Enrolment and Admissions Policy for Eglish National School
Admission Policy of Eglish NS
Eglish, Ahascragh, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway
Roll number: 15027E
School Patron/s: Bishop of Elphin Diocese – Bishop Kevin Doran
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 [date]. 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 Eglish 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
Eglish National School is a Catholic National School for boys and girls under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Elphin. The school aims to promote the full and harmonious development of all pupils: cognitive, intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual, including a living relationship with God and other people and promotes a Christian philosophy of life
3. Admission Statement
Within the context and parameters of Department of Education and Science regulations and programmes, the rights of the Patron as set out in the Education Act 1998 and the funding and resources available, the enrolment policy of Eglish National 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 and participation in the school,
● Parental choice in relation to enrolment, and
● Respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in society.
Eglish NS 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,
(c) the family 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.
Eglish NS is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes Catholic religious values and does not discriminate where it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not Catholic and 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/special class
In relation to applications for the enrolment of children with special needs the Board of Management may request a copy of any relevant medical or psychological reports as are available. If such a report is not available, it is open to the Board to request that the child be assessed prior to enrolment. The purpose of this assessment is to establish the educational needs of the child relevant to his/her disability/special needs and to profile the support services required.
Following receipt of such a report the Board of Management shall assess how Eglish National School can meet the needs specified in the report. If further resources are required, the Board of Management will, prior to enrolment, request the Department of Education & Skills to provide the required resources. These may include any combination of the following – visiting teacher service, resource teacher for special needs, special needs assistant, specialized equipment or furniture, transport or other services.
The school principal will meet with the parents/guardians of the child to discuss the child’s needs and the suitability and capability of Eglish National School to meet those needs. If necessary, a full case conference may be called which may include parents, principal class teacher, learning support teacher, special class teacher, resource teacher, psychologist and medical personnel.
Eglish NS 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.
Eglish NS 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.
5. Admission of Students
The Board of Management has determined that the school principal will accept written applications for enrolment in Junior Infants each year, up to the 31st May, prior to enrolment. Each February and March the school principal will communicate generally to the school community through school newsletters, parish newsletters and any other appropriate media that applications are being accepted up to the 31st May.
Applications will only be accepted on the basis of a fully completed School Enrolment form. This form must be accompanied by a copy of Birth Certificate/Baptismal Certificate if appropriate. Evidence of residency may be requested in the form of a household bill etc.
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) Eglish NS is a Catholic School and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of Catholic denomination where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.
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:
- Siblings of a student attending or having attended the school and/or
- Parents or grandparents of a student having attended the school - this criteria to a maximum of 25% of the available spaces as set out in the school’s annual admission notice.
- Children who live in the parish
- Children who are not residents of the parish, with priority given to children whose home address is closest to the school (as measured by a straight line on an Ordinance Survey map.
In determining enrolment the Board of Management shall take into account Department of Education & Skills regulations regarding staffing provisions, maximum class size and maximum class average and any other relevant requirements concerning accommodation such as physical space, the educational needs and right of children already enrolled, multi-grade classes and the presence of children with special educational/behavioural needs.
The Board of Management shall at all times have regard for the Health, Safety and Welfare of pupils, teachers and others who work in the school.
The Board of Management is bound by the Department of Education & Skills’ ‘Rules for National Schools’, which provides that pupils may only be enrolled from the ages of four years of age upwards although compulsory attendance does not apply until the age of six years.
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 first application received in terms of date will be given preference
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) a student’s prior attendance at a pre-school or pre-school service, including naíonraí,
(b) the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school;
(c) a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude;
(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) 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 Eglish 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 Eglish 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 Eglish National School 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.
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.
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 Eglish 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 Eglish 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.
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.
15. Procedures for admission of students to other years and during the school year
Pupils will, as a rule, only be admitted to Junior Infant classes during the month of September. Children may not be enrolled before the 5th anniversary of their birthday.
Children may be admitted to a Junior Infant class during the school year provided they are transferring from another school, or in exceptional cases at the discretion of the Board of Management.
Children may be admitted to other classes during the school year provided they are transferring from another school, or in exceptional cases at the discretion of the Board of Management and on condition that the school is not over subscribed. Children will be admitted on receipt of the signed ‘Code of Behaviour’ from parents.
16. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees
This rule applies to all schools.
The Board of Management of Eglish NS 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.
17. Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction
This section must be completed by schools that provide religious instruction to students.
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:
● The student not attending religious instruction will be given the option of completing work from another area of the curriculum of their choice in a quiet area of the classroom.
● The student will be invited to engage in their own preferred form of silent prayer or meditation during Class Prayer Time
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, 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.