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. 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 Fossa NS 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. School Details:
- Fossa National School, Fossa, Killarney, Co. Kerry.
- Phone: 064 6634863. Rolla: 17012B
- Email: fossaschool@gmail.com
- Website: fossanationalschool.com
3. Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school
Fossa NS is a Catholic co-educational primary school. We are situated in the heart of the parish of Fossa, with an enrolment of approximately 265 pupils, providing education for children from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. The school has two ASD classes which cater exclusively for children with Autism (see separate admissions policy).
Our school has a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Bishop of Kerry. “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:
(a) the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil, including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; and
(b) a living relationship with God and with other people; and
(c) a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and
(d) 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 Fossa 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. Fossa NS strives to provide a well-ordered, caring, happy and secure atmosphere and environment where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the children are identified and addressed. Fossa NS encourages the involvement of parents through home/school contacts and through their involvement in the Fossa NS Parents Association. The school will endeavour to enhance the self-esteem and wellbeing of everyone in the school community, to imbue in the children respect for people and property and to encourage in them the idea of being responsible. Fossa NS will promote gender equity amongst teachers and pupils and promote a caring and responsible attitude to the environment. Déanfaimid iarracht Gaeilge a labhairt I rith an lae agus na páistí a spreagadh chun foghlaim.
4. Admission Statement
Fossa NS will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:
(a) the 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 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,
(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.
Fossa NS 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. Fossa NS 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. Fossa 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 Catholic and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.
5. Admission of Students
This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –
a) the school is oversubscribed (please see section 5 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 ) Fossa NS is a Catholic Ethos School whose objective it 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 Catholic , and where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.
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. Siblings and stepsiblings of children already enrolled in the school and children resident in the Parish of Fossa (the eldest child will have priority in this ranking).
2. Children of the staff in the school. (the eldest child will have priority in this ranking).
3. Children living outside the catchment area of the Parish of Fossa. (the eldest child will have priority in this ranking).
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:
The oldest student will be given priority. If two applicants have the same date of birth, then a lottery will apply with an independent party present.
7. Decisions on applications
All decisions on applications for admission to Fossa NS will be based on the following:
• Our school’s admission policy
• The school’s annual admission notice
• 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 13 below in relation to applications received outside of the admissions period and section 14 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.
8. 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 17 below for further details).
9. Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant
In accepting an offer of admission from Fossa 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 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.
10. 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 Fossa 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 10 above.
11. 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)
12.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 Fossa 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 Fossa 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. 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.
13. 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 12.
14. Procedures for admission of students to Junior Infants, other years and during the school year Junior Infants – Registration of incoming Junior Infants takes place before the end of November in the calendar year they are due to start school. Notice of the registration dates will be published on the school’s website 1 month in advance. Copies of the child’s birth certificate, PPS number and house utility bill (as proof of residence ) should be provided to the school at this time. Applications received after the end of November will be deemed late applications. 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:
Senior Infants-Sixth Class: Students may apply to the school at any time, subject to the School Admission policy, and places will be offered, where available, at the appropriate age level, as outlined by the Department of Education and Skills. Transfers from other schools: Transfers from other schools will be accommodated at the start of a new term where possible. All reports and relevant documentation from the previous school should be forwarded in advance of enrolment. Transfers to other schools: The school principal should be informed in writing of the new school’s details and proposed start date.
15. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees
The board of Fossa 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.
16. Review of decisions by the board of Management
The parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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.
17. Right of appeal
Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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.
Policy Approval
The contents of this policy have been approved by St. Senan’s Education Office, acting on behalf of the Patron.
