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Enrolment Policy of Gaelscoil Chill Dara
[ Tá an leagan Gaeilge den pholasaí seo ar fáil sa Ghaelscoil agus anseo freisin.]
In a spirit of partnership between management, teachers and parents, and mindful of the ideals of the founding parents and of the Irish speaking community, and of An Foras Patrúnachta, who responded to the need for access to education through the Irish language for Irish speaking families and for parents who wished to have their children educated through Irish, and consistent with its Roman Catholic ethos, Gaelscoil Chill Dara seeks to promote the welfare of all its pupils as they become active learners. Gaelscoil Chill Dara is a recognised school as defined in the Education Act 1998 and is subject to the requirements of that Act. The school’s patron is Foras Pátrúnachta na Scoileanna Lánghaeilge and it is funded by the Department of Education and Skills.
i Gaelscoil Chill Dara is a primary school that teaches pupils from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. There are two classes for each year group from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. The policy decision adopted by the Board of Management is to limit the size of the Gaelscoil to two classes in each year group and not to extend past this size in future years.
ii Both boys and girls are taught in the Gaelscoil.
iii Irish is the medium of instruction and administration in Gaelscoil Chill Dara which practises a policy of Early Total Immersion. Teaching of English begins in the third week of the Senior Infants year. No previous knowledge of the Irish language is required, though it is desirable.
iv Gaelscoil Chill Dara is a non fee-paying public school.
v Enrolment in the Gaelscoil is available to any child who satisfies the criteria outlined in this policy document and who respects the ethos and aims of Gaelscoil Chill Dara.
vi Though the ethos is Catholic, children from other religious backgrounds and of no particular religion are welcome.
vii Children with a disability or other special needs are welcomed and accepted in the same way as all of the children.
viii Each child must have reached his/her fourth birthday by the 1 April of the calendar year when he/she is due to start in Junior Infants.
ix Gaelscoil Chill Dara uses a multi-year Applications List system for entry into Junior Infants (at age 4 years 5 months or older), i.e. a parent can fill in an Application Form for a child several years in advance. However, there is a deadline of mid-December for the next class of Junior Infants due to start the following August. The Application Procedure for Junior Infants is explained more fully in a section appended at the end of this policy.
x A fully completed Application Form is essential and may be returned to the Gaelscoil at any time. There is no other way of ‘putting your child’s name down’ for the Gaelscoil.
xiiApplication Forms are available from the office in the Gaelscoil. They can also be found at www. gaelscoil chill dara .com in the section headed “Application Form”.
xii Gaelscoil Chill Dara, in appropriate circumstances, also accepts applications for children who are seeking to transfer from another primary school into any class (Senior Infants up to Sixth Class) and in particular, from other Gaelscoileanna. There are further details below under the heading of Transfers.
xiiiThe Gaelscoil is required to make available the name, address and date of birth of any child to the Health Service Executive when requested by it.
Selection Criteria - to be applied where there are more applications than the number of available places in Junior Infants
There are two classes for Junior Infants in Gaelscoil Chill Dara. The number of children in these two classes is determined by the Board of Management. Preference (priority) when allocating the available places will be given to only two groups of children: any child whose first language is Irish; or a brother/sister (i.e. sibling) of an existing pupil or former pupil. This preference (priority) will only be given to a child where an Application Form has been returned by the appropriate date for him / her.
Application Forms are available from the office in the Gaelscoil and also from the website www. gaelscoil chill dara .com in the section headed “Application Form”.
To request this first preference (priority), a completed Application Form should be returned to Gaelscoil Chill Dara no later than mid-December, some 9 months before the child is due to start in Junior Infants. Where the Application Form requesting this first preference is handed in late the child will be added at the end of the Applications List and treated along with, and on the same basis as, all of the other general applications.
First preference (priority) will be given to any child whose first language is Irish, where an Application Form has been returned by the appropriate date for him / her.
Secondly, preference (priority) will be given to a brother/sister (i.e. sibling) of an existing pupil or former pupil, where an Application Form has been returned by the appropriate date for him / her.
Then, places will be distributed sequentially in accordance with the date when the fully completed Application Form was recorded as received by the Gaelscoil.
