Enrolment Policy
Knockskeagh NS
Introduction:
This Enrolment Policy has been formulated in collaboration with the staff,
Board of Management and parents of Knockskeagh National School
Rationale:
It was formulated within the context and parameters of
(i) Department of Education & Science (DES) regulations and programmes
(ii) the rights of the Patron as set out in the Education Act
(iii) the funding and resources available
The school supports the principles of:
(a) Inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of children with
disability or other special needs
(b) Equality of access and participation in the school
(c) Respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and way of
life in society.
(d) Parental Choice with regard to enrolment.
Aims:
 To ensure that clear practices and procedures are in place
 To cater to the needs of the children in our community to the best of our
ability.
General Information:
Knockskeagh National School is under the Patronage of the Catholic Bishop of
Cork and Ross and the Catholic ethos is promoted in the school. The children
are prepared for the sacraments of Confession, Holy Communion and
Confirmation. The school welcomes children of all religious persuasions, but
they must make private arrangements regarding religious instruction. A
Christian Ethos permeates all aspects of school life and this open vision
welcomes all pupils. We accept all pupils equally and endeavour to
accommodate all, subject to class number restrictions and to meeting with the
special educational needs of individual pupils. The school operates under
Department of Education & Science Rules and is dependent on grants for
running costs and upkeep. The staff deliver the curriculum prescribed by the
Department of Education and Science and this curriculum may be amended
from time to time in accordance with Section 9. 30 of the Education Act (1998).
Name of School: Knockskeagh National School.
Address:
Clonakilty, Co. Cork.
Tel. No. :
023-8838070
The school has a permanent staff of seven teachers. The members of staff are
as follows:
Mr. John Walsh, Principal
5th. & 6th. Class teacher Ms.
Eileen O'Donovan
3rd. & 4th. Class teacher.
Mr. David Horgan
1st. & 2nd. Class teacher
Ms. Niamh McMahon
Junior & Senior Infants
teacher.
Ms. Anne Beechinor
LSRT
Ms. Karen Russell,
LSRT
Ms. Sinéad O'Neill
LSRT
We have a shared Resource Teacher with Kilcoleman N.S., Mr. Sean O'Sullivan,
for the school year 2010-2011. We also share Ms. Sheila Hoare on a part-time
basis with Ardfield N.S.
We have a number of visiting teachers who provide lessons in Irish Dancing,
Hip Hop Dancing, Speech & Drama/Elocution, Tin Whistle, Physical Education,
etc.
Special Needs Assistants (S.N.A.s) are assigned to the school by the Dept. of
Education & Science to enable the inclusion of certain children with special
educational needs. We currently have 3 SNA s in the school.
Absences and Attendances
The school opens each day at 9:10 a.m. Children should arrive at this time but
not before 9:10 a.m. The school authorities are not responsible for the safety
of any child who is left in the school premises before and after official opening
times. In any event, parents/guardians should remain with their child until a
teacher arrives. All children should be in school by 9:30 a.m. The school
operates between 9:20a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (9:20 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for the pupils
of Junior and Senior infants).
There are two breaks in the day 11:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to
1:10 p.m.
The pupils in the Junior Infant class go home at 12:30 p.m. for the first two
weeks of the school year.
Pupils must attend school regularly. All absences must be explained in writing.
Parents/guardians are discouraged from taking their children out of school
during the school term for long periods e.g. holidays, etc. The board of
management is obliged to report to the national Educational Welfare Board
(N.E.W.B.) the name of any pupil who incurs 20 days absences in a school year
for whatever reason.
No pupil will be permitted to leave the school during school hours except:
(a) in the company of a parent/guardian
(b) parent/guardian gives written permission.
In the event that a parent/guardian designates another person to collect their
child from school, the principal must be notified of this arrangement.
Any pupil who arrives in school later than the daily instruction commencement
time or who is collected from school before the end of school, must be signed
in/signed out by an accompanying adult.
Enrolment Guidelines:
1. In accordance with Rules for National Schools, only children from the age of
4 years upwards will be enrolled. Compulsory attendance does not apply until
the age of 6 years.
2. Intending pupils are invited to an open day in early June of each year.
3. On enrolment parents/guardians will be required to fill out an enrolment
form and supply a copy of their child’s Birth Certificate. Parents/guardians will
be given a copy of the school Code of Discipline and other information
regarding procedures on absences and attendances. They will be required to
read the Code of Discipline and give a signed undertaking that they will comply
with this code.
