welcoming, caring and inclusive school community. We believe that all children are entitled to develop to their fullest potential – academically, socially, emotionally, physically, morally and spiritually, whatever their ability, race or creed.

We are committed to providing a learning environment which is free from discrimination, harassment or bullying and promotes self-worth and equity of opportunity.

We rely on the positive relationships and co-operation of pupils, teachers, support staff, parents/guardians and the Board of Management to achieve our objectives. By accepting a place in St. Anne’s P.S, parents/guardians commit to actively support our Code of Behaviour and all other school policies.

3. Admission Statement

St. Anne’s P.S will not discriminate in its admission of a pupil to the school on any of the following:

1. the gender ground of the pupil or the applicant in respect of the pupil concerned
2. the civil status ground of the pupil or the applicant in respect to the pupil concerned
3. the family status ground of the pupil or the applicant in respect to the pupil concerned
4. the sexual orientation ground of the pupil or the applicant in respect to the pupil concerned
5. the religion ground of the pupil or the applicant in respect to the pupil concerned
6. the disability ground of the pupil or the applicant in respect to the pupil concerned
7. the ground of race of the pupil or the applicant in respect to the pupil concerned
8. the Traveller community ground of the pupil or the applicant in respect to the pupil concerned
9. the ground that the pupil or the applicant in respect of the pupil concerned has special needs

St. Anne’s P.S is a school which has established class/classes, with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, which provides an education exclusively for students with a category 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.

St. Anne’s P.S will cooperate with the NCSE in the performance by the Council of its functions under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 in relation 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. St. Anne’s P.S will comply with any direction served to the board under section 37A and 67(4)(b) of the Education Act.

St. Anne’s P.S is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values. It does not discriminate where it refuses to admit a student where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

4. Categories of Special Educational needs catered for in the school

St. Anne’s, with the approval of the Minister for Education, has established a class to provide an education exclusively for students with Autism. Our special class is known as The Haven. Please see our Admission Policy for Autism Class detailing the criteria and procedure for enrolment to The Haven.

5. Admission of Students

Children must have reached the age of four before 1^st May on the year of enrolment. (If applications within categories exceed the number of places available, older children will be given precedence)

The school shall admit each pupil seeking admission except where –

1. the school is oversubscribed (please see Section 6 below for further details)
2. a parent/guardian of a pupil, 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 or she shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the student.

St. Anne’s P.S is a catholic school and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of catholic denomination where it is established that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

The special class attached to St. Anne’s P.S provides an education exclusively for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the school may refuse admission to this class, where the student 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, St. Anne’s P.S will, when deciding on application for admission, apply the 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 number of places available will be decided in line with current guidelines for class size in a DEIS band 1 school.

1. Siblings and stepsiblings of children already enrolled in the school and / or children residing in the parish of St. Anne’s.
2. Children of staff.
3. Children residing outside the parish of St. Anne’s.

All criteria are based on the eldest child having priority. Age restrictions will occur, please see the Annual Admission Notice.

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 pacing a student on a waiting list for admission to the school:

1. a student’s prior attendance at a pre-school or pre-school service, including naíonraí
2. the payment of fees or contributions (however 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 necessary in order to ascertain whether or not a student has the category of special educational needs concerned
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 those mentioned in the Enrolment Criteria
7. the date and time on which the 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 admissions to St. Anne’s P.S will be based on the following:

• Our school’s Admission Policy
• The school’s Annual Admission Notice
• 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’s 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 / by email as to the decision of the school, within the timeline outlined in the Annual Admission Notice.

If a student is not offered place in the 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 St. Anne’s P.S, you must indicate –

1. whether or not you have accepted the 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
2. 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 withdrawn

An offer of admission may not be made or may be withdrawn by St. Anne’s P.S, where –

1. it is established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.
2. 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.
3. 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
4. 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 (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018 allows for the sharing of 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-

1. an application doe admission to the school has been received,
2. an offer of admission to the school has been made, or
3. an offer of admission to the school has been accepted

The list may include any or all of the following:

1. the date on which an application for admission was received by the school;
2. the date on which an offer of admission was made by the school;
3. the date on which an offer of admission was accepted by an applicant;
4. 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 the oversubscription

In the event of there being more applications to the school year concerned than places available, a waiting list of students whose application for admission to St. Anne’s P.S were unsuccessful due to the school being oversubscribed will be compiled and will remain valid for the school year in which the admission is being sought.

Placement on the waiting list of St. Anne’s P.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.

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 admission’s policy, the Education Admission to Schools Act 2018 and any regulations made under that Act.

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 in accordance with legislative requirements and this policy, as follows;

Students may transfer to the school at any time in all classes except Junior Infants subject to the school policy on enrolment, available space (see Section 6), approval of the Board of Management and in some cases, the approval of the Department of Education and Skills.

The process id initiated on receipt by the school of a completed Application for Admission form. This form is available to download from the school website or on request from the school secretary.

The following document must be included with the admission form-

• Relevant academic and behavioural reports from previous school, subject and in accordance with Tusla / National Education Welfare Board guidelines.
• Any relevant Psychological, SLT or OT reports.
• Completed enrolment forms.
• Birth/ Adoptive Certificate.
• Proof of residence (e.g: a utility bill in the parent(s)/ guardian(s) name(s)

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

The Board of Management of St. Anne’s P.S or any persons acting on its behalf will not charge fees for or seek payment or contributions as a condition of –

1. an application for admission of a student to the school, or
2. 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 /guardians 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. The child will be provided with independent work to be completed within the classroom setting. Special arrangements will be put in place for 2^nd and 6^th class when First Holy Communion and Conformation practices are taking place in the church. This will involve the child being supervised by member of the SET staff.

18. Reviews/ Appeals

Review of decisions made by the Board of Management:

The parent of a student may request the Board of Management to review a decision to refuse

admission. Such requests must be made in advance 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 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 requirement 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 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 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 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)(i) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due to 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)

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. (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 requirement applicable to such appeals are set out in the procedures determined by the Minister under section 29 of the Education Act 1998 which are published on the website of the Department of Education and Skills.

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on the 29^th April 2024.

It was approved by the patron.

It will be reviewed annually and the Board will manage its implementation.

Signed: ____________________________ Signed: _____________________________

Marie Mulligan Ray Lynn

BOM Chairperson Principal