East Glendalough School

Admissions Policy


Introduction

East Glendalough School was established in 1987 to serve the Protestant community in an area approximating to the eastern half of the diocese of Glendalough. The Patron of the school is the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough and the school is accountable to the patron for upholding the particular ethos of the school. (see Note 1).

Enrolment Policy – 1st Year

All applications for places at East Glendalough School must be submitted on the approved application form.

To be eligible for admission to the school pupils should have completed sixth class in primary school, or its equivalent, and should have reached the age of 12 years before 31 December in 1 Year.

Children of members of staff and children of Protestant clergy within the catchment area receive a special priority if a place is available. Thereafter, priority is given to the first 60 applications for Protestant pupils from within the catchment area (see Note 2). Certificates of Registry of Baptism (or, in exceptional cases, a letter from a Minister of religion stating that the child is an regular member of a Protestant congregation) and Birth Certificates should accompany applications. When all places are filled in any one year, applications are put on a waiting list.

When all priority applications have been catered for, other applications are considered, space and resources permitting. Second priority is given to Protestant pupils from outside the catchment area. Third priority is given to members of Protestant House Churches. Fourth priority is given to non-Protestant applications with sibling connections to the school. Fifth priority is given to "mixed marriage" applications where one of the partners is Protestant. Thereafter, all other applications shall be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.

This will occur in the calendar year of proposed entry to the school. Decisions on all applications are at the discretion of the Board of Management.

The Board of Management will only entertain applications when there are places available in any given year. Currently East Glendalough School can cater for a maximum of two forms of 30 students in any given year.

Places in East Glendalough School are offered subject to students and parents/guardians signing a copy of the school Code of Conduct indicating acceptance of current school rules regarding discipline and other matters (see Note 3). Acceptance of a place in the school is taken as acceptance of all school policies (see Note 4). Refusal to sign the Code of Conduct or to accept school disciplinary procedures will lead to loss of place in the school.

Enrolment Policy – 2nd-6th Year

All applications for places at East Glendalough School must be submitted on the approved application form. Applicants for places in 2-5 Year should also include copies of recent school reports.

Places only arise in 2-5 Year if the school receives written notice of the withdrawal of an existing student.

In respect of applications for places in 2-5 Year several criteria shall apply, including chronological order of applications, religious denomination of the child, a sibling connection with the school, quality of previous school reports, capacity of the applicant to fit into the school, special qualities or abilities that will allow the applicant to make a contribution to the school, references and performance at interview. All places are offered at the discretion of the Board of Management.

If a place arises in 2 Year, previously unsuccessful applications for 1 Year may be considered, if the applicants have requested in writing that their name be kept on the Waiting List. However, after 2 Year all previous applications shall be deemed to have lapsed. If a family wishes their child to be considered for a place in 3-5 Year a new application must be made in writing to the school.

When considering the admission of any student the Board will take account of its obligations under health and safety legislation.

Appeals

Appeals against the school’s failure to enrol a student should be made in writing to the Board of Management who may decide that an oral hearing is necessary.

Section 29 Appeals
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, gives parents (and students who have reached the age of 18) the right to appeal decisions made by a school's Board of Management relating to expulsions, suspensions or refusals to enrol a student. If applicants are in any way dissatisfied with the School's handling of their application, they are entitled to address an appeal to the Secretary General of the Department of Education & Skills via the Section 29 Appeals Administration Unit, Department of Education & Skills, Friar's Mill Road, Mullingar, Co Westmeath. The contact phone number for this Unit is 044 9337008 and the email address is section29@education.gov.ie. Further information is available on the website www.education.ie.

Student Participation

East Glendalough School is a comprehensive co-educational day school, offering a broad Christian education through a wide curriculum of subjects approved by the Department of Education, together with sports and extra-curricular activities.

Religious Education and Assemblies are an integral part of the ethos and educational structure of the school. It is expected that students attending East Glendalough School will participate in all areas of the school curriculum and pupils are encouraged to participate as fully as possible in the extra-curricular life of the school.

Students attending East Glendalough School complete six years of schooling before sitting the Leaving Certificate. Requests to repeat or omit a year will only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Transition Year is compulsory for all students.

As specified under the Education Welfare Act 2000 all students registered at East Glendalough School are obliged to attend school on a regular basis and parents/guardians also have obligations in this respect.

Suspension and Expulsion

The Board of Management of East Glendalough School is committed to excellence in education and the welfare of all students in its care. Once enrolled a student is subject to the discipline of the school and is entitled to remain as a pupil for as long as the discipline and rules of the school are obeyed. These rules apply in school, on school activities and where life in school is affected.

Persistent breaches of discipline will be dealt with by Form Teacher, Dean of Discipline or Deputy Principal. Serious misdemeanours and repeated offences will be referred to the Principal and to the Board of Management. Where a student's conduct warrants it, the Principal has the authority to suspend a pupil.

Any unauthorised involvement with, or possession of, dangerous objects, tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs is strictly forbidden and may lead to suspension and/or dismissal from school.

The Board of Management reserves the right to remove from the school register any student who puts the health and welfare of other students or staff at risk, or any student who engages in persistent or serious misbehaviour which undermines the ethos of the school or undermines the education of other students.

Where the Principal proposes the removal of a student from the register, parents/guardians (or students over 18 years) have the right of appeal to the Board of Management.

Special Education Needs

East Glendalough School will endeavour to ensure that all reasonable accommodation is given to students with disabilities, and that all students in the school with a disability are part of the East Glendalough School community. Students of the school will have access to, and will be expected to participate in, all subjects and activities provided by the school subject to exclusions recognized in the Equal Status Act 2000.

Students with special educational needs will have access to, and will be expected to participate in, all subjects and activities of the school. East Glendalough School will endeavour to make available remedial and other support where appropriate, subject to resources forthcoming from the Department of Education and Science

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Notes:
1. Refer to School Ethos Statement, acceptance of which is a condition of entry to East Glendalough School.
2. Due to the large demand for places in the school the Board of Management prioritises applications from members of the established Protestant denominations.
3. Additional copies of the Code of Conduct are available from the School Office.
4. All School Policies are available in the School Office. In particular, Parents and Guardians are asked to be aware of the Disciplinary Procedures Policy and the Substance Abuse Policy.



Approved by Board of Management,Glendalough School
May 2007

Amended April 2010