1. INTRODUCTION

This policy was put in place by the Board of Management of Hansfield Educate National
School in November 2014 prior to the opening of the 1st of 2 classes in January 2015.

Our school is under the Patronage of Educate Together and our policies reflect our ethos
being co-educational, multi-denominational, child centred and democratically managed. We
follow the National curriculum and presently have 162 students up to second class. We have
seven mainstream class teachers, one learning support teacher, three EAL teachers, a
shared resource teacher, one full time SNA, one infant day SNA and a part time secretary.
At full capacity, our school will be fully vertical and will accommodate twenty four
mainstream classes with two outreach ASD classes, totalling 684 pupils.

Our school is funded by The Department of Education and Skills. We are located in
Hansfield, a newly developed suburb in Dublin 15. The first Educate Together secondary
school is temporarily based in our building and we also accommodate a privately run pre
school called “Busy Bees”.
2. RATIONALE

Our school building was completed in August 2014 with an educational accommodation of 24
mainstream classrooms, 8 support rooms and an outreach block of 2 classrooms. The Board
of Management decided to use the special education outreach block to assist children with
ASD to integrate into mainstream education with their age-appropriate cohort. The outreach
block will focus on communication and social interaction skills.
3. CHARACTERISTICS OF RÉALT ÁRAS

Réalt Áras is a two classroom learning centre for pupils with special educational needs (ASD)
and has the capacity for a maximum of 12 students. Each class has 6 students, one
mainstream teacher and 2 Special Needs Assistants. This allocation is achieved gradually to
ensure the best possible combination of pupils, teachers, SNA’s, staff training and
resources.

Réalt Áras is a safe environment in which students with ASD will learn a range of skills that
will facilitate them making a gradual transition into mainstream classes with their own age
cohort.

As with the mainstream section of our school, parental involvement in the children’s
learning is assumed, encouraged and valued.
Active parental participation ensures
consistency between the children’s various learning environments, a factor which is
especially important for ASD children.

Réalt Áras caters for children in the same age-range as our mainstream student cohort. No
student shall be older than 13 years of age during his or her final year in primary School.

The teaching methodologies employed in Réalt Áras will be those that are deemed most
appropriate to individual students’ learning needs. This is consistent with the “Eclectic
approach” recommended by the Department of Education and Skills – TEACCH, ABA, PECS,
etc. Réalt Áras is an integral part of our school and all of our pupils participate in whole
school events to the best of their ability.
4. APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR ADMISSION TO RÉALT ÁRAS

In order to apply for a place in Réalt Áras, parents/guardians should submit a standard
school application form, ticking the “Réalt Áras” box. This can be downloaded from the
school’s website www.hansfieldetns.com or a hard copy can be obtained from our school’s
reception area.

Receipt of the application form with all relevant documents will be acknowledged and the
child’s position on the waiting list will be given by phone/text/email as soon as the
application is deemed “complete” by the pre enrolment officer. This acknowledgement will
be given within 21 days. Parents/guardians will be notified immediately if the application is
“incomplete”.

When a complete application is received, the date and time of receipt are noted on the
application form. The waiting list number will be used to determine “first come first
served”.

The parents/guardians and their child are invited to a meeting with the Réalt Áras
coordinator and are encouraged to bring reports from the child’s present educational setting
with them to this meeting.

Thereafter, the application will be assessed by the Réalt Áras Enrolment Advisory Board
(school principal, Réalt Áras Coordinator, pre enrolment officer, Parent of ASD child and
Réalt Áras class teacher) in accordance with the following enrolment criteria.
5. ENROLMENT CRITERIA
To be considered for admission to Réalt Áras, all of the following criteria must be met:

A fully completed application must be submitted.

The child must have a primary diagnosis of a qualifying Autism Spectrum Disorder made
using the DSM-IV or ICD 10 manuals. The diagnosis must be made from a professionally
recognised clinical and psychological assessment procedure and be submitted with the
application form.

A recent recommendation, not more than two years prior to the proposed admission date
must be provided by the above professional indicating that a placement in a special class in
a mainstream school is warranted. This must be submitted with the application form.

If the child presents with a general learning disability, it must fall within the average to
mild General Learning Disability range. This diagnosis must also be made using a
professionally recognised clinical and psychological assessment procedure. The report
confirming this must be submitted with the application form.

A letter of acceptance from the clinical support service(s) associated with the child’s
learning challenges must be submitted with the application form.

The school has the resources in place to meet the special educational needs of the child
(staff, facilities, clinical services).

The child must have the potential (independence with SNA access for the full school day) to
be included in a mainstream class with his/her age-based cohort (+ or - 1 year) before
leaving primary school.

The educational provision enjoyed by the current students in Réalt Áras will not be
detrimentally affected by the level of specialised intervention required for the new student.

The child must be four years of age on or before 31 May of the year he/she begins Junior
Infants. (equivalent for subsequent classes) No student shall be older than 13 years of age
during his or her last year in the School.
6. RIGHT OF REFUSAL TO ENROL

The total number of places in Réalt Áras is 12. If the classes are oversubscribed, places will
be allocated on a “first come first served basis” based on the waiting list number allocated
to each application, in addition to the child meeting all of the enrolment criteria.

The BOM reserves the right to refuse enrolment to children in exceptional cases.
(1) If the child has special needs such that, even with additional resources that may be
granted by the Department of Education and Skills, the BOM judges that our school is not in
a position to provide the child with an appropriate education, or
(2) In the opinion of the Board of Management (with reference the child’s professional
reports and present setting’s report), the child will pose an unacceptable risk to other
pupils, staff or to school property.

Parents who are dissatisfied with an enrolment decision may appeal in writing to the
chairperson of the Board of Management stating the grounds for the appeal within 10 days of
receiving the final refusal. Parents are then entitled to appeal this refusal according to
section 29 of the Education Act 1998 and should be advised by the BOM of this right. This
appeal should be lodged within 42 days of receiving the final refusal from the BOM.
7. OFFER OF PLACEMENT

A child on our Pre-Enrolment list will be offered a place on “first-come, first-served” basis
in Réalt Áras (with guidance from the Advisory Board) if all the criteria are met. The
procedure followed is described in our school’s general enrolment/admissions policy. The
“deferral” option only applies to Junior Infants in mainstream classes.

All our school policies apply to students and their parents in Réalt Áras at an appropriate
level.

A child may be phased in gradually to Réalt Áras through a mutually agreed process between
the school personnel and the child’s parents.

Our school reserves the right to review the child’s progress regularly to determine whether
Réalt Áras remains an appropriate school setting for the child. Please refer to point 9 also.
8. TRANSITION FROM RÉALT ÁRAS INTO MAINSTREAM

School personnel will decide when inclusion/integration into a mainstream setting is
appropriate for students in Réalt Áras. This may be at an age chronologically above or below
the student’s age but will be the class that is deemed to best meet the child’s needs.
Parents’ input will be sought prior to making this decision.
9. REVIEW OF PUPILS’ CONTINUED PLACEMENT

The BOM reserves the right to regularly review pupils’ progress to determine if Réalt Áras
remains an appropriate school placement for the child.

If the continued placement of a pupil has become an unacceptable risk to other pupils,
school staff or to property, the BOM will be entitled to review the placement in accordance
with our school’s Code of Positive Behaviour. (see www.hansfieldetns.com)
10. POLICY REVIEW

This policy will be reviewed by our Board of Management annually.
The next review is due on May 29th 2015.
Adopted by the Board of Management on 27.11.14
Signed on behalf of the Board of Management:
_______________________________
Denis Moynihan
(Chairperson)