Child Safeguarding Statement St. Fintan’s BNS

St. Fintan’s BNS is a Catholic boys’ primary school with DEIS status providing primary education to pupils from Junior Infants to Sixth Class.

In accordance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 and Túsla Guidance on the preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements, the Board of Management of St. Fintan’s BNS has agreed the Child Safeguarding Statement set out in this document.

The Board of Management has adopted and will implement fully and without modification the Department’s Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 as part of this overall Child Safeguarding Statement

The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is Edel Parkinson.

The Deputy Designated Liaison Person is Sheila Coleman.

The Board of Management recognises that child protection and welfare considerations permeate all aspects of school life and must be reflected in all of the school’s policies, procedures, practices and activities In its policies, procedures, practices and activities, the school will adhere to the following principles of best practice in child protection and welfare:

The school will:

recognise that the protection and welfare of children is of paramount importance, regardless of all other considerations;
fully comply with its statutory obligations under the Children First Act 2015 and other relevant legislation relating to the protection and welfare of children;
fully co-operate with the relevant statutory authorities in relation to child protection and welfare matters
adopt safe practices to minimise the possibility of harm or accidents happening to children and protect workers from the necessity to take unnecessary risks that may leave themselves open to accusations of abuse or neglect;
develop a practice of openness with parents and encourage parental involvement in the education of their children; and
fully respect confidentiality requirements in dealing with child protection matters.

The school will also adhere to the above principles in relation to any adult pupil/employee with a special vulnerability.

The following procedures/measures are in place:

In relation to any member of staff who is the subject of any investigation (howsoever described) in respect of any act, omission or circumstance in respect of a child attending the school, the school adheres to the relevant procedures set out in Chapter 7 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017 and to the relevant agreed disciplinary procedures for school staff which are published on the DES website.

In relation to the selection or recruitment of staff and their suitability to work with children, the school adheres to the statutory vetting requirements of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 and to the wider duty of care guidance set out in relevant Garda vetting and recruitment circulars published by the DES and available on the DES website.

In relation to the provision of information and, where necessary, instruction and training, to staff in respect of the identification of the occurrence of harm (as defined in the 2015 Act) the school-

Has provided each member of staff with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement.
Ensures all new staff are provided with a copy of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement.
Encourages staff to avail of relevant training.
Encourages Board of Management members to avail of relevant training.
The Board of Management maintains records of all staff and Board member training.

In relation to reporting of child protection concerns to Túsla, all school personnel are required to adhere to the procedures set out in the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017, including in the case of registered teachers, those in relation to mandated reporting under the Children First Act 2015.

In this school the Board has appointed the above named DLP as the “relevant person” (as defined in the Children First Act 2015) to be the first point of contact in respect of the Child Safeguarding statement.

All registered teachers employed by the school are mandated persons under the Children First Act 2015.

In accordance with the Children First Act 2015, the Board has carried out an assessment of any potential for harm to a child while attending the school or participating in school activities. A written assessment setting out the areas of risk identified and the school’s procedures for managing those risks is attached as an appendix to these procedures.

The various procedures referred to in this Statement can be accessed via the school’s website, the DES website or will be made available on request by the school.

This statement has been published on the school’s website and has been provided to all members of school personnel, the Parents’ Association and the patron. It is readily accessible to parents and guardians on request. A copy of this Statement will be made available to Túsla and the Department if requested.

This Child Safeguarding Statement will be reviewed annually or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which this statement refers.

This Child Safeguarding Statement was adopted by the Board of Management on 9^th March, 2018.

