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Admissions Policy St. Joseph’s National School Milltownpass Co. Westmeath Tel: 044 9222512 087 1131259 Website: milltownpassns.com Roll number:16304J School Patron : Bishop Deenihan 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 . 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 St. Joseph’s National School 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 St. Joseph’s is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Bishop of Meath. “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:
In accordance with S.15 (2) (b) of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management of St. Joseph’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. 3. Admission Statement St. Joseph’s will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:
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. St. Joseph’s is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain 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. St. Joseph’s is a school which has established a class, with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, which provides an education exclusively for students with a category or categories 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. 4. Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the school/special class St. Joseph’s with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established a class to provide an education exclusively for students with ASD. 5. Admission of Students This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –
St. Joseph’s is a Catholic school and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of Catholic faith where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school. The special class attached to St. Joseph’s provides an education exclusively for students with ASD and the school may refuse admission to this class, where the student concerned does not have the specified category of special educational needs provided for in this class. Please note that a separate Enrolment Policy is used for our ASD class. 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: Priority Criterion 1 Priority is given to brothers and sisters of children already in the school( including step siblings resident at the same address), priority eldest. 2 Families whose primary permanent residence is within the Catholic parish boundary, priority eldest. 3. All remaining applicants. In the case of an over-subscription within one of the above categories places should be allocated beginning with the eldest in descending order of age until all remaining places have been allocated 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:
(I) an early intervention class, or (II) an early start pre-school, specified in a list published by the Minister from time to time
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 St. Joseph’s will be based on the following:
The BOM will have regard for the relevant DoES guidelines in relation to class size and staffing provisions and or any other relevant requirements concerning accommodation, including physical space and the health and welfare of children. (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 St. Joseph’s, 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 St. Joseph’s where--
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. 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-- (i) an application for admission to the school has been received, (ii) an offer of admission to the school has been made, or (iii) an offer of admission to the school has been accepted. The list may include any or all of the following: (i) the date on which an application for admission was received by the school; (ii) the date on which an offer of admission was made by the school; (iii) the date on which an offer of admission was accepted by an applicant; (iv) 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 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 St. Joseph’s 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 St. Joseph’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. Applicants whose applications are received after the closing date, outlined in the Annual Admission Notice, will be placed at the end of the waiting list in order of the date of receipt of the application. 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. 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 13. 15. Procedures for admission of students to other years and during the school year Criteria for Enrolment to SI to 6m Classes Priority Criterion 1.Priority is given to brothers and sisters of children already in the school. 2. Families whose primary permanent residence is within the catholic parish boundary 3. All remaining applicants In the case of an over-subscription within one of the above categories places should be allocated beginning with the eldest in descending order of age until all remaining places have been allocated The procedures of the school 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, are as follows: Pupils may transfer to this school at any time subject to there being enough space in the relevant class. 16. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees The board of St. Joseph’s 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 or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, who has 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. A meeting will then be arranged with the parent(s) or the student, as the case may be, to discuss how the request may be accommodated by the school. 18. Reviews/appeals Review of decisions by the board of Management The parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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. 1. Implementation and ReviewThis Policy will be reviewed, as deemed necessary, by the Board of Management. 2. Policy Ratification The policy was ratified by the Board of Management of St. Joseph’s National School on . Signed: Date: (Chairperson, Board of Management) (Principal) Official Stamp The contents of this policy have been approved by__________________acting on behalf of the Patron. Comments are closed.
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