Admission Policy – Tullamore Educate Together National School

Admission Policy
Tullamore E.T.N.S. Admission Policy

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 September 1st 2020. 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 Tullamore E.T.N.S. admission process are set out in the school’s annual admission notice which is published annually on the school’s website and social media page 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.

Tullamore Educate Together N.S. educates children from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. Tullamore Educate Together N.S. has also established two classes for children on the Autistic Spectrum. The school depends on the grants and teacher resources provided by the Department of Education and Skills and it operates within the regulations laid down. The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the Department of Education and Skills, which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with the requirements of the Education Act 1998. The Revised Curriculum is being implemented in the school in accordance with the timetable recommended by the Department of Education and Skills.

2. Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school

Educate Together schools are committed to the values laid down in Educate Together’s Charter. Our schools are learner-centred, equality-based, co-educational and democratically-run. This means that all members of the school community, whatever their social, cultural or belief background, work together in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Students follow an Ethical Education curriculum, learning about morality and spirituality; equality and justice; belief systems and an ethical approach to the environment. It teaches students about different belief systems as well as atheism, agnosticism and humanism, without promoting any one worldview over another. Our equality-based ethos informs all policies and practices in the daily life of the school. In exercising this policy making and decision-making responsibilities, the school’s Manager/Board of Management upholds the characteristic spirit of the school.

Educate Together schools provide for equality of access in line with the Educate Together Charter and offers places to siblings enrolled in the school at the same time in the first instance.

The definition of a sibling in this policy includes step siblings and foster siblings who are enrolled in the school at the same time.

3. Admission Statement

Tullamore E.T.N.S. will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following —

(a) the sex or gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
(b) the civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
(c) the family status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
(d) the sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
(e) the religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
(f) the disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
(g) the ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
(h) the Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned, or
(i) 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.

Tullamore E.T.N.S. 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.

Tullamore ETNS will cooperate with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in the performance by the Council of its functions under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 in relation to the provision of education to children with additional (“special”) educational needs, including in particular by the provision and operation of a specialised class or classes when requested to do so by the Council.

Tullamore ETNS will comply with any direction served on the board or the patron under section 37A and 67(4)(b).

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

Tullamore E.T.N.S with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established a class to provide an education exclusively for students with Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorders.

5. Admission of Students

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where —

(a) the school is oversubscribed (please see section 8 below for further details)
(b) 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.
(c) Where a student is less than 4 years of age on 1st September of the school year concerned.
(d) The special class attached to Tullamore E.T.N.S. provides an education exclusively for students with Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorders and 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. 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;

a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude; other than in relation to —
admission to a special class insofar as it is necessary in order to ascertain whether or not the student has the category of special educational needs concerned and/or

(c) the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parents;
(d) a requirement that a student, or his or her parents, attend an interview, open day or other meeting as a condition of admission;
(e) 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 students who are enrolled in the school at the same time,
(f) 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.

7. Oversubscription

(a) Junior Infants

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. Students must reach 4 years of age on or before June 30th of the school year concerned —

1. Applicant students who are siblings of children and enrolled in the school at the same time.

2. Any available places will be allocated according to age- the oldest applicant being given first preference.

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), places will be offered or added to a waiting list by the earlier date of birth of the student.

(b) Other year groups – Senior Infants to 5th Class

If the school is oversubscribed, the school will, when deciding on applications for admission, apply the following selection criteria in the order listed below. It will be applied to those applications that are received within the timeline for receipt of applications as set out in the school’s annual admission notice for other year groups. Students must be moving to the next year group if the application is for September or to the same year if applying to move during the school year, in an age appropriate class.

1. Applicant students who are siblings of children and enrolled in the school at the same time.

2. Any available places will be allocated according to age-the oldest applicant being given first preference once there is space in the relevant class.