4. New enrolments will be accepted on the first day of the new school year.
Pupils transferring from another national school must apply to the Board of
Management for permission to enrol. These pupils must provide written
evidence of attendance and educational progress from the previous school.
The final decision lies with the Board. Pupils transferring from another school,
without a change of address may do so only at the beginning of a quarter i.e.
1st. January, 1st April, 1st. July and 1st. October.
5. As far as possible, and in keeping with school policy, pupils will be enrolled
on application provided there is adequate space in the school. Where space is
limited or class sizes too large, the Board will make its decision keeping in mind
the following:
(I)
Ethos of the school
(ii)
Siblings already in the school
(iii) Children of staff members
(iv) Geographical boundaries
(v)
Age of the children
(vi) Parental ties with the school
6. Applications for enrolment from pupils with Special Needs will be
considered as follows:
(I) The Board of Management may request a copy of the medical and
psychological reports where available.
(ii) Where no report is forthcoming or available, a request may be made
to have the child assessed immediately. The assessment would assist
the Board in deciding whether the school has facilities to support the
child.
(iii) Where further resources are required, the Board will request the
DES to provide such facilities. These may include Resource Teacher,
Special Needs Assistant, specialised furniture or equipment, transport,
etc.
(iv) It may be necessary and advisable that the principal, parents, and
support staff meet and discuss the special needs of the child.
(v) The Board may decide to defer enrolment pending the receipt of
the assessment report or/and the provision of appropriate resources.
7. All new parents will be invited to an Information Evening which is usually
held in early September. At this meeting, parents are informed on school
guidelines and practices regarding homework, absences, attendances,
meetings with the class teacher, extra-curricular activities, etc.
Exceptional Circumstances
The school reserves the right to refuse enrolment to a pupil in exceptional
circumstances. Such an exceptional case could arise where either:
(i)
The pupil has special needs such that, even with additional resources
available from the DES, the school cannot meet such needs and/or provide
for the pupil an appropriate education.
(ii)
In the opinion of the Board of Management the pupil poses an
unacceptable risk to other pupils to school staff or to school property.
Appeals Procedure.
In line with Section 23 of the Education Act 1998, parents who are dissatisfied
with the enrolment decision may appeal to the Board of Management. This
appeal must be addressed, in writing, to the Chairperson of the Board, stating
the grounds for the appeal and lodged within 10 days of receiving the refusal.
Parents, if unhappy with the result of this appeal, may appeal to the
Department of Education & Science under Section 29 of the Education Act on
the official form provided by the Department. An appeal form will be issued by
the school to the parents/guardians. This appeal must be lodged within 42
days of receipt of the refusal form the school to enrol.
Children of Other Faiths or No Faith
Bearing in mind the Catholic ethos of the school, every effort will be made so
that the school is as inclusive as possible. While the Catholic ethos permeates
the day, children of other faiths or none, where a request is made, shall be
excused from participation at formal religious instruction. The pupils in
question will be assigned other exercises by the class teacher during this
period. It is not possible due to accommodation constraints and lack of
supervisory staff to remove children of other faiths or none from the
classroom during religious instruction. Parents of these pupils are informed on
enrolment of the procedures in place to accommodate their child/children
during religious instruction. It is not possible to provide religious instruction in
other faiths.
Additional Information:
Board of Management
The Board of Management governs the school. the board comprises of 8
members - two patron's nominees, two parents' representatives, two teachers'
representatives, (one of whom is the principal) and two members of the wider
community. The term of office for the board is 3 years. The board meets at
least once a term or more frequently if there are particular issues to be
discussed. The current Chairman is Mr. John Loughnan. The parents'
representatives on the current Board are
Ms. Clodagh Nicholson and Mr. Conor O'Sullivan.
Parents' Association:
There is a very active Parents' Association in the school which welcomes all
parents/guardians of the pupils as members. The Parents' Association
supports the staff in its efforts to provide extracurricular activities and raises
much needed funds to supply extra equipment and resources for the school.
The association meets once a term. The A.G.M. is usually held in early
October. The current officers are: Ms. Julie Horgan, Chairperson; Ms. Lorna
Nyhan, Secretary; Ms. Aileen Collins, Treasurer.
This policy was ratified by the Board of Management at its meeting on 21st
October 2009.
This policy was amended in August 2010 to take account of additions to the
staff for 2010-2011 School Year.
Enrolment
Policy
Knockskeagh
NS