ADMISSIONS POLICY

1. 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 ……………………... 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 Killasser N.S. 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 theschool 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.

2. Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school Killasser N.S. is a Catholic co-eduational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of the Bishop of Achonry.

Killasser N.S. has a commitment to providing a caring and supportive environment for all pupils through positive affirmation, clear communication and a genuine partnership between the school, the home and the community. Killasser N.S. is a Catholic co-educational primary school which provides a happy caring and secure learning environment in which the individual student is enabled to achieve his/her full potential.

The school promotes excellence in teaching and learning. The school community that we create is welcoming, collegial,safe, respectful and inclusive of all its members. All aspects of the child, academic, spiritual, moral and cultural are cherished.

We aim to provide an environment that promotes high standards and encourages all pupils to maximise their potential for learning and to promote differentiation for pupils of all abilities.

3. Admission Statement

Killasser N.S. 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,

(c) the family 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.

4. Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the school/special class

Currently non-applicable to Killasser N.S. ( Term 2 2020) 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.



(a) In the case of a special school

[School name] with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, provides an

education exclusively for students with (insert details of category or categories of SEN the

school caters for).

(b) In the case of a mainstream school with a SEN class attached

[School Name] with the approval of the Minister for Education and Skills, has established a

class to provide an education exclusively for students with (insert details of category or

categories of SEN the special class caters for).

Note for schools: The act does not require schools and special classes providing for a

category or categories of special educational needs to change their current status. The

current arrangements in relation to the category or categories of special educational needs

provided by schools will continue as in previous years unless otherwise directed by the

NCSE or the Department.

5. Admission of Students

Primary schools receiving applications from applicants of a minority religion

Killasser N.S. is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment

which promotes certain religious values and does not discriminate in relation to the admission of

a student who has applied for a place in the school in accordance with section 7A of the Equal

Status Act 2000.

All denominational schools

Killasser N.S. 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.

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.

Additional information

NONE APPLICABLE HERE ( this section relates to denominational, single sex and

schools with special educational classes) Term 2 2020

6. 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:

Selection criteria : (1). siblings of a student attending or having attended the school; (2)

parents or grandparents of a student having attended the school; (3) date of birth – oldest

first ; (4) geographical location in relation to school; nearest first; ( distance being as crow

flies, most direct route to school).

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:

criteria based on (1) siblings of a student attending or having attended the school and/or (2)

parents or grandparents of a student having attended the school; (3) date of birth – oldest

first ; (4) geographical location in relation to school; nearest first; ( distance being as crow

flies, most direct route to school).( 5) Lottery with rules and arrangements to be determined

and agreed by Board of Management in advance of admissions notice being published.

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).

7. What will not be considered or taken into account

(a) 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—

(I) an early intervention class, or

(II) an early start pre-school, specified in a list published by the Minister from time to time;

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

(other than in relation to a fee charging school or a plc or further education and training

course run by a school in respect of those courses)

(c) a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude;

(other than in relation to:

- admission to (a) a special school or (b) 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

and/or

- admission to an Irish language school, in accordance with the provisions of section 62(9)

of the act

(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;

(other than in the case of admission to the residential element of a boarding school or to a plc or

further education and training course run by a school)

(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, in the case of the school wishing to include a selection criteria based on (1) siblings of a student

attending or having attended the school and/or (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).

(g) 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).

8. Decisions on applications

All decisions on applications for admission to Killasser N.S. will be based on the following:

• Our school’s admission policy

• The school’s annual admission notice (where applicable)

• 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).

Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant

In accepting an offer of admission from Killasser N.S. you must indicate—

(i) 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.

10. 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 Killasser N.S. where—

(i) it is established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.

(ii) 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.

(iii) 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.

11. 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.

12. 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 Killasser N.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 Killasser N.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.

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.

13. 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 applications 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 a 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.

14. 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:

Pupils will be admitted to the class at the beginning of a new term.

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:

As above

15. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees

This rule applies to all schools.

The Board of Management of Killasser N.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.

Note: Exceptions apply only in relation to fee charging post primary schools, the boarding element

in Boarding Schools and admission to post leaving cert or further education courses run by post-

primary schools.

16. Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction

This section must be completed by schools that provide religious instruction to students.

The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parents or in the case of a

student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, who has requested that the student

attend the school without attending religious instruction in the school. These arrangements will not

result in a reduction in the school day of such students:

A written request should be made to the Principal. A meeting will be arranged with parent (s)/

guardian to discuss how the request may be accommodated by the school. Pupils will remain in

their classroom and supplementary non-religious classwork will be assigned for them to work on

independently while religious instruction takes place.

17. Reviews/appeals

Review of decisions by the Board of Management

The parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, 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.

18. Right of appeal

Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parent of the student, or in the case of a student

who has reached the age of 18 years, 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)

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. (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