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

1. Introduction

This policy is set out in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998. The Board of Management trusts that by doing so, parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters. Furthermore, the Board of Management and the Principal will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy. St Anne's Primary School is a primary school which operates under the patronage of the Catholic Church, Dublin Diocese. We are a mainstream, co-educational primary school with one Autism class. (The Haven)

2. Context of St. Anne’s PS and our Autism Classes

The decision to provide a special class for children with a definite diagnosis of autism was taken by the Board of Management of the school in conjunction with the Principal and staff in 2021. The decision was taken with a view to provide an education in a mainstream setting for children with autism, who fulfil the enrolment criteria and for whom a place may be available.

Our autism class will be funded and resourced by the Department of Education and Skills with additional financial support from Board of Management resources. The maximum class size is six pupils. Each complete class is allocated one full-time Teacher and two Special Needs Assistants. Children are eligible to attend our autism class between the ages of four and thirteen years only.

3. Our Aim

St. Anne’s Primary School welcomes all students for whom we can provide an appropriate education. Our Autism class will aim to offer an autism specific learning environment within a mainstream school. In this setting, we aim to facilitate optimum inclusion as part of the school community with access to mainstream activities as appropriate. Through the provision of a broad curriculum, we will focus on the development of each pupil’s individual strengths and identify and provide for their special educational needs to enable them to reach their full potential in an environment that provides inclusion, mutual respect, predictability and calm.

4. Application for Enrolment

The application process begins with a letter of eligibility from the Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) or a telephone call or a visit from the parents/guardians. Parents will be invited to read our enrolment criteria and submit an application form.

5. Enrolment Criteria

Enrolment to this class will only be available to children with Autism who are 4 to 8 years of age on the year of entry who, with the support available in St Anne’s Primary School, will have the capacity to and aim to, at least, partially integrate into a mainstream class.

The maximum enrolment in the Autism class is six pupils. The Board of Management reserves the right to enrol less than this if it is deemed in the best interest of the class, the pupils and the school. If the number of children on the list of applicants to enrol exceeds the number of places available, the following criteria will apply in priority order, beginning with number one – subject to meeting all the criteria and completing all the procedures outlined in this policy.

Category 1: Children with an ASD diagnosis who are currently enrolled in the school

If the number of applicants in this category exceeds the number of available places, the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the applicants to be enrolled. The following criteria will be considered:

1. Suitability for enrolment considering the needs/age/abilities of those currently enrolled and those seeking enrolment.
2. The eldest child currently enrolled in the school with suitable recommendations.
3. Length of time waiting for enrolment.

Category 2: Children with an ASD diagnosis who have siblings currently enrolled in the school

If the number of applicants in this category exceeds the number of available places, the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the applicants to be enrolled. The following criteria will be considered:

1. Suitability for enrolment considering the needs/age/abilities of those currently enrolled and those seeking enrolment.
2. Length of time waiting for enrolment.

Category 3: Children with an ASD diagnosis, living within the catchment area as outlined in our general enrolment policy.

(Two utility bills must be supplied as proof of address).

If the number of applicants in this category exceeds the number of available places, the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the applicants to be enrolled. The following criteria will be considered:

1. Suitability for enrolment considering the needs/age/abilities of those currently enrolled and those seeking enrolment.
2. Length of time waiting for enrolment.

Category 4: If spaces are still available, places will be allocated as to children with an Autism diagnosis from outside the catchment area.

If the number of applicants in this category exceeds the number of available places, the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the applicants to be enrolled. The following criteria will be considered:

1) Suitability for enrolment considering the needs/age/abilities of those currently enrolled and those seeking enrolment.

2) Length of time waiting for enrolment.

Subject to sufficient places being made available in the autism class, the criteria for admission to the autism class, incorporating the Department of Education and HSE policies are as follows:

1. An application form should be fully completed by the parents/guardians on behalf of the child.
2. Children and young people are eligible for enrolment in a special class for Autism when the following is provided in support of such an application:

Professional report(s) outlining:

• Diagnosis of special educational needs (e.g. Autism: DSM IV/V or ICD 10/11 (psychologist, psychiatrist, multi-disciplinary report)

AND

• A demonstration of the understanding of complexity of the child's overall level of need/s evidenced in the professional reports

AND

• Given the severity or complexity of the child's support needs, a clear professional recommendation as to what educational placement type would be most appropriate to best meet the child's needs, along with the rationale for same

AND

• A letter from the NCSE confirming that the child is known to them and that the child has the required diagnosis and recommendation for a special class for Autism.

3. The child must be must be 4 years of age on or before the 1^st May of the year of admission.
4. The parents of the child must accept and agree to the school’s Code of Behaviour and the terms of this policy.
5. An autism class is an integral part of the mainstream school and is not in a position to provide a suitable education for children who are outside the level 2 or level 3 support needs.

Please note that fulfilling the enrolment criteria does not necessarily ensure enrolment if sufficient places / classroom space /staffing are not available.