In the case of a recently-adopted child, the Board is mindful of the potential disadvantage that such a child might face in so far as his/her parents could not have submitted an Application Form at an earlier date (i.e. a year or two previous). The Board will treat such an exceptional application in a considerate manner and may designate a nominal earlier date for the receipt of the Application Form for that child. In doing so, the Board will endeavour to reach a reasonable balance between the rights of that child and the corresponding rights of the other children who were already on the Applications List. The parent(s) of such a child should return the normal Application Form, duly completed, at the earliest opportunity. Any lengthy delay on the part of the parents in doing so may result in the Board deciding, in all the circumstances of the case, to treat the application as a normal application which does not merit any special consideration.
Note: There is a section appended to this Enrolment Policy that sets out the Application Procedure for Junior Infants in Gaelscoil Chill Dara.
N.B. Your attention is drawn to the deadline of mid-December for the receipt of fully completed Application Forms for all children hoping to receive a place in the next Junior Infants class due to start the following September. This also applies to the next brother or sister (i.e. sibling) of an existing or former pupil.
Transfers: Applications made to transfer a child into Gaelscoil Chill Dara during the school year (all classes) & for any child seeking a place in a class from Senior Infants up to Sixth Class at the start of a school year
Parents may wish to transfer their child(ren) from their existing primary school to Gaelscoil Chill Dara for a variety of reasons, e.g. moving to live in the area.
Where a place is available in any class (Junior Infants up to Sixth Class) the Board of Management of Gaelscoil Chill Dara will consider an application for any child/children, in particular, where a family is moving to live in this area.
Parents are advised to make initial contact with the Principal of the Gaelscoil at the earliest opportunity and to do so well in advance of any intended application.
Gaelscoil Chill Dara will make every effort to accommodate children who are seeking to transfer from another Gaelscoil.
Children from other primary schools will also be considered but the child must have a satisfactory level of fluency in Irish, and particularly so where a place is sought in one of the more senior classes (such as 5 & 6 Class).
Where a number of children from the one family are applying and a place in one class is offered to one of the children, every effort will be made by the Board of Management to also accommodate the other brother(s) / sister(s) in the other requested classes.
If the Gaelscoil informs you that it is unable to offer your child a place when seeking to transfer from another primary school you may seek an appeal under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
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This revised policy was adopted at a meeting of the Board of Management in October 2011. Cathaoirleach (Chairperson): Colm Ó Gógáin
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Notes:
All policies of Gaelscoil Chill Dara are subject to a process of review & amendment from time to time. The Parents Association (Comhairle na dTuismitheoirí ) is consulted in this process before a new or revised policy is finally adopted by the Board of Management. Further suggestions on any of the Gaelscoil’s policies, made in writing to the Principal, will be welcomed at any time from any interested person. The policies, as they presently stand, are posted on the Gaelscoil’s website in both English & Irish -
www. gaelscoil chill dara .com
All of the Gaelscoil’s policies are drawn up in both English & Irish. In the event that some difference is noted between the two versions of any policy a parent, etc, may choose to rely on either version as being the more beneficial for their child or their needs generally. The Board conducts its meetings through Irish but it will deal with any matter through either Irish or English as requested by any parent or other person.
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Appendix to the Enrolment Policy of Gaelscoil Chill Dara
Application Procedure for Junior Infants in Gaelscoil Chill Dara
[ As in use in 2011 ]
N.B. Your attention is drawn to the deadline of mid-December for the receipt of fully completed Application Forms for all children hoping to receive a place in the next Junior Infants class due to start the following September. This also applies to the next brother or sister (i.e. sibling) of an existing or former pupil.
Please note that your child must have reached his/her fourth birthday by the 1 April of the calendar year when he/she is due to start in Junior Infants.
First Step
Parents can submit the Application Form (Foirm Iarratais) on-line on the Gaelscoil’s website at any time to apply for a place for their child(ren) for some future school year. This can be found at www. gaelscoil chill dara .com in the section headed “Application Form”. The completed form can be returned as an attachment to an e-mail to the Gaelscoil. Alternatively, a parent may call in to the Gaelscoil and collect a copy of the form and return it when completed.
Application Forms for all pupils, including the brothers and sisters of existing pupils or former pupils, must be received by the Gaelscoil by mid-December at the latest, i.e. some 9 months before the children are due to start in Junior Infants.
When this completed form is received by the Gaelscoil the child’s name is placed on the Applications List and is assigned a number to note his/her starting position on that list. This does not mean that your child has been given a place for some future year in the Gaelscoil. It simply records the parents’expression of interest at this early point.
N.B. See the “Final Note” at the end of this list of steps.
Refer to the Selection Criteria heading in the Enrolment Policy where you will note that priority on that Applications List will be given to those children whose first language is Irish and also to brothers and sisters of existing pupils or former pupils.
