Ennis Educate Together National School

Enrolment Policy

This enrolment policy is set out in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act 1998.  Parents or guardians who require clarification of any aspect of the policy should contact the Chairperson of the school’s Board of Management or the School Principal.

General Information

Ennis Educate Together National School is a Multidenominational, Child Centred, Co-Educational and Democratically Run primary school.  The school is state supported and regulated by the Rules for National Schools and by the Department of Education and Science.  The school delivers the national Primary School Curriculum and the Learn Together ethical education curriculum.  The booklets Information for Parents and What is an Educate Together School? are available from the school office.

The school opened in September 1998 with an enrolment of 19 pupils in classes from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.  One hundred and eighty nine children attend the school at present, in classes from Junior Infants to Sixth.  Our current staffing is as follows: seven class teachers, three support teachers, two English language teachers, two part time resource teachers, three special needs assistants and an administrative principal. 

Enrolment

All children are very welcome to join our school.  Where the number of children exceeds the number of available school places our policy for enrolment is ‘First Come First Served.’ 

Children’s names are added to our pre-enrolment lists in the order in which completed pre-enrolment forms are received by the school.

We make written offers of school places each spring, until classes for the following August/September are filled.  The Board of Management takes account of Department of Education and Science guidelines on average class size and staffing, as well as accommodation issues, when determining the maximum number of children in each class.

Children must be at least 4 years old by September 1^st of the year in which they start school.

This enrolment policy does not give preference to the brothers and sisters of children already attending the school – younger siblings should also be pre-enrolled at the earliest opportunity.

Pre-Enrolment Procedures

Parents and guardians can obtain pre-enrolment forms from the school office.  They can also complete an electronic pre-enrolment form on the school’s website, www.eetns.ie  (They may wish to do so soon after the child is born or placed in their care.) 

The date when the completed pre-enrolment form is received by the school is noted on each form.  (The school will send an acknowledgment to parents when forms are received.) 

Each child’s name is placed on the pre-enrolment list for a particular school year in the order in which his/her completed pre-enrolment form is received.  Where two or more forms are received on the same day, they are put in alphabetical order.  Where parents have twins/triplets/etc., the children are placed on the list one after the other.

No guarantee of a school place is given or implied by pre-enrolment.

Children will be offered school places strictly following the date ranking of the relevant pre-enrolment list.  Again, school places are offered each spring on a ‘First Come First Served’ basis until classes for the following August/September are filled. 

Parents or guardians must respond in writing to accept the offer of a school place by a specified date (usually within 14 days.)  Failure to respond by the specified date will result in their child’s place on the pre-enrolment list being forfeited.

It is the sole responsibility of parents and guardians to inform the school of any change of address (or other contact details.)

Deferrals

Parents pre-enrolling Junior Infants may defer their child’s place for one year.  This means that the child will be placed on the list for the following school year according to their original pre-enrolment date.  Again, this does not guarantee an offer of a place, as places will be allocated strictly following the date-ranking of the pre-enrolment lists.

Special Educational/Care Needs

The parents or guardians of a child with special educational and/or care needs are requested to supply copies of all available medical or psychological reports to the Principal at the earliest opportunity.  (If the child has not been assessed, an immediate assessment may be requested.)

The Principal will meet with parents to discuss the child’s needs and to profile the special supports that may be required.

Where the supports go beyond those already in place in the school, the Principal will attempt to access the additional supports in a timely manner. (However, the processing of applications to the National Council for Special Education and/or the Department of Education will take some time.)

Non-Junior Infants

Parents and guardians may also pre-enrol children for classes other than Junior Infants, up to a maximum of one school year in advance (examples: September 2007 for September 2008, January 2008 for September 2008, etc.)  Separate date-ranked pre-enrolment lists will be maintained for each older class on a year-to-year basis.

Non-junior infants cannot defer a place which has been offered to them.  (However, parents and guardians may submit a new pre-enrolment form for a different year and/or class.)

Intake to the school usually takes place during August/September, but children may be admitted on other dates if school places become available. 

The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 contains provisions in relation to communication between schools in cases where children are transferring. 

Appeals

In accordance with Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, parents or guardians may appeal the refusal to enrol a child (or the permanent exclusion or, in some cases, suspension of a child) to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science.