Admissions Policy of C.B.S Primary School Nenagh 2024/25

School Address: Summerhill, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. E45VW44

School Website: www.nenaghcbsp.ie

Roll number: 16727O

School Patron: Most Rev. Fintan Monahan, Bishop of Killaloe

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 11th December 2023.  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 C.B.S Primary School Nenagh 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

C.B.S Primary School Nenagh is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Bishop of Killaloe and trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust.

“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:

• the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil, a living relationship with God and with other people; and
• including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; and
• a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and
• the formation of the pupils in the Catholic faith;

and which school provides religious education for the pupils in accordance with the doctrines, practices and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, and/or such ethos and/or characteristic spirit as may be determined or interpreted from time to time by the Irish Episcopal Conference.

In accordance with S.15 (2) (b) of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management of C.B.S Primary School Nenagh 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.

Our school supports and endeavours to uphold the five key elements of an Edmund Rice School:

• Nurturing faith, Christian Spirituality and Gospel-based values.

• Promoting partnership.

• Excelling in teaching and learning.

• Creating a caring school community.

• Inspiring transformational leadership.

Our school strives to provide a well-ordered, caring, happy and secure atmosphere where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the pupils are identified and addressed.

Our school is a multi-cultural school that welcomes and embraces difference and uniqueness.  We wish to give each child a sense of personal and cultural identity, with a respect for and a tolerance of other cultures and differences.

Our school aims to nurture a Christian atmosphere that cultivates a positive relationship based on respect between staff, pupil, parents and local community. In this atmosphere each pupil feels valued and special.

Our school aims to provide a full range of curricular and extra-curricular activities allowing pupils to develop their many talents and to develop to their full potential.

Our school encourages the involvement of parents through home/school contacts and through their involvement in the Parents’ Council.

Our school will endeavour to enhance the self-esteem of everyone in the school community, to instil in the pupils respect for people and property and to encourage responsibility.

3.     Admission Statement

C.B.S Primary School Nenagh will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:

• the gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
• the civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
• the family status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
• the sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
• the religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
• the disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
• the ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
• the Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned, or
• 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.

C.B.S Primary School Nenagh will cooperate with the National Council for Special Education in the performance by the Council of its functions under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 relating to the provision of education to children with special educational needs, including in particular by the provision and operation of a special class or classes when requested to do so by the Council.   C.B.S Primary School Nenagh will comply with any direction served on the patron or the board, as the case may be, under section 37A and any direction served on the board under section 67(4B) of the Education Act. C.B.S Primary School Nenagh 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.   C.B.S Primary School Nenagh 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 of the Catholic faith and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.   Note for Parents: the inclusion of the above wording was mandated by the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.

4.     Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the school/special class

C.B.S Primary School Nenagh, with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established a class to provide an education exclusively for students with a Mild General Learning Disability   Children with special education needs outside the category of a Mild General Learning Disability, are catered for by their mainstream class teacher with the support of the Special Education Team. C.B.S Primary School Nenagh, with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has also established a class to provide an education exclusively for students with a diagnosis of Autism and a professional recommendation for a special class placement, including a clear rationale as to why the student must attend such a placement.   Children with special education needs outside the categories indicated above, are catered for by their mainstream class teacher with the support of the Special Education Team.

5.     Admission of Students

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –

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

• 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

The special classes attached to C.B.S Primary School Nenagh provide an education exclusively for:   students with a diagnosis of a Mild General Learning Disability and a professional recommendation for a special class placement, including a clear rationale as to why the student must attend such a placement. students with a diagnosis of Autism and a professional recommendation for a special class placement, including a clear rationale as to why the student must attend such a placement.   The school may refuse admission to the above classes, where the student concerned does not have the specified category of special educational needs provided for in the relevant class, or the required professional recommendation for a special class placement, including a clear rationale as to why the student must attend such a placement.   Parents and guardians of children with a diagnosis of Autism or a Mild General Learning Disability must furnish acceptable professional reports which include a recommendation for this special class placement in accordance with NCSE guidelines.

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:

1. Applicants with siblings currently enrolled in the school (including stepsiblings, resident at the same address) – priority eldest 2. Children residing in the Catholic parish of Nenagh – priority eldest 3. Children of current staff members – priority eldest 4. Random selection (independently verified).

