Admission Policy of Loughquittane N S
School Address: Muckross, Killarney, Co Kerry, V93 RF96
Roll number: 10049M
School Patron: Bishop Ray Browne
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 Loughquittane National 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 01/04/2023. 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 Loughquittane N.S.’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 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
Loughquittane NS is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the
patronage of the Bishop of Kerry.
“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:
a. the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil, a living
including relationship with God and with other people; and
b. the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; and
c. a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus;
and
d. 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
Loughquittane NS 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.
Mission Statement of Loughquittane NS
Loughquittane N.S. operates under the Rules for National Schools, The Education Act (1998),
The Education Welfare Act (2000), enacted sections of the Education of Persons with Special
Educational Needs Act (2004), all relevant equality legislation and the Department of Education
and Skills (DES), and the changes brought about by the Commencement Order signed by the
Minister for Education and Skills on 3 rd October, 2018. Loughquittane N.S. depends on the
grants and teacher resources provided by the Department of Education and Skills, and it
operates within the regulations laid down, from time to time, by the Department.
Our aims are the same as all schools in that we strive —
1. To enable the child to live a full and interesting life as a child.
2. To equip each child to avail himself/herself of further education so that he/she may go on
to live a full and useful life as an adult in society.
3. To prepare children to make valuable use of their leisure time.
Each child will be treated as an individual and be given opportunities that will enable him/her to
develop his/her natural powers, skills and talents to his/her fullest capacity, so that s/he will
benefit from, and use these skills and talents in the future.
Children are encouraged to think creatively, to question and to problem solve through a variety
of curriculum areas and discovery learning.
We want our children to be happy, fulfilled, good people, willing to help one another, with a clear
idea of right and wrong, good and bad.
The school follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the DES, 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 DES 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
special educational need;
● Equality of access and participation in the school;
● Parental choice in relation to enrolment
● Respect for diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in
society
Admission Statement
Loughquittane 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, ‘gender ground’, ‘civil status ground’, ‘family
status ground’, ‘sexual orientation ground’, ‘religion ground’, ‘disability ground’, ‘ discriminate’,
‘ground of race’ and ‘Traveller community ground’ shall be construed in accordance with section
3 of the Equal Status Act 2000.
● Loughquittane N S 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.
● Loughquittane N S 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.
● Loughquittane 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 of the Catholic faith and it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain
the ethos of the school.
Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the school
Children with SEN are integrated into mainstream classes at Loughquittane NS and are catered
for by their mainstream class teacher with the support of the Special Education Team, in
consultation with the parents, SENO, NEPS and HSE.
Admission of Students
This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –
a. the school is oversubscribed (please see “oversubscription” section 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
Loughquittane N S is a 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.
Oversubscription
In the event that the school is oversubscribed, the school will, when deciding on applications for
admission, apply the following selection criteria (determined by (BoM) 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. Applicants with siblings currently and/or previously enrolled in Loughquittane NS,
including step-siblings, priority eldest;
1. Children residing in the parish and / or within a 3km radius of the school, priority eldest;
2. Children of staff members, priority eldest
3. Random selection (independently verified)
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 to eldest in accordance with the above criteria
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;
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 siblings of a student attending or
having attended the school)
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.
Decisions on applications
All decisions on applications for admission to Loughquittane NS 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 late application section below in relation to applications received outside of the
admissions period and procedures section 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.
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 Reviews/Appeals below for further details).
Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant
In accepting an offer of admission from Loughquittane NS, 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.
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 Loughquittane 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 as set out in ‘acceptance of an
offer’ above.
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 board to provide a patron or another board of
management with a list of the students in relation to whom—
(i) an application for admission to the school has been received,
(ii) 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:
(i) the date on which an application for admission was received by the school;
(ii) the date on which an offer of admission was made by the school;
(iii) the date on which an offer of admission was accepted by an applicant;
(iv) a student’s personal details including his or her name, address, date of birth and
personal public service number (within the meaning of section 262 of the Social Welfare
Consolidation Act 2005).
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 Loughquittane 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 Loughquittane 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.
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.
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:
i. Applications for enrolment during the school year will be considered subject to school
policy, available space and the provision of information concerning attendance and the
child’s educational progress.
ii. Such applications will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis but will normally only be
considered for admission on the first day of each new term unless the applicant is newly
resident in the area.
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:
i. 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 Loughquittane
NS 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.
ii. Placement on the waiting list of Loughquittane NS 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.
Junior Infants, with the exception of students transferring from another school, may only
be admitted to the school prior to September 15th.
Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees
The board of Loughquittane NS 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.
Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction
Our school is of a Catholic ethos and, in keeping with that ethos, children of all or no other faith
are welcome to apply to this school.
We respect the decision of parents to withdraw their child/children from taking part in the
religious education curriculum, religious ceremonies and school Masses.
The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent(s)/guardian(s) have
requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction (etc.) 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 of the school. A meeting will then be arranged
with the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student, 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, 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.
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, 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.
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.
The draft policy was ratified by the Board of Management of Loughquittane NS on December
2022
Signed: Lily Cronin Chairperson, Board of Management
The contents of this policy have been approved by St. Senan’s Education Office, acting on
behalf of the Patron.
Loughquittane National School
Enrolment Application Form
Pupil’s First Name: _______________________ Surname: _______________________
Date of Birth: ________________________ Gender: ________________________
Address (at which the applicant resides): _________________________________________
Name and class of sibling(s)currently enrolled: _____________________________________
Parent(s) / Guardians Details:
Name: ____________________________ ( ) Parent ( ) Custodian ( ) Legal Guardian
Address: ___________________________________________________________________
Telephone: _____________________ E-mail: ______________________________
Name: ____________________________ ( ) Parent ( ) Custodian ( ) Legal Guardian
Address: ___________________________________________________________________
Telephone: _____________________ E-mail: ______________________________
Signature 1: __________________________ Signature 2: _______________________
Date: _____________________ Date: _________________________
Please return completed forms to Loughquittane N.S.