Signed: _________________________ Signed: _____________________

Chairperson of Board of Management Principal

Date: __________________________ Date: ___________________

Appendix 1: Child Safeguarding Risk Assessment

Written Assessment of Risk of St. Fintan’s BNS, New Line Rd, Mountrath, Co. Laois

In accordance with section 11 of the Children First Act 2015 and with the requirement of Chapter 8 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017, the following is the Written Risk Assessment of St. Fintan’s BNS, Mountrath

List of school activities

Risk identified	Potential risk of harm	Procedure in place to manage risk identified
Opening/Closing Times and Break Times	Access to pupils by strangers or other adults. Risk of harm from other pupils	Supervision by all staff on rota basis from 9.10 a.m. This has been clearly communicated to families Adequate Supervision at break times
Visitors/Visiting Tutors	Tutors behaving inappropriately. Tutors lacking awareness of child safety issues.	Visiting tutors from reputable organisations with appropriate vetting. Sign in/Sign out Glass panels in doors. Solid doors to be left open
School Tours/Outings	Access to pupils by strangers. Inappropriate activity by pupils. Dangers posed by unfamiliar environment	Adequate supervision Adequate planning and preparation by staff. School Tour policy followed
Access/Egress	Access to pupils by strangers or other adults. Flight risk for some pupils	Gates locked at all times. Turnstile secured at break times Each teacher waits in the yard until their pupils have been collected.
Risk Identified Swimming Lessons/Sports Events	Potential risk of harm Potential for unsupervised times in changing areas. Access to pupils by strangers or other adults.	Procedure in place to manage risk identified Adequate supervision provided. Trained lifeguards in pool. Request steam room/ sauna be closed to public
Social Media	Potential for bullying. Potential for grooming of pupils	Pupils with parental permission to have mobile phones, will hand these to class teacher in the morning and returned at end of school day. Anti-Bullying Policy. Anti bullying talk to be given biannually for pupils, parents and staff
Administration of Medicine / First Aid	Dose/ procedure not followed correctly Unknown allergies	Follow the Administration of medicine policy Fill out incident book Administer first aid in a public area
Boys serving funeral masses	Access to pupils by a stranger	SNA accompanies boys to and from Mass

Important Note: It should be noted that risk in the context of this risk assessment is the risk of “harm” as defined in the Children First Act 2015 and not general health and safety risk. The definition of harm is set out in Chapter 4 of the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post- Primary Schools 2017.

In undertaking this risk assessment, the board of management has endeavoured to identify as far as possible the risks of harm that are relevant to this school and to ensure that adequate procedures are in place to manage all risks identified. While it is not possible to foresee and remove all risk of harm, the school has in place the procedures listed in this risk assessment to manage and reduce risk to the greatest possible extent.

This risk assessment has been completed by the Board of Management on 9^th March, 2018. It shall be reviewed as part of the school’s annual review of its Child Safeguarding Statement.

Signed _____________________________________ Date ________________

Chairperson, Board of Management

Signed _____________________________________ Date ________________

Principal

Appendix 2: Checklist for Review of the Child Safeguarding Statement

The Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017 require the Board of Management must undertake a review of its Child Safeguarding Statement and that the following checklist shall be used for this purpose. The review must be completed every year or as soon as practicable after there has been a material change in any matter to which the Child Safeguarding Statement refers. Undertaking an annual review will also ensure that a school also meets its statutory obligation under section 11(8) of the Children First Act 2015, to review its Child Safeguarding Statement every two years.

The checklist is designed as an aid to conducting this review and is not intended as an exhaustive list of the issues to be considered. Individual Boards of Management shall include other items in the checklist that are of relevance to the school in question.

As part of the overall review process, Boards of Management should also assess relevant school policies, procedures, practices and activities vis a vis their adherence to the principles of best practice in child protection and welfare as set out in the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement, the Children First Act 2015 and the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools 2017.

