Admissions and Participation Policy of Scoil Réalt na Mara, Ballycotton, Co. Cork.

Scoil Réalt na Mara is a Roman Catholic co-educational primary school under the patronage of the Bishop of Cloyne.

As a Roman Catholic school, the school aims at promoting the full and harmonious development of all pupils, cognitive, intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual, including a living relationship with God and other people. The school models and promotes a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The school caters for the full range of classes from Junior Infants to Sixth Class. It is an inclusive school and caters for children of all abilities. There are 6 full-time teachers, including the Principal, 2 Resource/Learning Support teachers, employed in the school. Special Needs Assistants are assigned to the school by the Department of Education and Science to enable the inclusion of children with special education needs.

Scoil Réalt na Mara operates under the Rules for National Schools and Departmental Circulars and is funded by grants. Staff are resourced by the Department of Education and Science. The school is subject to The Education Act (1998), The Education Welfare Act (2000), The Education for Persons with Special Education Needs Act (2004), equality law and all other relevant legislation. Scoil Réalt na Mara follows the curricular programmes laid down by the Department of Education and Science.

The Admissions Policy

The Admissions Policy has been formulated in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 in order to assist Parents in relation to enrolment matters. The Chairperson of the Board of Management or the Principal will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy.

Enrolment Procedure

Enrolment Forms are available in the school office at the beginning of May each year. Parents seeking to enroll children should return a completed application form with an original birth/adoption certificate to the school. Parents of children enrolled in Junior Infants will be invited to a meeting in the school in June each year.

• Children will be enrolled on application provided that there is space available.
• Junior Infants are enrolled at the beginning of the School year (normally at the end of August or start of September) provided the child has reached his/her 4th birthday. Normally, Junior Infants will not be enrolled during the year unless transferring from another school. This is for education reasons as the curriculum is progressive and it is necessary for the child to complete a full year.
• Decisions in relation to application for enrolment are made by the Board of Management.
• Parents will be informed of acceptance of the child to the school as soon as possible.
• No child is refused admission for reasons of ethnicity, special educational needs, disability, language/accent, gender, traveller status, asylum-seeker/refugee status, religious/political beliefs and values, family or social circumstances.
• The completion of an application form or the placement of a child’s name on a waiting list, however early, does not confer an automatic right to a place in the school.

Children enrolled in Scoil Réalt na Mara are required to co-operate with and support the school’s Code of Behaviour as well as all other policies. Parents/Guardians are responsible for ensuring that their child(ren) co-operate with these policies in an age-appropriate way. Copies of the Enrolment Policy, the Ethos Statement and the Code of Behaviour will be issued to all parents along with the Enrolment Application Form. Parents will be requested to sign an undertaking to respect the school's ethos and to uphold the school Code of Behaviour.

In the event of the number of children seeking enrolment exceeding the number of places available, the following criteria will be used to prioritise children for enrolment:

1. Brothers and sisters of children already enrolled (including stepsiblings, resident at same address)
2. Catholic children living within the Roman Catholic Parish of Cloyne.
3. Children of teachers currently teaching in the school.
4. All children who live within the parish boundaries but are not Catholic.
5. Catholic children from outside the parish.
6. All children who apply to the school and are not Catholics and not resident in the parish.

In the event of the school being unable to enroll children in any year, the child’s name will be placed on a waiting list in accordance with the criteria as above.

Other pupils may be enrolled during the school year if newly resident in the parish. Pupils wishing to transfer from other schools are enrolled subject to the Rules for National Schools, Education Welfare Act and school’s enrolment procedure.

Children with Special Needs

Children with special educational needs are welcome to enroll in the school and every effort will be made to provide them with an appropriate education as well as to include them in every aspect of school life. The child enrolling in Scoil Réalt na Mara will be resourced in accordance with the level of resources provided by the Department of Education and Science to the Board of Management.

The Board of Management may request copies of relevant reports or request that the child be assessed immediately in order to assist the school in establishing the educational needs of the child and to profile the support services required. The Board of Management will endeavour to have all resources and supports in place before the child is admitted to the school. This may include visiting teacher service, resource teacher, special needs assistants etc, specialized equipment or furniture, transport services etc.
The school will meet with the parents of the special needs child to discuss the school's suitability for the child. If considered necessary, a full case conference may be called which will include parents, class teacher, learning support teacher, resource teacher, psychologist, social workers or other relevant professionals as appropriate.
The school reserves the right to refuse enrolment to a pupil in exceptional cases. Such an exceptional case could arise where either:
1. The pupil has special needs such that, even with additional resources available from the Department of Education and Science, the school cannot meet such needs and/or provide the pupil with an appropriate education.
2. In the opinion of the Board of Management, the pupil poses an unacceptable risk, to other pupils, to school staff or to school property.

Children of other faiths or no faith
Bearing in mind the Catholic ethos of the school, every effort will be made so that the school is as inclusive as possible. While Catholic education and the ethos of the school permeates the day, children of other faiths or none will be excused from attendance at formal religious instruction classes and specifically Catholic liturgies at the request of parents. As far as is possible, in consultation with parents, suitable alternative arrangements will be made in order to facilitate this. It will not be possible however to provide religious instruction in other faiths.

Appeals Procedure
In line with Section 28 of the Education Act 1998, parents who are dissatisfied with an enrolment decision, may appeal to the Board of Management. This appeal must be addressed, in writing to the Chairperson of the Board, stating the grounds for the appeal, and lodged within ten days of receiving the refusal.
Parents, if unhappy with the result of the appeal, may appeal to the Department of Education and Science under Section 29 of the Education Act on the official form provided by the Department. An appeal form will be issued by the school to the parents/guardians. This appeal must be lodged within 42 days of receipt of the refusal from the school to enroll.