MAINSTREAM ENROLMENT POLICY
SCOIL CHAITRIONA JUNIOR, RENMORE, GALWAY.
A.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Scoil
Chaitríona Junior Renmore, Galway is a Catholic co-educational primary
school under the Patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Galway, Bishop Martin
Drennan.
Scoil
Chaitríona Junior has a total teaching staff of 31 teachers. This includes 18 class teachers, 7 learning
support/resource teachers, 4 special class teachers, 2 full time language
support teachers and an administrative principal. The special classes cater for children with
specific speech and language disorder and general learning difficulties and
profoundly deaf children.
Scoil
Chaitríona Junior is a co-educational junior school, catering for
children from Junior Infants – 2nd class. Children with special needs are taught in the
special classes, as described above.
Scoil
Chaitríona Junior depends on the grants and resources provided by the
Department of Education and Skills and operates within the regulations laid
down by the Department. School policy
must have regard to the resources and funding available.
Scoil
Chaitríona Junior follows the Curricular Programmes prescribed by the
Department of Education and Skills, which may be amended from time to time, in
accordance with Sections 9 and 30 of the Education Act 1998.
Within
the context and parameters
of D.E.S. regulations and programmes, the rights of the Patron as set out in
the Education Act, and the funding and resources available, the school supports
the principles of:
(a)
inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the
enrolment of children with a disability or other special educational needs;
(b)
equality of access and participation in the school;
(c)
parental choice in relation to enrolment;
(d)
respect for the diversity of values, beliefs,
traditions, languages and ways of life in society.
TIMETABLE
Scoil Chaitriona Junior opens for pupils at 8.40 and
closes at 14.30. Classes begin at 8.50
a.m. The annual school calendar,
outlining school holidays, is made available to parents each year in the month
of September.
B. THE PROCEDURES
1.
Provision
of key information by parents:
A Specific enrolment application form will be provided
by the Board of Management, and the following information will be sought:
·
Pupil’s name, address, date of birth.
·
Pupil’s PPS number (for SEN Applicants when required)
·
Names and addresses of pupil’s parents/guardians.
·
Contact telephone numbers, in case of emergency.
·
Details of any medical conditions of which the school
should be aware.
·
Details of any legal orders of which the school should
be aware.
·
Details of any assessments done to date e.g. Speech Therapy,
Psychology, Occupational Therapy etc.
·
Religion.
·
Previous schools attended and reason for transfer.
·
Any other relevant information, including any such
information as may be prescribed under the Education Welfare Act, 2000.
2.
Decision
Making:
As a
general principle and in so far as is practicable, having regard to the
school’s enrolment policy, children will be enrolled on application, provided
there is space available.
Decisions in relation to applications for enrolment
are made by the Board of Management of Scoil Chaitriona Junior, in accordance
with school policy. Applications for
enrolment should be lodged prior to June 1st and will be replied to
by June 21st of the year of enrolment.
Enrolments will be taken for the 30th of
September each year until classes are full in seniority of age.
While
recognising the right of parents to enrol their child in the
school of their choice, the Board of Management of Scoil Chaitríona Junior is
also responsible for respecting the rights of the existing school community and
in particular, the children already enrolled.
This requires balanced judgements, which are guided by the principles of
natural justice and are taken in the best interests of all children. Assisting the school in such circumstances,
the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the maximum number of
children in each separate classroom, bearing in mind:
a)
Size of, and available space in, classrooms.
b)
The educational needs of children of a particular age.
c)
Multi-grade classrooms.
d)
Presence of children with special
educational/behavioural needs.
e)
D.E.S. maximum class average directive which currently
determine a maximum average of 20 children per class.
In the event of the number of children seeking
enrolment in any given class/standard exceeding the number of places available,
before the start of or during the school year, and the B.O.M. being unable to
provide suitable accommodation, or recruit the required teaching staff, the
following criteria will be used to prioritise children for enrolment.
·
Sisters and brothers of children already enrolled in Scoil
Chaitriona Junior, giving priority to the oldest. This will include step sisters, step brothers
living at the same address.
·
Children living within Renmore parish, giving priority
to the oldest.
·
Children of current school staff, giving priority to
the oldest.
·
Children whose home address is closest to the school,
as measured by a straight line on an O.S. map, if the child is normally
resident outside the Renmore Parish boundary.
·
Priority will be given to children whose 4th
birthday falls prior to June 30th of year of enrolment in Junior
Infants.
·
Pupils may be enrolled at any time during the school
year, if newly resident in the area provided there is space available.
·
Pupils wishing to transfer from other schools are
enrolled subject to the rules governing National Schools, as well as our own
School Enrolment Policy and local agreements with other schools.
·
Children may transfer from another school up to and
including 30th September. Only children who have moved into the area
from another county / country may be considered for enrolment in the middle of
term, in order to minimise disruption for children already in class.
3.
Enrolment
of children with special needs.
In relation to application for the enrolment of
children with special needs, the Board of Management requires, together with
the completed enrolment form, a copy of the child’s Medical Report and/or
recent Psychological Report. Where such a report is not available, parents will
be requested that the child be assessed immediately. The purpose of the assessment report is to
assist the school in establishing the educational and training needs of the
child relevant to his/her disability or special needs and to profile the
support services required. Following
receipt of the report, the B.O.M. will assess how the school can meet the needs
specified in the report. Where the board
deems that further resources are required it will, request the Department of
Education and Science to provide the resources required to meet the needs of
the child as outlined in the psychological report. These resources may include access to, or the
provision of, any or a combination of the following:
a)
Visiting teacher service.
b)
Resource Teacher for special needs.
c)
Special Needs Assistant.
d)
Specialised furniture.
e)
Transport services.
The school will then meet with the parents of the
child to discuss the child’s needs and the school’s suitability and/or
capability in meeting those needs. If
necessary, a full case conference may be held to include parents, school
principal, class teacher, learning support teacher, resource teacher for
special needs and psychologist, as appropriate.
4.
Enrolment into Special Classes:
Scoil Chaitríona Junior has a policy on each special
class: Speech & Language Classes; Class for the deaf; Moderate general
Learning Disability.
5.
Code of Behaviour:
Children enrolled in our school are required to
co-operate with and support the School/Board of Management’s Code of Behaviour
as well as all other policies on curriculum, organisation and management. The B.O.M. places Parents/Guardians
responsible for ensuring that their child(ren) co-operate with said policies in
an age-appropriate way.
No comments:
Post a Comment