	Yes/No
Has the Board formally adopted a Child Safeguarding Statement in accordance with the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017’?
As part of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement, has the Board formally adopted, without modification, the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017’’?
Does the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement include a written assessment of risk as required under the Children First Act 2015?
Has the Board reviewed and updated where necessary the written assessment of risk as part of this overall review?
Has the DLP attended available child protection training?
Has the Deputy DLP attended available child protection training?
Have any members of the Board attended child protection training?
Are there both a DLP and a Deputy DLP currently appointed?
Are the relevant contact details (Túsla and An Garda Síochána) to hand?
Has the Board arrangements in place to communicate the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement to new school personnel?
Is the Board satisfied that all school personnel have been made aware of their responsibilities under the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017’ and the Children First Act 2015?
Has the Board received a Principal’s Child Protection Oversight Report at each Board meeting held since the last review was undertaken?
Since the Board’s last review, was the Board informed of any child protection reports made to Túsla/An Garda Síochána by the DLP?
Since the Board’s last review, was the Board informed of any cases where the DLP sought advice from Túsla/and as a result of this advice, no report to the HSE was made?
Since the Board’s last review, was the Board informed of any cases where an allegation of abuse or neglect was made against any member of school personnel?
Has the Board been provided with and reviewed all documents relevant to the Principal’s Child Protection Oversight Report?
Is the Board satisfied that the child protection procedures in relation to the making of reports to Túsla/An Garda Síochána were appropriately followed in each case reviewed?
Is the Board satisfied that, since the last review, all appropriate actions are being or have been taken in respect of any member of school personnel against whom an allegation of abuse or neglect has been made?*
Were child protection matters reported to the Board appropriately recorded in the Board minutes?
Is the Board satisfied that all records relating to child protection are appropriately filed and stored securely?
Has the Board been notified by any parent in relation to that parent not receiving the standard notification required under section 5.6 of the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017’
In relation to any cases identified at question 21 above, has the Board ensured that any notifications required under section 5.6 of the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017’ were subsequently issued by the DLP?
Has the Board ensured that the Parents’ Association has been provided with the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement?
Has the Board ensured that the patron has been provided with the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement?
Has the Board ensured that the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement is available to parents on request?
Has the Board ensured that the Stay Safe programme is implemented in full in the school? (applies to primary schools)
Has the Board ensured that the Wellbeing Programme for Junior Cycle students is implemented in full in the school? (applies to post- primary schools)
Has the Board ensured that the SPHE curriculum is implemented in full in the school?
Is the Board satisfied that the statutory requirements for Garda Vetting have been met in respect of all school personnel (employees and volunteers)? *
Is the Board satisfied that the Department’s requirements in relation to the provision of a child protection related statutory declaration and associated form of undertaking have been met in respect of persons appointed to teaching and non-teaching positions?*
Is the Board satisfied that, from a child protection perspective, thorough recruitment and selection procedures are applied by the school in relation to all school personnel (employees and volunteers)?*
Has the Board considered and addressed any complaints or suggestions for improvements regarding the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement?
Has the Board sought the feedback of parents in relation to the school’s compliance with the requirements of the child safeguarding requirements of the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017’
Has the Board sought the feedback of pupils in relation to the school’s child safeguarding arrangements?
Is the Board satisfied that the ‘Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017’ are being fully and adequately implemented by the school?
Has the Board identified any aspects of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement and/or its implementation that require further improvement?
Has the Board put in place an action plan containing appropriate timelines to address those aspects of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement and/or its implementation that have been identified as requiring further improvement ?
Has the Board ensured that any areas for improvement that that were identified in any previous review of the school’s Child Safeguarding Statement have been adequately addressed?

*In schools where the ETB is the employer the responsibility for meeting the employer’s requirements rests with the ETB concerned. In such cases, this question should be completed following consultation with the ETB.