Although your child will start on that Applications List at a particular number he/she may be moved either up or down over time. For example, when applications are received for children who merit prioritisation these will be entered towards the top of the list, thereby moving others down. Brothers and sisters of existing pupils are usually added to the list, with first preference (priority), around January, some 8 months before they are due to start in Junior Infants. On the other hand, some children may leave the list (e.g. if parents move away from the area or select another primary school) and this will have the effect of moving the remaining children further up the list. It is the responsibility of parents to keep themselves informed by inquiring about the up-to-date position as appropriate.
The eventual position of a child on this numbered Applications List will be of significance if there are more applications than places available for pupils when the time comes to assign the limited places for the two incoming classes of Junior Infants. Refer to the Selection Criteria in the Enrolment Policy.
Second Step
Ensure that you have an original copy of the Birth Certificate at home for your child. If you do not have one this may take you some weeks to obtain and you should set about getting one some weeks beforehand so as to avoid an unnecessary delay, which might even cause your child to lose his/her place in the application process. Please note that a child’s Baptismal Certificate is not sufficient for this purpose. You will be requested to produce the original Birth Certificate to the Gaelscoil around the month of January or March. (See below.)
Third Step
In January, some 8 months before the children are due to start in Junior Infants, there will be a meeting for the parents of the brothers and sisters of existing pupils and former pupils. The Application Forms for siblings must already have been returned by the previous month. This meeting is to afford parents the opportunity to confirm that their next child is applying for a place in the next Junior Infants class and to confirm the request for preference (priority) on the Applications List in line with the Selection Criteria. These parents will be required to fill in a Confirmation Form at this point and to bring in a copy of the child’s Birth Certificate to the Gaelscoil.
Fourth Step
The Principal (Príomhoide) will endeavour to make contact by phone or e-mail with the parents who had applied for a place in Junior Infants of the coming year for their child a long time previously in order to clarify whether or not they still wish to proceed with their application at this point. It is very important that you keep the Gaelscoil informed of any change of telephone number or other contact details.
Fifth Step
The Principal (Príomhoide) will apply the Selection Criteria to the Applications List and determine which children can be offered a place in one of the two incoming Junior Infants classes, beginning with the applications for children whose first language is Irish followed by those who are brothers and sisters of existing and former pupils, before then considering the other children on the List. The Principal will then write a letter to each of the parents, informing them of whether or not the Gaelscoil is in a position to offer a place to their child in Junior Infants for the coming year.
The parents of the selected children will be required to fill in a Confirmation Form at this point and to bring in a copy of the child’s Birth Certificate to the Gaelscoil. Any parent who is not going to avail of the offer of a place must inform the Principal immediately so that it can be offered to the next child on the Applications List.
Sixth Step
In March / April there will be a meeting for all of the parents who have returned the Confirmation Form (in the fifth step, above) and who wish to have their child enrolled after the summer holidays, i.e. for a place in the two incoming Junior Infant classes.
Seventh Step
When the available places in the two Junior Infants classes have been allocated from the Applications List a number of children may still be remaining, unfortunately. If a further place becomes available subsequently (e.g. due to a family moving, etc.) the parents of the next child on the (remaining) list will be contacted and offered that place.
Eighth Step
When the Gaelscoil reopens after the summer holidays all of the children who had been offered a place in Gaelscoil Chill Dara, the previous January and March, must be in attendance and will then be formally entered on the School Roll for the Department of Education & Skills. Only then is the child formally registered (i.e. enrolled) as a pupil in Gaelscoil Chill Dara.
Appeals
If the Principal (Príomhoide) informs you that the Gaelscoil has been unable to offer your child a place you may do either or both of the following:
Seek an appeal directly to the Board of Management, which must be done in writing within two weeks of having received notification of that decision. That application is to be made by writing a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Board of Management.
Make an application for a place in one of the other Gaelscoileanna in the surrounding region.
If the Board on Management (Bord Bainistíochta) considers your appeal and confirms that the Gaelscoil is unable to offer your child a place you may do either or both of the following:
Seek an appeal under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 without undue delay to the Department of Education & Skills.
Make an application for a place in one of the other Gaelscoileanna in the surrounding region.
Final Note :
Where a child has been placed on the Applications List for a particular year (i.e. due to start in a particular year) but the parent(s) subsequently request that he / she be moved to the list for a different year, it is important to note that the child will then be added at the end of that new list.
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