St. Kevin s Community College, Dunlavin

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1 1. Policy Statement Admissions Policy With Effect from September 2016 Admission to St. Kevin s Community College is open to all students who, in the professional judgement of the College Principal, are suitable for the course applied for and whose educational needs can be met by the College taking into account the safety and rights of all relevant persons and subject to the functions of the Minister pursuant to section 7 (1) of the Education Act 1998 and the Education Welfare Act 2000 and the terms of the policies of St. Kevin s Community College and KWETB 2. The Rights of Parents and Children (appendix 2) 2.1 St. Kevin s acknowledges the rights of all children, including children who have a disability, or who have other special educational needs, as they relate to education pursuant to the Education Act 1998 Section 6 (a) and subject to the functions of the Minister pursuant to Section 7 (1) of the Education Act St. Kevin s acknowledges the rights of parents/guardians to send their children to a school of their choice having regard to the rights of the College management and the effective and efficient use of the resources pursuant to the Education Act 1998 Section 6 (e). 2.3 St. Kevin s affirms its statutory obligations under The Equal Status Act 2000 as it applies to 2 nd Level schools. 2.4 KWETB, as data controller for St. Kevin s Community College, affirms that data stored on computers in relation to students and parents is governed by the Data Protection Act 1988 and the Data Protection Amendment Act 2002 and that information on file should be used only for the purposes for which it was intended (this includes photographs and video footage of students involved in school activities). 3. Criteria for Admission 3.1 The catchment area for St. Kevin s is defined as the area for which St. Kevin s is deemed to be the nearest school as determined by the School Transport Scheme of Bus Éireann. It is the actual residence of the students and his/her parents that will determine eligibility for the catchment area of St. Kevin s. Proof of residence may be required. 3.2 In the event of over subscription in any given year students will be admitted to St. Kevin s based on the following categories in descending order and subject to the Procedures for Admission as outlined in section 4 below.

2 Category 1 Students who are deemed to be living within the catchment area, with siblings who have completed or are completing their education in St. Kevin s. (See appendix 3) Category 2 Younger siblings of students currently enrolled. (See appendix 3) Category 3 All other students who are deemed to be living within the catchment area. Category 4 Children of current staff members in St. Kevin s. Category 5 Applications received on or before 1 st September of the year in which places are being offered in order of date of receipt of application. Category 6 All other applicants who have submitted a completed application form on or before the closing date. Category 7 All late applicants will be processed in accordance with the categories above subject to availability of places. If the number of applications in any category outlined above results in oversubscription in a given year places for that category will be allocated by an independently monitored random selection draw. The draw for random selection places will be overseen by a member of the Board of Management. 4. Procedures for Admission 4.1 Students making application to St. Kevin s for a place on the First Year Programme will be required to have undertaken a programme of studies to a standard equivalent to the 6 th class programme in the Primary school sector. 4.2 The closing date for applications is 30 th November of the year preceding the year of entry. E.g. 30 th November 2015 for entry in September If the 30 th of November is a non- school day the closing date will be the next school day.

3 4.3 The local community will be informed of the College s Admissions Procedure by some or all of the following means: School website and newsletters, community communications, School Open Evening, liaison with primary schools, parish announcements, advertisements in local media and other relevant forms of information release. 4.4 Applications must be made on the official enrolment form. This form is available on the College website, from the College Main Office and will be available on the Open Night. 4.5 The following information will be sought from parents / students who have reached the age of 18 and their current/previous school; Name, age and address of the student. Date of birth and birth certificate of the student. Address of parents (Proof may be required) Relevant telephone numbers, including emergency numbers. Personal Public Service Number (PPS Number) of student (Appendix 1) Name, address and telephone number of the student s previous/present school. Relevant medical information, including medical card number and review date, if applicable. Relevant information regarding access to the child, custody of the child and legal orders pertaining to the child. Information and records from previous/present school. Other information, which may be of relevance to the school and its ethos. 4.6 Prior to admission to St. Kevin s Community College, the parent and child (or a student who is over 18 years of age) shall be required to sign a written undertaking that the College s Code of Behaviour is acceptable to them and that they shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with the College s code of behaviour. Admission to St. Kevin s presumes full compliance with the Code of Behaviour and all other relevant policies. 4.7 All 6 th class applicants who accept the offer of a place in St. Kevin s must sit an entrance assessment. The assessment is to allow for the formation of mixed - ability 1 St Year classes. Parents will be notified in advance of the date of this assessment. Only in exceptional circumstances will arrangements be made to allow an applicant to sit the assessment on an alternative date. 4.8 All First Year entrants and their parent(s)/guardians will be supported by induction sessions. Attendance at these induction sessions is essential to to ensure a smooth transition to secondary school. 4.9 Offers of places to students for 1 st Year will be issued to parents within 21 school days of the closing date for enrolment A letter, from the parents of the applicant, confirming acceptance of this offer accompanied by the applicant s birth certificate, two passport size photographs, a non refundable administration fee of 50 and details of any special educational needs their child may have must be returned to the College no later than January 13 th of the following year. Where a letter of acceptance is not received on or before 13 th January the offer of a place on the Junior Certificate Programme will be withdrawn from the applicant. The Principal may, in