Signed _____________________________________ Date ________________

Chairperson, Board of Management

Signed _____________________________________ Date ________________

Principal/Secretary to the Board of Management

School Website Privacy Statement

St. Fintan’s BNS PRIVACY STATEMENT

[The Data Protection Commissioner recommends that a Privacy Statement be placed in a reasonably obvious position on the website homepage]

Website of St. Fintan’s bns:

St. Fintan’s BNS is committed to preserving the privacy of all visitors to (“our website”). This privacy statement relates to our practices in connection with our website and is designed to assist you in understanding how we collect, use and safeguard the personal information you provide to us and to assist you in making informed decisions when using our site and our services. St. Fintan’s BNS fully respects your right to privacy. We will not collect personal information/personal data about you when you visit our website unless you choose to provide that information using the “Contact us” form.

By using this site, you consent to the collection and use of your information under the terms of this privacy statement which is in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018, the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Privacy and Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please read the following privacy statement to understand how we use and protect the information that you choose to provide to us.

What Information Do We Collect?

When you visit our website you may provide us with two types of information:

Personal information you knowingly choose to disclose that is collected on an individual basis, and
Statistical web site use information collected on an aggregate basis as you and others browse through our website(s)

Information, Personal aND NON-PERSONAL, You Choose to Provide

Email address

When you visit our website you may wish to provide certain information about yourself, such as when you complete our “Contact Us” form. St. Fintan’s BNS does not collect any personal data about you on this website, apart from the information which you volunteer to send us in the “Contact Us” form

Web Site Use Information

Where you visit our website, certain non-personal data is available to us through our internet service provider. This non-personal data is collected on a statistical, aggregate, non-individual basis. This information may include the IP address from which you access our website, the type of internet browser used to access our website, the type of operating system used to access our website, the “top-level” domain name used (ie, .com, .org, etc.), the date and time of your visit to our website and the number of pages you visited on our website

How Do We Use the Information That You Provide to Us?

Any information, which you provide using the “Contact Us” form, is not made available to any third parties and is only used by St. Fintans in line with the purposes for which you provided it (e.g. to contact you and answer any queries which you have raised in the “Contact Us” form or to address any other feedback which you send us in the “Contact Us” form)

Disclosure to Other People:

We do not disclose, sell or distribute any personal information which you send to us to any third parties. We may pass aggregate information on the usage of our site to third parties, but this will not include information that can be used to identify you. Your personal data may also be anonymised and used for statistical purposes. Unless required to do so by law, we will not otherwise share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent.

IP Addresses:

An IP address is a number that is assigned to your computer automatically when you use the internet. When you visit any web page in our website, our servers log your IP address. We may use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our website. Your IP address is also used to help identify you and to gather broad demographic information.

Security

We employ security measures to protect your information from access by unauthorised persons and to guard against unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction and damage and we will do our best to ensure that all records we hold remain secure in line with our obligations under Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018. We take our security responsibilities seriously, employing appropriate physical and technical measures. We review our security procedures regularly

Retention

We do not retain your personal data for longer than it is necessary for us to comply with the purpose for which you gave it to us. Any personal data which you provide to us using this website will be used in line with the purposes for which you provided it (e.g. to contact you and answer any queries which you have raised in the “Contact Us” form or to address any other feedback which you send us in the “Contact Us” form) and after this purpose has been completed, we will delete your personal data.

Accessing Your Information

You are entitled to see the information we hold about you. On written request, we supply copies of your personal data, which you may have supplied to us using our website. If you wish to obtain copies of this personal data, you should write to the Board of Management of St.Fintan’s BNS at New Line Rd, Mountrath, Co. Laois. and ask that it provides you with an Access Request Form. Your request will be dealt with as soon as possible and will not take more than a month to process. If you discover that St.Fintan’s BNS holds inaccurate information about you, you can request that we correct/delete that information.

