Enrolment Policy

BALSCADDEN PRIMARY SCHOOL is a Roman Catholic School under the Patronage of the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.  

As a Roman Catholic school, the school aims at promoting the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the pupil:   intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual, including a living relationship with God and other people. The Catholic school provides religious education for the pupils in accordance with the doctrines, practices and tradition of the Roman Catholic church and promotes the formation of the pupils in the Catholic faith.

        Enrolment of pupils for Junior Infants takes place throughout the school year.   Parent / guardians complete a Waiting List Application Form for the relevant school year.   Parents / Guardians sign this document to indicate their understanding that this document is a Waiting List Application only and does not guarantee a place in the school.   Junior Infants will be offered a place on the basis of priority following the school’s enrolment Policy before end of February of the year the child is due to commence school.

·                    Balscadden School is a mixed school with a staff of 11 teachers (including the Principal).   The school caters for 231 pupils (30/09/’09).

·                    Mainstream classes range from Junior Infants to 6^th. Class.

·                    The curricular programmes followed within the school are prescribed by the Department of Education and Science.

·                    The school opens for pupils at 9.00 a.m. (Monday to Friday).   Formal lessons begin at 9.20 a.m.   The school day ends for Junior and Senior Infants at 1.40 p.m., for all other students at 2.40 p.m.

·                    While recognising the right of parents to enrol their child in the school of their choice, the Board of Management of Balscadden School has the responsibility to respect the rights of the existing school community and in particular, the children already enrolled.   The Board of Management reserves the right to determine the maximum number of children in each classroom, bearing in mind:

a)     Size of / available space in classroom.

b)     Educational needs of children of a particular age.

c)     Multi-grade classes.

d)     Pressure of children with special educational / behavioural needs.

Our enrolment policy which has been ratified by the Board of Manangement aims to preserve the characteristic spirit and ethos of Balscadden School.

          Presently our school consists of 6 mainstream classes accommodated in the main building, plus 2 classes located in prefabricated buildings and a learning support room located in a prefabricated building.   Our school’s sewerage system is a septic tank – which was built in 1986 to meet the needs of a 6 teacher school.   We now feel the system is working beyond the capacity for which it was intended –

·                    Hence one reason for our decision not to acquire any further prefabricated building.

·                    Other ancillary accommodation in the main building e.g. staffroom, office, gym etc. are small and only intended to cater for a staff of 6.   The present school adult population is 15 – so those rooms are inadequate to meet even our current needs.

·                    We would also like to preserve our green areas for the health and well being of our present school population.

·                    We deem a class to be full when there are 28 children (max.) in the classroom – an exemption to this may occur when there is a child with special needs in a classroom -  if this scenario occurs the Board of Management may restrict the number of pupils in a classroom to less than 28 – depending on the child’s disability.

BALSCADDEN PRIMARY SCHOOL ADMITTANCE POLICY.

        Children will be offered a place in Junior Infants on the basis of priority following the admittance policy outlined below.

1.               Those children who already have or had brothers or sisters  in the school. Those children whose parent is a teacher in the school. {If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available then places will be allocated on the basis of age.

2.               Those Catholic children who reside in Balscadden including Flemington, Flemington Park, Tubbersool, Tubbertown, Knocknagin  -  (combined).

{If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available, then places will be allocated on the basis of age.}

3.               Those Catholic children who reside in Ring Commons, Dermotstown, Delahasey, Folkstown, The Matt, Balrickard, Balgee, Knockbrack, Kitchenstown, East Curragh, Killougher, Hazardstown, Haystown, Whitestown, Reynoldstown, Balgaddy, Grangemount, Grougha Lane, Newtown -(combined).

{If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available, then places will be allocated on the basis of age.}

4.      Those children either of whose parents has formerly been a pupil at Balscadden Primary School.    {If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available, then places will be allocated on the basis of age.}

5.     Those Catholic children who reside in New Haven, Dún Saithne, Mount Rochford, Hamlet Close  -   (combined).   {If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available, then places will be allocated on the basis of age.}

6.     All children who live within the parish boundaries and are    Catholic applying for a placement are entitled to a place if there are vacancies after the groups from (1) to (5) have been allocated places. {If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available, then places will be allocated on the basis of age.}

7.    All children who live within the parish boundaries and are  non Catholic applying for a placement are entitled to a place if there are vacancies after the groups from (1) to (6) have been allocated places. {If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available, then places will be allocated on the basis of age.}

8.        All children who apply to the school and are Catholics and not residents within the parish boundaries are entitled to a place in the school if there are vacancies in the school after the groups from (1) to (7) have been allocated places. {If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available, then places will be allocated on the basis of age.}

9.    All children who apply to the school and are not Catholics and not residents within the parish boundaries are entitled to a place in the school if there are vacancies in the school after the groups from (1) to (8) have been allocated places. {If the number of these children exceeds the number of places available, then places will be allocated on the basis of age.

THE  PROCEDURES ON BEING OFFERED A PLACE.

·                    Notification of offer/refusal of a school place will be made in writing by post to the address supplied by the applicant before the end of February of the year the child is due to begin school.

N.B.    The B.O.M. reserve the right to seek proof of address.

·                    If /when a place is offered for your child acceptance of that place must be received in writing at the school by a stipulated date.

·                    If this is not complied with the place will be immediately offered to the next child on the waiting list.

·                    The following documents must be included:-

·                    Birth Certificate.

·                    P. P. S. No.

·                    Baptismal certificate.

PUPILS   TRANSFERRING  TO  BALSCADDEN   SCHOOL

·                    Pupils may transfer to the school subject to our school Transfer Policy which   is as follows:-

·                    In the event of the school being over subscribed, children’s names are placed on the relevant class waiting list.   As a place becomes available the next child on the list is offered a place subject to the school Enrolment Policy.

·                    The school must be provided with information concerning the pupil’s previous attendance at school and educational progress prior to enrolment.

ENROLMENT OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL  EDUCATION NEEDS

·                    Principles of equality and the constitutional rights of all will be upheld by the school’s enrolment of children with disabilities or other special needs in accordance with the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004.

·                    In Accordance with the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 the school shall adhere to the following:-

“A child with special educational needs shall be educated in an inclusive environment with children who do not have such needs unless the nature or degree of those needs of the child is such that to do so would be inconsistent with –

(a)               The best interests of the child as determined in accordance with any assessment carried out under this Act, or

(b)               The effective provision of education for children with whom the child is to be educated”.   Section 2 Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004.

·                    The Board may decide to defer enrolment of a particular child pending the receipt of additional or more recent assessment reports, or the provision of appropriate resourced by the Department of Education and Science to meet the needs of the child.

THE    PROCEDURE

·                    The Board of Management shall request a copy of the child’s Psychological and/or Educational assessment Report/ Medical Report.   Following receipt of the report, the Board shall assess how the school could meet the needs specified in the report.   The same procedures will then be put in place as per children already enrolled.

·                    The school shall meet with the parents of the child and discuss the child’s needs and the school’s suitability or capability in meeting those needs.   A full case conference involving all parties may be held, to include parents, Principal, class teacher, learning support teacher, resource teacher for special needs, SENO, psychologist, other medical professionals, as appropriate.

·                    Where the Report recommends that further resources are required, the Department of Education and Science must ensure that these are made available to the school before admission takes place.   These resources may include access to the provision of any or a combination of the following:-  visiting teacher service; resource teacher for special needs; special needs assistant; specialised equipment or furniture; transport services or other.  

The Enrolment Policy is subject to on-going revisions as agreed by the Board of Management. Therefore, the copy kept in the school office shall always be the policy in current use.