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:

Priority to eldest in accordance with the above criteria

7.    Selection Criteria for Admission to Special Classes

In the case of the school being oversubscribed for a place in our class for pupils with a Mild General Learning Disability, the following criteria will apply:

1. Children currently enrolled in a mainstream class in our school, and who have been in receipt of a Mild General Learning Disability diagnosis, and a professional recommendation for a special class placement, including a clear rationale as to why the student must attend such a placement. 2. Children living in the parish of Nenagh who are transferring from another school with a Mild General Learning Disability diagnosis, and a professional recommendation for a special class placement, including a clear rationale as to why the student must attend such a placement. 3. Any remaining places will be filled as per the criteria set out for new entrants to Mainstream classes outlined above.

In the case of the school being oversubscribed for a place in our class for pupils with Autism, the following criteria will apply:

1. Children currently enrolled in a mainstream class in our school, and who have been in receipt of an Autism diagnosis, and a professional recommendation for a special class placement, including a clear rationale as to why the student must attend such a placement. 2. Children living in the parish of Nenagh who are transferring from another school with an Autism diagnosis, and a professional recommendation for a special class placement, including a clear rationale as to why the student must attend such a placement. 3. Any remaining places will be filled as per the criteria set out for new entrants to Mainstream classes outlined above.

8. 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 student’s prior attendance at a pre-school or pre-school service, including naíonraí, the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school;   a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude; other than in relation to: admission to our special class insofar as it is necessary in order to ascertain whether or not the student has the category of special educational needs concerned   the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parents;   a requirement that a student, or his or her parents, attend an interview, open day or other meeting as a condition of admission;   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   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.

9.     Decisions on applications

All decisions on applications for admission to C.B.S Primary School Nenagh 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.

10.     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).

11.  Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant

In accepting an offer of admission from C.B.S Primary School Nenagh, 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.

12. 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 C.B.S Primary School Nenagh where—

• it is established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.
• 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.
• 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
• an applicant has failed to comply with the requirements of ‘acceptance of an offer’ as set out in section 10 above.

13. 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).

14. 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 C.B.S Primary School Nenagh 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 C.B.S Primary School Nenagh 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.

15. 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.

16. 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:   Applications for enrolment during the school year will be considered subject to school policy, available space and the provision of information concerning attendance and the child’s educational progress. The maximum number of students per mainstream classroom in C.B.S Primary School is 28 students. The school reserves the right to exceed this maximum class size in exceptional circumstances strictly at its own discretion Such applications will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis but will normally only be considered for admission on the first day of each new term unless the applicant is newly resident in the area.

The maximum number of students in the Mild General Learning Disability class is 11. Students cannot be admitted to the Mild General Learning Disability class unless there is space in the relevant mainstream class. Applications for the Mild General Learning Disability class will be accepted in the spring term. Specific dates will be published in the Annual Admissions Notice.   The maximum number of students in the Autism class is 6. Students cannot be admitted to the Autism class unless there is space in the relevant mainstream class. Applications for the Autism class will be accepted in the summer term for 2024/25. Specific dates will be published in the Annual Admissions Notice.  The parent(s) of a student enrolling, when required by the principal in accordance with section 23(4) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, must 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.

Junior Infants, with the exception of students transferring from another school, may only be admitted to the school prior to 30th September each year.

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

The board of C.B.S Primary School Nenagh or any persons acting on its behalf will not charge fees for or seek payment or contributions (howsoever described) as a condition of-

• an application for admission of a student to the school, or
• the admission or continued enrolment of a student in the school.

18.  Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction

Our school is of a Catholic ethos and, in keeping with that ethos, children of all or no other faith are welcome to apply to this school.   We respect the decision of parents to withdraw their child/children from taking part in the religious education curriculum, religious ceremonies, school Masses, etc.    The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent(s)/guardian(s) have requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction (etc.) 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)/guardian(s) of the student, to discuss how the request may be accommodated by the school.

19.   Reviews/appeals

Review of decisions by the board of Management

The parents/guardians 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 parents/guardians 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.

The policy was ratified by the Board of Management of C.B.S Primary School Nenagh on May 23rd, 2024.

Signed: Donal Smyth Chairperson, Board of Management

The contents of this policy have been approved by St. Senan’s Education Office, acting on behalf of the Patron.