Admission Policy

1. Introduction

The Board of Management of St. Nicholas’ Monastery National School is setting out this policy in accordance 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 the parents of children attending the school.

The policy was approved by the school patron on 22^nd June 2021. It is published on the school’s website and will be made available in hardcopy, on request.

St. Nicholas’ Monastery National School is maintained by grants, funding and teaching resources provided by the Department of Education and Science. It operates within the regulations laid down from time to time by the Department. This school policy is subject to and dependent upon the resources and funding available. The school is subject to the Education Act (1998), the Education Welfare Act (2000), the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (2004), equality law, health and safety regulations and all other relevant legislation. The school follows the curricular programmes outlined by the Department of Education and Science, which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with Sections 9 and 30 of the Education Act, 1998.

General School Information

2. Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school.

St. Nicholas’ Monastery National School is a Catholic; single sex boys school under the patronage of the Catholic Arch Bishop Eamon Martin. As a Catholic school, we strive to promote the full and harmonious development of all pupils’ cognitive, intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual abilities, including nurturing a living relationship with God and other people.

The school caters for all classes from Junior Infants to sixth class. It is an inclusive school and caters for pupils of all abilities and welcomes pupils from all ethnic backgrounds and other religions. There are 13 teachers in total including the principal, 8 class teachers, four learning support teachers and a shared H.S.C.L. teacher with Castletown Girls’ School. We have 5 Special Needs Assistants who are assigned to the school by the Department of Education and Science (DES) to enable the inclusion of certain children with special educational needs.

St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S.is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of theArchbishop of Armagh.

“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:

1. the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil, 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,

and which school provides 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 St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S. shall uphold, and be accountable to the patron for so upholding, the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the religious education 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 respect is paid to all religions and/or value systems, as a Catholic school we are concerned with the education of the whole person hence prominence is given to the quality of relationships alongside academic achievement. The school supports the principles of inclusiveness, equality of access and of participation in school life, with respect for diversity of traditions, values, beliefs, languages and ways of life in society, whilst working with the context of the rules and regulations of the Department of Education and Science.

3. Admission Statement.

St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S. will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:

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

St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S. will co-operate 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.

St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S. 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.

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.

4. Admission of students

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –

1. a student seeking a place in Junior Infants has not reached his fourth birthday on or before September 30th of their year of entry. An original birth certificate must be included with each application.
2. the school is oversubscribed (please see section 5 below for further details)
3. 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

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:

1. Siblings (including step-siblings or foster siblings) of children already enrolled in the school or who have attended the school in the past.
2. Children whose main residence is within the Parish (current proof of address will be required with all applications e.g. a utility bill dated within the past 3 months. The electoral register or other confirmation may also be requested as proof of address).
3. All other applicants

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 of the following in deciding on applications for admission or when placing 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 (howsoever described) to the school
3. a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude
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. the date and time on which an application for admission was received by the school

7. Decisions on applications.

All decisions on applications for admission to St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.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

8. Notifying applicants of decisions.

Applicants will be informed in writing as to the decision of the school.

If a student is not offered a place in our school, the reasons why they were not offered a place will be communicated also in writing to the applicant.

Applicants will be informed of the right to seek a review/right of appeal of the school’s decision.

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

In accepting an offer of admission from St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S., you must indicate in writing whether or not you wish to accepted the offer.

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 St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S. where:

1. it is established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.
2. 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.

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:

1. an application for 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)

12. 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 12

13. 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:

1. All reports and relevant documentation from the pupil’s previous school must be forwarded.
2. The transfer is considered to be in the best interests of the child.
3. Pupils will not be accepted into a 1st – 6th class of 30 or more pupils.
4. A decision will be made and parents will be advised of same within 21 days of receipt of the completed transfer request form as per section 8 above

The above procedures will also apply 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.

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

The Board of Management of St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S. or any persons acting on its behalf will not charge fees for or seek payment or contributions (howsoever described) as a condition of-

15. an application for admission of a student to the school,
    
    or
16. the admission or continued enrolment of a student in the school.

15. Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction

Bearing in mind the Catholic ethos of the school, every effort will be made so that the school is as inclusive as possible. While Catholic education and ethos permeates every aspect of the school day, children of other faiths or no faith, where request is made in writing, will be excused from participating in formal religious instruction classes and specifically Catholic liturgies although children from all faiths are invited to participate if they wish. However, it will not be possible to provide instruction in other faiths or alternative supervision by another staff member during these designated periods.

16. 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) (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)

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 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.

This policy will be implemented for the school year 2021/2022 and thereafter. It will be reviewed as deemed necessary by the Board of Management.

This policy was ratified by the Board of Management of St. Nicholas’ Monastery N.S. on 22^nd June 2021.

Signed by the Chairperson of the Board of Management.