Admission Policy of St Michael’s CoI National School

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School Address: Church Rd, Blackrock, Cork, T12 E620

 

Roll number: 18388F

 

School Patron:  Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 St Michael’s COI National School’s 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 Michael’s CoI NS is a co-educational primary school with a Church of Ireland ethos under the patronage of Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.

 

“Church of Ireland/Anglican” ethos in the context of a Church of Ireland primary school means the ethos and characteristic spirit of the Anglican Christian tradition. This seeks to nurture and encourage the formation of the intellectual, academic, sporting, social and religious abilities of each child within the framework of the community of faith. A Church of Ireland ethos encourages intellectual diversity of thought and encourages the individual to seek to understand themselves, the world around them and the connection between the world and the Divine. This understanding of school ethos promotes pluralism in thought and living, in the context of a Christian school community. Drawing on its Anglican tradition, the Church of Ireland School encourages home/family involvement, highlighting the importance of the family/home in the social and emotional development of the child, and more broadly, the community of the school and church.

 

In accordance with S.15 (2) (b) of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management of St Michael’s CoI NS 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

St Michael’s CoI NS serves the parish of Blackrock and was founded in 1866.The small school environment is conducive to the promotion of a happy family atmosphere where each child gets a high degree of attention and is valued for their individuality. We endeavour to create a well functioning, stimulating, happy and safe environment which promotes the dignity and individuality of every pupil, including those with special educational needs, enabling them to reach their full potential.

In September 2019 we opened a Special Class for children with a diagnosis of Autism. Our Special Class is an additional support mechanism for pupils with a diagnosis of additional needs who find/would find attending mainstream classes on a full time basis challenging. Our Special Class is a class within the overall school and as such forms an integral part of our school community. As far as possible, pupils attending the Special Class will be integrated into the day to day activities of the school and it is envisaged that pupils attending the Special Class will, as far as possible, participate in school related events. 

 

 

3.    Admission Statement 

 

St Michael’s CoI will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:

 

1. the gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

2. the civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

3. the family status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

4. the sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

5. the religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

6. the disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

7. the ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

8. the Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned, or 

9. 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.

 

 

St Michael’s CoI NS is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment

which promotes certain religious values and does not discriminate in relation to the admission of a student who has applied for a place in the school in accordance with section 7A of the Equal Status Act 2000.

 

St Michael’s CoI NS 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 Church of Ireland and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

 

St Michael’s CoI NS 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 Michael’s CoI NS with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established classes to provide an education exclusively for students with Autism (ASD) that meet the criteria set out by the NCSE to qualify for enrolment in a Specialist ASD Class attached to the mainstream setting. 

 

Criteria for Admission to the Special Class Attached to the Mainstream School

 

1. Each child must have a diagnosis of Autism/ Autistic Spectrum Disorder using DSM V or ICD 10 criteria as set out by a professional/individual approved by the Department of Education and skills and a Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Report. This report must be current and must include a recommendation that a placement in a special class attached to a mainstream school is both necessary and suitable for the child.

2. As inclusion is an integral part of our school ethos, it is a necessary criteria of enrolment that any child attending the special class must have the potential of meaningful integration into a mainstream classroom setting. The level of integration, duration and timing will be decided upon by the principal and staff of the Special Class in consultation with the mainstream teacher and the parents of the child in question and on the basis of information shared at an annual review meeting.

3. Admission procedures outlined in this policy must be followed when applying for admission to the Special Class Attached to the Mainstream School. The Application Form For The Special Class Attached to a Mainstream School must be filled out by parents and submitted to the school with all relevant reports. 

 

In the event that the number of children meeting the criteria above is greater than the number of places available in the Special Class, the categories outlined in Section 6 of this Policy will be used as a basis for prioritising admission to the Special Class.

 

 

5.    Admission of Students

 

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –

 

a)    the school is oversubscribed (please see section 6 below for further details)

 

1. 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

 

 

St Michael’s CoI National School is a Church of Ireland School and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of Church of Ireland where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

 

The special class attached to St Michael’s CoI NS provides an education exclusively for students with a diagnosis of Autism/ Autistic Spectrum Disorder using DSM V or ICD 10 criteria as set out by a professional/individual approved by the Department of Education and skills and with a Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Report that recommends a placement in a special class attached to a mainstream school. 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.

 

 

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: 

 

The priority categories for admissions to our mainstream school are as follow:

•  Priority Category 1: An Applicant Student who is a sibling of current pupil/pupils of the school.

• Priority Category 2: An Applicant Student who is a member of the Church of Ireland or a Protestant reformed church or is a member of a minority religion which has the same religious ethos, or a similar religious ethos to the programme of religious instruction/education which is provided in the school1 and who lives within the boundary of Blackrock Parish. 