Procedure for Enrolment

Receipt of an application for admission to the special class/ classes by the school does not constitute an offer of a place nor does it guarantee a place in the school. Decisions in relation to applications for admission are made by the Admissions Team and the Board of Management in accordance with our Admission Policy.

The Admissions Team

The Admissions Team will:

• Ascertain how many places are to be filled in the Autism Class/ Classes. The maximum number of pupils in the class will be six.
• Review all applications and all documentation relevant to a child applying for a place in the Autism Class/Classes
• Verify the class’s suitability in meeting the needs of the child.
• Verify that there is a recommendation from a psychologist for placement in a special class in a mainstream school.
• Verify the suitability of the child for potential, meaningful integration in an age appropriate mainstream class.
• Identify qualifying applicants with reference to these criteria.
• Prioritise each qualifying applicant with reference to selection criteria.
• Make a recommendation based on these findings to the Board of Management.

The Board of Management is responsible for and must respect the rights of the existing school community and, in particular, the children already enrolled. The Board of Management has the right to endorse or overrule any decision made by the Admissions Team. In particular, the Board of Management reserves the right to refuse enrolment if they believe the school cannot meet the needs of a particular child. All unsuccessful qualifying applicants will be placed on the Placement List, in accordance with the above criteria for places that may become available. All unsuccessful applicants have the right to appeal under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 within 42 days from the date of the decision by the Board of Management. The Placement List is valid for vacancies which occur in the current school year only.

Offer and Acceptance of a Place

Any offers for a place in the Autism Class are subject to confirmation from the SENO to the school that the child meets the criteria for placement in a special class within a mainstream school. A letter of offer for a place in the Autism Class will then be sent to the parents/ guardians. The letter of offer includes an Acceptance Form which must be returned within two weeks of the letter of offer being issued by the school. The acceptance form must also be accompanied by a signed acceptance of St. Anne’s Primary School’s Code of Behaviour in accordance with Section 24(4) of the Education Welfare Act, 2000. If the school does not receive the acceptance form within the two-week period, the place will be offered to the next child on the Placement List for that school year.

Late Applications

Applications for places in the Autism class made after the closing date will not be considered and will not be placed on the waiting list.

Placement

1. After placement in the Autism Class, a relevant Student Support File will be provided for the child. The plan will have input from all parties involved with the education of the child. The Student Support File will be updated once a year.
2. Each child in the Autism Class will be assigned to an age appropriate mainstream class for integration purposes, provided that this is in the best interest 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 support in place in the Autism class.
3. A child may be phased gradually to the Autism class through a mutually agreed process between the school and the parents of the child. It is important that every child gets the best possible start in the class. In order to achieve this, the duration of the child’s day may vary deeming on their needs.

4. School books do not need to be purchased until discussion with the class teacher in September.
5. A review will take place at the end of the child’s first year to assess whether the child’s placement is appropriate.

• The review will be carried out by school staff with parental involvement.
• The outcome of the review will be examined by the Board of Management.
• If in the event that a placement is inappropriate, the school will liaise with appropriate agencies in an effort to obtain a more suitable place.

Behaviour

It is acknowledged by St Anne’s Primary School that a minority of pupils with special educational needs may be overwhelmed and / or dysregulates at times, which may present as challenging behaviour. St. Anne’s P S has a duty of care to all its pupils and staff. Our management of challenging and/or violent behaviour is consistent with each child’s right to be treated with dignity and to be free of abuse.

All efforts will be made by school staff to prevent, manage and reduce challenging behaviour and/or violent behaviours through positive pupil/teacher/SNA relationships, the use of available therapeutic interventions and the implementation of behaviour plans as part of the pupil’s Student Support File. All pupils are subject to the St Anne’s P S Code of Behaviour and Safeguarding Statement. Where a pupil’s behaviour impacts in a negative way on the other pupils in the special class or on pupils in the integration (mainstream) class to the extent that those pupils’ right to an education is being interfered with as judged by the Board of Management, the school reserves the right to advise parents that a more suitable setting should be found for their child.

Discharge

It is the school policy to facilitate the discharge of pupils from the classroom once they have reached the age of thirteen. It will be deemed compulsory that the year the student turns thirteen will be their last year. Pupils who reach the age of thirteen after September 30th in any year will be permitted to complete the academic year. This means a June discharge in the following year. The onus will be on the parents to negotiate the placement with a suitable secondary school. St Anne’s PS will facilitate all transfer of records/reports as well as assist with any information required with regard to the student and St Anne’s PS will, with written consent, forward all relevant reports and assessments to the secondary school.

Discharge may also be recommended after the first and/or any subsequent year if, following psychological assessments and consultation with the parents/guardians, it is felt that the placement is no longer appropriate and serves the best interest of the child. The Board of Management has the right to overrule any decisions made in this regard.

Support by Outside Agencies

Parents should note that a guarantee of support by outside agencies such as the H.S.E. cannot be provided. Children who require speech therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, etc. will be dependent on the local H.S.E. services. The school does not have the resources to follow up on these services and it is up to the parents/guardians to ensure that all possible services are being availed of.

Review

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

It was approved by the patron.

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