4 exceptional circumstances, accept a letter of acceptance which arrives after the 13 th January. However, in general, letters of acceptance received after 13 th January will be placed at the end of the waiting list of late applications. If the 13 th of January is a non- school day the closing date will be the next school day The College reserves the right to extend the closing date for enrolment applications and consequently the closing date for receipt of letters of acceptance. Details of extensions of closing dates will be conveyed to parents and applicants All admissions to St. Kevin s Community College are based on the following and as determined by the Board of Management: The capacity of the school. The availability of resources. The maximum number of students permitted per year group/ class/subject. The suitability of courses/programmes for the student. The Health and Safety of other students and staff. Our current capacity for First Year students is a maximum of 120. The Board of Management will review the criteria for admission annually All applicants who do not receive an offer will be written to asking if they wish to be placed on a waiting list. Replies must be received within six days of date of letter. 5. Transfer of a student to St. Kevin s Community College: 5.1 The normal and usual point of entry to the school is First Year. Admission to any other year can only occur when there is a vacancy in the appropriate classes. Such vacancies are rare. The issuing and/or completion of an Application Form will not in any way imply the making of an offer of a place. 5.2 The Principal of St. Kevin s will decide on applications for admission to any year by applying the following criteria. The Principal will decide whether or not a transfer: Is in the best interest of the school Is in the best interest of the student Is of educational benefit to the student Is in agreement with school s Admission Policy 5.3 Where a student who is already or was a member of a 2 nd Level school makes application to transfer to St. Kevin s the following procedures must be adhered to: 5.4 The parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student must submit a written Application Form to transfer to St. Kevin s stating clearly the reason for this request. Accompanying this application form must be; Copies of at least two end of term reports.

5 State examination results, if applicable, for the student applying to enrol. A list of subjects currently being studied. If the Principal of St. Kevin s is unable to provide all these subjects, a place may be declined. The Principal of the school which the student is attending or last attended must complete a Form of Enquiry as well as other relevant documentation including educational and/or psychological reports. These documents must be returned directly to the Principal of St. Kevin s. 5.5When all documents outlined above are submitted to St. Kevin s, the parent(s)/guardian(s) and child ( or student who is over 18 years of age) may be invited to attend for interview with the Principal and some/all of the following personnel, Deputy Principal, Guidance Counsellor, Year Head, Learning Support Teacher who will make up the College Transfer Application Review Board. 5.6 If the College Transfer Application Review Board is satisfied that the applicant is a bona fide one and, mindful of its statutory obligations, is in a position to cater for the educational needs of the applicant whilst not infringing the rights of the students who are already members of St. Kevin s then a place on the College course applied for may be offered to the applicant. 5.7 This offer will be made no later than 21 days after all procedures outlined above have been adhered to. It will be contingent on the written undertaking by the parent(s)/guardian(s) and the child (or a student who is over 18 years of age) to comply with the College s Code of Behaviour. 5.8 Where a student seeking a transfer to St. Kevin s is already a member of another 2 nd Level school there is no obligation on the Principal of St. Kevin s to enrol this student in St. Kevin s. 5.9 Where a student seeking to transfer to St. Kevin s has already been expelled from another 2 nd Level school the Principal of St. Kevin s shall not feel obliged to accept this student into St. Kevin s even if said student happens to live within the catchment area of St. Kevin s Community College Where a student who has left St. Kevin s voluntarily to take up employment or to attend another educational institution, subsequently makes an application for readmission to St. Kevin s the Principal may permit the student to resume her/his studies in the College having first reviewed the student s record of attendance, behaviour etc. when she/he last attended St. Kevin s Students will not normally accept into the final year of the Junior or Leaving Certificate Programmes in St. Kevin s Applications received during the course of the academic year from students who reside outside the College catchment area will not be considered Applications received during the course of the academic year from students who take up residence with their parents in the College catchment area will be processed by the College management and if a place is available and the applicant is deemed to be suitable for a place

6 in the College, the Principal may offer a place and report subsequently to the Board of Management. The decision will be made on following the procedures outlined above. 6. Refusal to enrol a student 6.1 A student shall not be refused admission to the College except in accordance with this Admissions Policy and under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act The Principal reserves the right to refuse to enrol a student in St. Kevin s, where said student has a disability / special educational need which the school cannot meet even with additional resources provided by the Department of Education and Skills, or where a student would pose an unacceptable risk to other students, staff and/or College property. In reaching a decision to refuse to enrol a student the Principal may consider the rights of all involved including the right of other students to learn. 6.3 Prior to admission to St. Kevin s the parent(s)/guardian(s) and student will be required to sign a written undertaking to comply with the College s Code of Behaviour and other policies of St. Kevin s Community College and KWETB. Any student who refuses to sign the College Code of Behaviour will be refused admission to St. Kevin s. 6.4 Where a parent/guardian of a student under 18 years of age refuses to sign the College Code of Behaviour then the student of said parent/guardian will be refused admission to St. Kevin s. 7. Appeals Where the Principal decide to refuse admission to St. Kevin s, 7.1 The parent(s)/guardian(s) of the child (or a student who is over 18 years of age) shall be informed of this fact and also of their right to appeal this decision in accordance with The Education Act 1998 and The Education Welfare Act Note Transition Year and Leaving Certificate Applied admission Policy is available on request from the College Main Office. 9. Appendices: Appendix 1 Explanation of Personal Public Service Number (PPS Number) Appendix 2 Definition of the term parent Appendix 3 - Definition of the term sibling Appendix 1: The Personal Public Service (PPS Number) is the individual s unique reference number for dealing with the Public Service. Every parent in receipt of child benefit in respect of their child will have

7 received a letter from the Department of Social and Family Affairs with the relevant PPS number quoted. This number can be accessed by contacting: Client Identity Services Department of Social and Family Affairs Carrick-on-Shannon Co. Leitrim. (Tel ) Appendix 2: The term parent includes foster parent, a guardian appointed under the Guardianship of Children Acts, 1964 to 1997, or other person acting in loco parentis who has a child in his/her care subject to any statutory power or order of a court and, in the case of a child who has been adopted under the Adoption Acts, 1952 to 1998, or, where the child has been adopted outside the State, means the adopter(s) or the surviving adopter. Appendix 3: Sibling includes half-siblings, step-siblings, other children living in the same home and foster children living with the same family