• Priority Category 3: An Applicant Student who lives within Blackrock Parish and who complies with the terms of this Policy 

• Priority Category 4: All other Applicant Students who comply with the terms of this Policy

 

In respect of Priority Category 2 above and Priority Category C below, the Applicant must provide the following documentation with the application form in order for the application to be complete, as the School must satisfy itself that the Applicant Student is a member of a minority religion and that it provides a programme of religious instruction or religious education which is of the same religious ethos as, or a similar religious ethos to, the religious ethos of the minority religion of the Applicant Student.


  1.  A statement from the Applicant confirming (i) that the Applicant Student is a member of a minority religion and (ii) that the Applicant wishes the Applicant Student to be educated in a school that provides a programme of religious instruction/education  which is of the same religious ethos, or a similar religious ethos to, the religious ethos of the minority religion of the Applicant Student.

and


  2.  Evidence from the Applicant to support the statement that the Applicant Student is a member of  the minority religion. This evidence will consist of:-
     *   a letter from the relevant religious leader confirming, that the Applicant Student is a member of the minority religion or
     *   the signature and stamp of the relevant Church leader on the application form confirming, that the Applicant Student is a member of the minority religion or
     *   a baptismal record issued by the relevant minority religion which confirms that the Applicant Student has been baptised as a member of the minority religion."  

 

 

The priority categories for the Special Class Attached to our Mainstream School are as follow:

 

• Priority Category A: Children who meet the criteria of this policy  and who are currently enrolled in St Michael’s Church of Ireland National School with a recommendation that a special class placement within a mainstream school is best suited to the child’s needs.

• Priority Category B:  Children who meet the criteria of this policy who are siblings of children currently attending St Michael’s Church of Ireland National School.

• Priority Category C: Children who meet the criteria of this policy and who are members of the Church of Ireland or a Protestant reformed church or are members of a minority religion which has the same religious ethos, or a similar religious ethos to the programme of religious instruction/education which is provided in the school and who live within the boundary of Blackrock Parish. 

• Priority Category D: Children who meet the criteria of this policy and who are members of the Church of Ireland or a Protestant reformed church or are members of a minority religion which has the same religious ethos, or a similar religious ethos to the programme of religious instruction/education which is provided in the school and who live outside the boundary of Blackrock Parish. 

• Priority Category E: Children who live within Blackrock Parish and who meet the criteria of this policy 

• Priority Category 4: All other children who meet the criteria of this policy.

 

 

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:

 

It is to be noted that where oversubscription occurs in any one of the above priority categories, places will be given within the priority category (and only in that priority category) using a lottery system. Each Applicant Student in this position will be allocated a number and the numbers shall be randomly picked (by a random number generator and under the supervision of an independent outside witness). 

Where the Applicant Students in a category are not successful in achieving a place, their names will be placed on a waiting list in the order in which such names were drawn in the category. Applicants will be informed of the Applicant Student’s place on the waiting list as it applies in the particular priority category.

 

 

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;

other than in relation to: admission to our special class for children with a diagnosis of ASD insofar as it is necessary in order to ascertain whether or not the student has the category of special educational needs concerned;

 

(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)    a student’s connection to the school by virtue of a member of his or her family attending or having previously attended the school;

other than, siblings of a student attending or having attended the school

 

 

(g)   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 St Michael’s CoI 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 St Michael’s CoI 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 are 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 Michael’s CoI NS 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 10above.

 

 

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 Michael’s CoI 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 St Michael’s CoI 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.  

 

Applicant students 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. Applicant students will be offered a place if a place is available. In the event that there is no place available, the name of the applicant student will be added to the waiting list in accordance with Section 13 of this policy.

 

 

15. Procedures for admission of students to other years and during the school year

 

The procedures of the school in relation to the admission of students who are not already admitted to the school to classes or years other than the school’s intake group are as follows: 

 

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. Applicant students will be offered a place in the relevant class if a place is available. In the event that the number of applications exceeds the number of available places in the relevant class, the school will apply the selection criteria set out in Section 6 of this policy to those applications.  In the event that there is no place available, the name of the applicant student will be added to the waiting list in accordance with Section 13 of this policy.

 

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:

 

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. Applicant students will be offered a place if there is a place available. In the event that there is no place available, the name of the applicant student will be added to the waiting list in accordance with Section 13 of this policy.

 

16. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees

 

The board of St Michael’s CoI 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 

 

A written request should be made to the Principal of the school.  A meeting will then be arranged with the parent(s)/guardians 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 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.

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