St John’s National School
Scoil Náisiúnta Naomh Eoin
Principal: Catherine Coady Deputy Principal: Katrina Scanlan
Address: Wyattville Road, Phone: 01 9020990
Ballybrack, Email: office@stjohnsns.ie
County Dublin, Website: www.stjohnsns.ie
A96 NW60
Admission Policy
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 the parents of children attending the school.
The policy was approved by the Patron on 10/03/2023. 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 St John’s NS admission process are set 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 it will be made available in hardcopy on request to any person who requests it.
Contacting the School:
St. John’s N.S., Wyattville Road, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin
Tel: 01 9020990; www.stjohnsns.ie
Patron: Archbishop Dermot Farrell; Chairperson: Ms. Sarah Cosgrave; Principal: Mrs. Catherine Coady
Characteristic Spirit and General Information
St. John’s N.S. is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of Archbishop Dermot Farrell.
“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, including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; and
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 St. John’s N.S. shall uphold, and be accountable to the patron for 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.
Mission Statement:
St John’s NS is a Catholic school, respecting others beliefs.
All of the partners in the school community, parents, teachers, support staff, pupils and management will work together, underpinned by our Catholic values and beliefs, to ensure that we create the optimum learning/teaching atmosphere in our school. Working together we will support all of our pupils to develop their full potential and to use their diverse talents. We will create an inclusive atmosphere where all of the partners in the school community will treat each other with respect, dignity, as partners and as equals.
3. Admission Statement
St. John’s N.S. 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.
St John’s NS will cooperate with the 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 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. St John’s NS will comply with any direction served on the board or the patron under section 37A and 67(4)(b).
St John’s NS is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values and does not discriminate in relation to the admission of a student who has applied for a place in the school in accordance with section 7A of the Equal Status Act 2000.
St John’s NS is a school which has established 3 classes, 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. Our AS classes require a diagnosis of Autism with/without a Mild General Learning Difficulty.
4. Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the special classes:
St John’s NS, with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established 3 classes to provide an education exclusively for students with a diagnosis of Autism.
5. Admission of Students:
The school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –
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 reasonable compliance with such code by the student.
St John’s NS is a Catholic school and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of the Catholic faith where 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.
The special classes attached to St John’s NS provides an education exclusively for students with an ASD with or without a MGLD, 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 these classes.
6. a) Oversubscription to Mainstream Classes:
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.
Children who attend Early Start in St John’s NS.
Siblings and step-siblings of children already enrolled in the school and children resident in the Ballybrack-Killiney parish.
Children of staff
Children residing outside the Ballybrack-Killiney Parish
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 the eldest in accordance with the above criteria.
b Oversubscription to AS Classes:
In the event that the AS class 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 to the Special Classes and that meet the criteria for applications as set out in Section 3 above:
Siblings of current pupils in mainstream and AS classes,.
Siblings of past pupils* in mainstream and AS classes,
Children who live in the Ballybrack-Killiney Parish.
All other applications.
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:
a lottery will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner by the Principal, a member of the Board of Management, and an officer of the Parent Association.
7. 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 preschool or pre-school service, including naíonraí,
other than in relation to a student’s prior attendance at –
i) an early intervention class, or
ii) an early start preschool, specified in a list published by the mInister from time to time.
the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school.
(c) a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude;
other than in relation to,
i) admission to a special class in so far as it is necessary to ascertain whether or not the student has the category of special educational needs concerned.
(d) the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parents;
(e) a requirement that a student, or his parents, attend an interview, open day or other meeting as a
condition of admission.
(f) 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 in the case of this school including the selection criteria
based on (1) siblings of a student attending or having attended the school and (2) parents of
a student having attended the school.
(g) 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.
This is also subject to the school making offers based on existing waiting lists (up until 31st January
2025 only).
8. Decisions on applications
All decisions on applications for admission to St John’s NS will be based on the following:
Our school 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 admission 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.
9. 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).
10. Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant
In accepting an offer of admission from St John’s NS, you must indicate –
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
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.
11. Circumstances in which an offer may not be made or may be withdrawn
An offer of admission may not be made or may be withdrawn from St John’s NS 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.
12. Sharing of Data with other schools
Applicants should be aware that section 66(6) of the Education (Admissions 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 –
an application for admission to the school has been received.
an offer of admission to the school has been accepted.
an offer of admission to the school has been accepted
This list may include any or all of the following:
the date on which the application for admission was received by the school.
the date on which an offer of admission was made by the school.
the date on which an offer of admission was accepted by an applicant.
a student’s personal detail;s including his or her name, address, date of birth and personal public service number (within the meaning of section 262 of the Social Consolidation Act 2005)
13. 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’ applications after the school has applied the selection criteria in accordance with this admission policy will be completed.
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 accordance with the order of priority in relation to which the students have been placed on the list.
14. 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 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 applications will be offered a place if there is a 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.
15. 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.
Such applications will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis but will normally be considered for admission on the first day of each new term unless the applicant is newly resident in the area.
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:
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 St John’s 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 St John’s 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.
Junior Infants, with the exception of students transferring from another school, will be considered on a case by case basis. However, Junior Infants normally start school at the start of Term 1.
16. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees
The Board of St John’s NS 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.
17. Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction
The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parents have requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction 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) to discuss how the request may be accommodated by the school.
Prior to religious occasions parents/guardians will be contacted to ascertain if or not they wish their child to attend the religious events arising from an existing list of pupils in this regard. Alternative classes will be offered for these pupils by a teacher.
18. 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 reviews in accordance with the requirements of the procedures determined under Section 29B and with section 29C of the Education Act 1998.
Note: Where the 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 the 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)(i) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due to 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 Ratification
In drafting this policy, the Board of Management of the school has consulted with school staff, the school patron and with parents / guardians of children attending the school. The Board of Management reserves the right to review, amend and append this policy to maintain the ethos of the school. Its decision is final and binding.
The policy was approved by the school patron on 10/03/2023. This policy was ratified by the Board of Management on the 22/03/2023. This policy will be reviewed by the Board of Management annually at their Board meeting in January or February.
_______Sarah Cosgrave_____ ____Catherine Coady______
Ms Sarah Cosgrave Mrs Catherine Coady
Chairperson of the Board of Management Principal
St. John’s N.S., Church Road, Ballybrack St. John’s N.S., Church Road, Ballybrack