Websites Linked to Our Website

Our website may, from time to time, contain links to and from third party websites. We are not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from our website nor the information or content contained therein. Often links to other websites are provided solely as pointers to information on topics that may be useful to the users of our website

Please remember that when you use a link to go from our website to another website, our Privacy Policy is no longer in effect. Your browsing and interaction on any other website, including websites which have a link on our website, is subject to that website's own rules and policies. Please read over those rules and policies before proceeding

By using our website you consent to our collection and use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. If we change our privacy policies and procedures, we will post those changes on our website to keep you abreast of any developments

Contacting Us

If you are concerned about how your personal data is processed by our website, please bring your concerns to our attention using the contact details below:

The Board of Management,

St. Fintan’s BNS

New Line Rd,

Mountrath

Co. Laois

or by email to saintfintans@eircom.net

School Admission Policy

Scoil Fhiontain Naofa

St. Fintan’s Primary School,

New Line

Mountrath, Laois

Website: stfintansbns.com

Phone : 057 8732372 Email: saintfintansbns@gmail.com Roll Number: 07636K

SCHOOL ADMISSION POLICY

DIOCESE OF KILDARE &LEIGHLIN

NAME OF SCHOOL: SAINT FINTAN’S BNS

ADDRESS: NEW LINE ROAD, MOUNTRATH, CO. LAOIS

ROLL NUMBER: 07636K

CHARITY NUMBER : 20125899

PATRON: Most Reverend Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin

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 with parents of children attending the school.

The policy was approved by the school patron on 15 September 2020. 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 Saint Fintan’s BNS admission process are set out 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 will be made available in hardcopy on request to any person who requests it.

CHARACTERISTIC SPIRIT AND GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHOOL

Saint Fintan’s BNS is a Catholic all boys primary school with a Catholic ethos. The Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin is the Patron of this school.

‘Catholic schools are communities which are open, welcoming and inclusive. Therefore, Catholic schools may include children who adhere to other religions or other stances for living. While mindful of their duty to educate in the distinctive beliefs, values, and practices 2 of the Catholic community, teachers will bear witness to an attitude of respect for and appreciation of all’.

‘The Catholic Preschool & Primary Religious Education Curriculum p15’

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 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. Fintan’s BNS 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.

Our school motto is Mol an Óige agus tiocfaidh sí. Guided by our Christian values we endeavour to provide a positive, safe and welcoming atmosphere in our school in which all the school community (pupils, parents and staff) feel valued, cared for and enabled to reach their full potential.

3. ADMISSION STATEMENT

Saint Fintan’s BNS will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:

(a) the gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(b) the civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(d) the sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(e) the religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(f) the disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(g) the ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,

(h) the Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned, or

(i) 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.

Single gender schools

Saint Fintan’s BNS is an all-boys school and does not discriminate where it refuses to admit a girl applying for admission to this school.

All denominational schools

Saint Fintan’s BNS is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes certain religious values and does not discriminate where it refuses to admit as a student a person who is not Roman Catholic and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

Schools with special education class(es)

Saint Fintan’s BNS is a school which has established a class, 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.

4 , CATEGORIES OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS CATERED FOR IN THE SCHOOL/SPECIAL CLASS

In the case of special schools and schools with a special class or unit attached, the category/categories of SEN catered for by the school/special class/unit must be set out here.

In the case of a mainstream school with a SEN class attached

Saint Fintan’s BNS with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established two classes to provide an education exclusively for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The special class in St. Fintan’s BNS provides an education exclusively for students with Autism and the school may refuse admission to this class, where the student concerned does not have a report confirming that he has been diagnosed as having the specified category of special education needs provided for in this class.

In the case of the ASD class, a diagnosis that meets DSM V or ICD 10 criteria by a clinical psychiatrist/ multi- disciplinary team is required. In addition to these, a recommendation that the student should be placed within an ASD class in a mainstream school is also required,

5. 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) b) 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

A school that admits students of one gender only

Saint Fintan’s BNS provides education exclusively for boys and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of the gender provided for by this school.

All denominational schools

Saint Fintan’s BNS is a Roman 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.

School with special education class(es)

The special class attached to Saint Fintan’s BNS (called Le Cheile) provides an education exclusively for students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder 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 this class.