3. A separate list will be operated per class.

If a special class is oversubscribed the school will apply the following selection criteria to students. These will be applied in the order listed below to applications received within the timeline as set out in the school’s annual admission notice for the special class. The child must have a recommendation for the specified category of special educational needs provided for in this class.

1. Current students enrolled in mainstream who have a diagnostic or psychological assessment recommending a special AS class placement.

2. Applicant students who are siblings of children enrolled in the school at the same time.

3. Any available places will be allocated according to age- the oldest applicant being given first preference.

8. Late Applications

All applications for admission received after the closing date as outlined in the annual admission notice for Junior Infants, a special class or to other year groups will be considered and decided upon in date order of when they were received 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 not later than three weeks after the date on which the school received the application. Late applicants will be offered a place if there is a place available. In the event that there is no place the name of the applicant will be added to the waiting list.

If two applications are received at the same time the applicant will be offered a place or placed on the waiting list in order of earliest date of birth.

9. Waiting list in the event of oversubscription

In the event of there being more applications to the school year concerned than places available in Junior Infants, a special class or other year groups, a waiting list of students per class whose applications for admission to Tullamore E.T.N.S 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 Tullamore E.T.N.S.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 see section 7 above. Late applications will be added to the list in date order, see section 8 above.

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 for the relevant class level.

Waiting lists will expire at the end of each school year.

10. Admissions of students after the commencement of the school year

If a place is available after the commencement of the school year in which admission is sought, the place will be offered to the next applicant on the waiting list if there is one, or to the next application subject to the school being satisfied with the reasons for the transfer ( Information will be required from the present/previous school concerning attendance, behaviour and educational progress).

A child removed from the register of Tullamore Educate Together N.S. in accordance with the terms of Rule 64, 2 (C) shall be re-enrolled at the request of his/her Parents/Guardians following his/her removal, subject only to their being a place in the school.

11. Decisions on applications

All decisions on applications for admission to Tullamore E.T.N.S. will be based on the following:

(a) Our school’s admission policy
(b) The school’s annual admission notice (where applicable)
(c) 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

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.

12. Notifying applicants of decisions

Applicants will be informed in writing as to the decision of the school, within the timeline outlined in the relevant annual admissions notice but no later than three weeks after the annual admissions process or for late applications, three weeks after the school receives an application.

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 or class concerned.

Applicants will be informed of the right to seek a review/right of appeal of the school’s decision (see section 17 below for further details).

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

In accepting an offer of admission from Tullamore E.T.N.S. you must indicate —

(a) 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
(b) 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.
(c) have all the documentation required in section 13 above

14. 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 Tullamore E.T.N.S. where

(a) it is established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.
(b) 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.
(c) 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
(d) an applicant has failed to comply with the requirements of ‘acceptance of an offer’ as set out in section 13 above.

15. 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 —

(a) An application for admission to the school has been received
(b) An offer of admission to the school has been made, or
(c) An offer of admission to the school has been accepted.

The list may include any of the following —

(d) The date on which an application for admission was received by the school
(e) The date on which an offer of admission was made by the school
(f) The date on which an offer of admission was accepted by an applicant
(g) 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)

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

The board of Tullamore E.T.N.S 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. 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.

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 to a reason other than the school being oversubscribed.

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.

18. Data Protection

The school acknowledges its obligations as a data controller under the Data Protection Acts 1988 – 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Information obtained for the purposes of allocating places in the school to students will only be used and disclosed in a manner which is compatible with this purpose. Only such personal data as are relevant and necessary for the performance of this function will be retained. The school undertakes to ensure that such information is processed fairly, that it is kept safe, secure, accurate, complete, and up to date. Individuals have the right to have any inaccurate information rectiﬁed or erased. All data submitted as part of the admissions process will be destroyed within twelve months of the end of the school year the application is for (as opposed to the receipt of the application). A copy of all personal data obtained and kept as part of the admissions process will be made available to the subject of such data on receipt of a written request to the chairperson of the board of management.

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