Admissions Policy | Dromclough NS Bantry

Dromclough N.S. Admissions Policy

Section A. General Information
This policy is being set out in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act (1998). The Board of Management trusts that by so doing parents will be assisted in relation to enrolment matters. The chairperson of the Board of Management, Mr John Fox, Bantry, and the principal teacher, Mrs. Melanie O’Sullivan, Dromclough N.S. Bantry, (027 – 50868) will be happy to clarify any further matters arising from the policy.
School Name: Dromclough National School.
School Address: Dromclough, Bantry, Co. Cork.
Telephone Number: 027 – 50868.
E-Mail Address: dromclough@gmail.com
Denominational Character: Roman Catholic.
Name of Patron: Bishop Fintan Gavin
Total Number of teachers in the School: 2 teachers and 1 shared learning support teacher.
SNA allocation: 1Full time position, 1 Part time position
Range of Classes Taught: Full range of Classes. Mixed.
The school depends on the grants and teacher resources provided by the Department of Education and Science and it operates within the regulations laid down, from time to time, by the Department. School policy has regard to the resources and funding available.
The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the Department of Education and Science, which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with Sections 9 and 30 of the Education Act (1998).
Within the context and parameters of Department regulations and programmes, the rights of the patron as set out in the Education Act (1998), and the funding and resources available, the school supports the principles of:
inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of children with a disability or other special need;
equality of access and participation in the school;
parental choice in relation to enrolment; and
respect for diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in society.
Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school Dromclough N.S. is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Bishop of Cork & Ross. “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
-a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and
-the formation of the pupils in the Catholic faith, and by 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. I n accordance with S.15 (2) (b) of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management of Dromclough N.S. 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.
Dromclough N.S. is a co-educational, Catholic, primary school, which strives to provide a well-structured, caring, happy environment where the intellectual, spiritual, physical, moral and cultural needs of the pupils are identified and addressed.
While Dromclough N.S. is a school with a Catholic ethos, it also has due recognition for all other religions. 
Section B. Enrolment Procedures
Application Procedure.
Parents who wish to enrol pupils in Junior Infants will be required to come to the school during the third term.
Provision of Key Information by Parents
Certain information will be required when children are being enrolled.
An enrolment application form is available which includes the following information:
Pupil’s name, age and address;
Names and addresses of pupil’s parents/guardians;
Contact telephone numbers;
Contact telephone numbers in case of emergency
Details of any medical conditions which the school should be aware of;
Religion;
Previous school attended, if any.
(Enrolment application form attached).
Decision Making
As a general principle and in so far as practicable having regard to the school’s enrolment policy, children will be enrolled on application, provided there is space available.
The Board will have regard for relevant Department of Education and Science guidelines in relation to class size and staffing provisions and/ or any other relevant requirements concerning accommodation, including physical space and the health and welfare of children.
The Board is bound by the Department of Education and Science’s Rules for National Schools which provides that pupils may only be enrolled from the age of 4 years and upwards, though compulsory attendance does not apply until the age of 6 years.
In the event that applications exceed / is expected to exceed the number of places available the following decision making process will apply. The board will exercise its discretion in the application of the following criteria.
Whether there are siblings of the proposed new entrant already in the school;
Ages of the children;
Parish boundaries / Diocesan policies
First come, first served;
Admission Day / Date.
Junior Infants may only be admitted to the school on 1st September.
Enrolment of Children with Special Needs.
In relation to applications for the enrolment of children with special needs the Board of Management will request a copy of the child’s medical and/or psychological report or where such a report is not available, will request that the child be assessed immediately. The purpose of the assessment report is to assist the school in establishing the educational and training needs of the child relevant to his/her disability or special needs and to profile the support services required.
Following receipt of the report, the Board will assess how the school can meet the needs specified in the report. Where the Board deems that further resources are required, it will, prior to enrolment, request the Special Education Needs Organiser (NCSE see Circular 01/05) to provide the resources required to meet the needs of the child as outlined in the psychological and/or medical report. These resources may include for example, access to or the provision of any or a combination of the following: Visiting teacher service, resource teacher for special needs, special needs assistant, specialised equipment or furniture, transport services or other.
Dromclough 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.
Dromclough 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.
The school will meet with the parents of the child and with the SENO to discuss the child’s needs. Where necessary, a full case conference involving all parties will be held, which may include parents, principal, class teacher, learning support teacher, special class teacher, resource teacher for special needs Special education Needs Organiser or psychologist, as appropriate.
Pupils Transferring.
Children who have moved into the area may transfer to the school at any time, subject to school policy, available space and in some cases, the approval of the Department of Education and Science. In other cases, a child may not be transferred, except on or at the first opportunity after the first day of any quarter.

Admission Statement
Dromclough N.S. will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:

1.The gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
2. The civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
3.The family status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned.
4.The sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
5.The religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
6.The disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
7.The ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
8. The Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned, or
9. 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.

4. Admission of Students

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –

a. 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 compliance with such code by the student

5.Oversubscription (this section must be completed by all schools including schools that do not anticipate being oversubscribed)

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 (including step-siblings, resident at the same address) of children already attending the school – first come first served
2.Parents or grandparents of a student having attended the school, to a maximum of 25% of the available spaces as set out in the school’s annual admissions
3.Children within parish boundaries – first come first served
4.Children outside the parish whose home address is closest to the school (as measured by a straight line on OS map) first come first served

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:

In the event that there are more applicants within any category than there are available
places, older children will have precedence.

6. 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 pre-school or pre-school service, including naíonraí,
other than in relation to a student’s prior attendance at—
an early intervention class, or
an early start pre-school, specified in a list published by the Minister from time to time;

-the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school;

-a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude; other than in relation to:
-admission to a special class insofar as it is necessary in order to ascertain whether or not the student has the category of special educational needs concerned.

-the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parent.

-a requirement that a student, or his or her parents, attend an interview, open day or other meeting as a condition of admission.

-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 Dromclough N.S.’s selection criteria based on
(1) siblings of a student attending or having attended the school and
(2) parents or grandparents of a student having attended the school. In relation to (2) parents and grandparents having attended, a school may only apply this criteria to a maximum of 25% of the available spaces as set out in the school’s annual admission notice).

-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).

Dromclough N.S. Admissions Policy​

Dromclough N.S. Admissions Policy