6 OVERSUBSCRIPTION

All applicants for Junior Infants must reach four years of age before the start of the school year in which they wish to be admitted. For example: a child starting in September 2020 must reach four years of age before 1st September 2020

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 are the oldest applicants in the year they wish to be admitted will be given priority according to the following criteria:

1. Children who live within the Mountrath parish boundaries

2. Children who have or have had siblings already in the school. (Siblings/step siblings must be resident at the same address as the proposed new entrant)

3. Children whose permanent home address is closest to the school using Eircodes and google maps.

4. Any remaining applicants.

Applications will be opened in the presence of the Chairperson and a parent’s nominee on the BOM

If enrolment is not filled by children born before 1st March in the year in which they wish to enrol, the enrolment will be filled in line with the above criteria from applicants on an age basis i.e. Priority to next oldest child and so on until enrolment is full.

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 will be given to the oldest child, if two children have the same date of birth, time of birth will be used to determine priority.

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) a student’s prior attendance at a pre-school or pre-school service, including naíonraí,

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

(c) a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude other than - 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 –

(d) the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parents;

(e) a requirement that a student, or his or her 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 (1) siblings of a student attending or having attended the school as outlined in Section 6.

(g) the date and time on which an application for admission was received by the school, provided the application has been received during the period specified for receiving applications as set out in the annual admission notice.

8 DECISIONS ON APPLICATIONS

All decisions on applications for admission to Saint Fintan’s will be based on the following:

• Our school’s admission policy

• The school’s annual admission notice

• 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 admissions 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. Fintan’s, 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

(ii) 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 OFFERS MAY NOT BE MADE OR MAY BE WITHDRAWN

An offer of admission may not be made or may be withdrawn by St. Fintan’s BNS 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

(iv) 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 (Admission 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 made, or

(iii) an offer of admission to the school has been accepted.

The list may include any or all of the following:

the date on which an 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;

(iv) a student’s personal details including his name, address, date of birth and personal public service number (within the meaning of section 262 of the Social Welfare 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 whose applications for admission to Saint Fintan’s 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 Saint Fintan’s 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.

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 order of the date of receipt of the application.

Offers of any subsequent places that become available for and during the school year in relation to which admission is being sought will be made to those students on the waiting list, in accordance with the order of priority in relation to which the students have been placed on the list.

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 to School 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 applicants will be offered a place if there is 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.

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:

• A written application using the school’s application form must be received for the application to be considered

• Each application form must be completed in full – incomplete forms will be returned

• A decision on each application will be made within 21 days of the date of receipt of application. This decision will be forwarded to the applicant in writing.

• Where the school is oversubscribed and is unable to offer a place, parents/guardians can request to be placed on the school’s waiting list. Places that become available in the school will be filled from this waiting list in line with the criteria set out in section 6 (a) to (f) of this document

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:

• A written application using the school’s application form must be received for the application to be considered

• Each application form must be completed in full – incomplete forms will be returned

• A decision on each application will be made within 21 days of the date of receipt of application. This decision will be forwarded to the applicant in writing.

DECLARATION IN RELATION TO THE NON-CHARGING OF FEES

The board of Saint Fintan’s or any persons acting on its behalf will not charge fees for or seek payment or contributions (howsoever described) as a condition of-

(a) an application for admission of a student to the school, or

(b) the admission or continued enrolment of a student in the school.

17 ARRANGEMENTS REGARDING STUDENTS NOT ATTENDING RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

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.

REVIEWS/APPEALS

Review of decisions by the Board of Management

The parent 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 such reviews in accordance with the requirements of the procedures determined under Section 29B and with section 29C of the Education Act 1998.

Note: 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.

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 parent of the student may appeal a decision of this 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) (ii) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due 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)

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.

This Admission Policy was approved by the Patron; Bishop Denis Nulty on 15/9/2020

This Admission Policy was ratified by the Board of Management of St Fintan’s BNS on ___/____/_____.

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(Chairperson) (Principal)