Section A: Mission Statement

Coláiste an Átha, Kilmuckridge, is dedicated to providing a quality education in a caring and supportive environment where the holistic development of each individual student is nurtured.

Our Mission Statement is based on the following Core Values:

  • Education is a partnership between school, parents, and students with the support of the local community.
  • Our central purpose is to motivate and prepare students to achieve their full potential.
  • The importance and value of all members of the school community is central to all decisions and actions. Courtesy and respect should be shown to people at all times.
  • Our College strives to provide a welcoming, secure learning environment, which is respectful, caring and stimulating for all members of the school community.

Based on our Mission Statement, our General aims are:

  • To provide a caring, secure and disciplined environment where students learn and teachers teach.
  • To provide a broad-based curriculum which seeks to meet the varying needs and abilities of individual pupils.
  • To foster the development of each student’s skills, knowledge and self-esteem as well as his/her enthusiasm for learning.
  • To help students to develop skills for future life and for responsible citizenship.
  • To promote moral values, self-discipline, and self-respect for themselves and respect for others.  

 

Section B: Operating Context

The school’s Mission Statement

This admission and enrolment policy operates under the requirements of:

The Education Act 1998

The Education Welfare Act 2000

The Equal Status Act 2004

Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (where enacted)

The Vocational and Educational Acts 1930 – 2001

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005

The rules and regulations of the Department of Education and Skills

The legal rights of Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board

The policies of Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board

Available physical, personnel and financial resources

 

Section C: School details, management structure, programmes & provision

Coláiste an Átha is a multi-denominational, co-educational, publicly funded Second Level  College managed by a Board of Management, under the patronage of Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board, hereafter called Waterford Wexford ETB.

Management Structure

The Board of Management which is comprised of VEC nominees, teacher nominees, parent nominees and board nominees.

The Principal

The Deputy Principal

The Assistant Principals

Programmes and Provision (as outlined in College Prospectus)

Junior Certificate

Junior Certificate Schools Programme

Leaving Certificate

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme

Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

Guidance and Counselling Service

Learning Support Programme

Post Leaving Certificate Programmes

School Completion Programme

Home School Community Liaison Person

Extra Curricular Activities

Parents’ Association and Students’ Council play an integral role in the running of the college.

 

Section D: Enrolment Procedures

Parents / Guardians seeking to enrol a child/children are required to completed an Enrolment Form(s).   The closing date for enrolment will be publicised each year.

Applications must include the following information and documents:

  1. Student’s name, age, date of birth and full address
  2. PPS Number
  3. Birth Certificate
  4. Parents’/Guardians’ names and addresses.
  5. Mother’s maiden name.
  6. Telephone numbers which must be up to date
  7. Emergency contact numbers.
  8. Name of family doctor
  9. Nationality.
  10. Religious affiliation, if any.
  11. Previous schools attended.
  12. Details of medical conditions, if any
  13. Details of any special physical requirements
  14. Special Educational Needs

Where the prospective enrolee has recognised special needs, parents’/guardians’ should apply in the March preceding the September intake and supply copies of relevant reports, assessments or recommendations to facilitate either the provision of appropriate supports, or an application to the Dept. of Education and Skills for such supports.

Garda Vetting will apply to relevant WWETB courses and programmes.  Where this is necessary, you will be required to complete a Garda Vetting Form giving permission for information to be obtained from the Garda Central Vetting Unit regarding all convictions and/or prosecutions successful or not, pending or completed.” Garda Vetting will only be required for students who complete work experience in the Leaving Certificate Vocational and Leaving Certificate Applied programmes.

 

Exceptional Circumstances

The College reserves the right to refuse enrolment to any student in exceptional cases.  Such an exceptional case could arise where either:

  1. The student has special needs such that, even with additional resources available from the Department of Education and Skills, the school cannot meet such needs and/or provide the student with an appropriate education or
  2. In the opinion of the Board of Management, the student poses an unacceptable risk to other students, to school staff or to school property.

The College reserves the right to request other details relevant to the enrolment process.  Decisions will be notified to parents within 21 days after the closing date for applications or within 21 days following an enrolment application where an application enrolment is made during the course of the school year as per Section 19, Education Welfare Act, 2000.  The following factors will be considered in respect of applications:

  • Class size
  • Availability of staff
  • Availability of appropriate accommodation
  • The rights of applicants
  • The rights of existing students and staff within the school

With regard to applications in respect of students who are either refugees or asylum seekers, the Board of Management acts in accordance with the policy developed by the ETBI.

The College reserves the right to hold relevant student details on computer subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Acts, 1998 and 2003.

 

First Year

First year enrolment takes place in November each year.

All applicants for first year are required to sit an assessment on the date specified by the school authorities.  Please note that these results will not be used to determine eligibility for enrolment.

Applications submitted following the enrolment period and prior to the commencement of the school year in August/September will be accepted on a “first come, first served” basis subject to the availability of places and curricular restrictions.  Once the school year has commenced, all applications for enrolment will be dealt with under the policy relating to transferring students, as set out below.

Preference will be given to applicants within the catchment area.  Applicants to first years outside the established catchment area will be accepted subject to the availability of places in the school. Where the number of applicants in respect of students outside the catchment area exceeds the number of available places, the students to whom confirmed places will be offered will be decided by lottery to be conducted by the CEO of the ETB or his/her nominee.

 

Transfers

While it is appreciated that in certain exceptional circumstances transfers are unavoidable (e.g. a change of residence or a family moving into the area) as a matter of general policy transfers into the school are discouraged in the overall interest of the continuity of the student’s education.

An application to transfer is defined as one in respect of a student who has previously enrolled in another second level school or in respect of a student where application is made after the commencement of the academic year. It is not the policy of the Board of Management to accept transfer applications from students already enrolled in local post- primary schools, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Applications in respect of students wishing to transfer into the school should be accompanied by a letter setting out clearly the reason(s) for the application.  The following documentation should also be supplied:

(a)    Completed enrolment form and documentation.

(b)   The two most recent academic reports from the pupil’s current/previous school

(c)    A completed Transfer Report Form from the current/previous school

The College reserves the right to request a confidential reference from the authorities in current/previous school(s).

The Board of Management reserves the right to refuse enrolment to a student who has an established prior record of substance misuse, alcohol misuse, bullying or other serious misbehaviour.

Applications to transfer into the school will be considered having regard to the overall wellbeing of existing pupils and the availability of physical space and resources. Following consideration by the Board of Management of individual applications to transfer into the school, where the Board has good grounds for forming the fair and reasonable opinion that it would not be in the best interests of the existing students and/or the prospective enrolee to accept such a transfer, it is the policy of the school to refuse to enrol such applicants.

Applications will not be accepted in respect of students who are the subject of ongoing disciplinary proceedings in another school or where an appeal is being processed in accordance with the Education Act 1998 or The Education for Persons with Special Needs Act 2004 (when commenced).

In general, it is the policy of the Board of Management not to accept transfers during the school year. However in the case of a student whose family has moved into the catchment area, and whose child/children are not enrolled in another post primary school, applications will be considered.  Although the school will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the subject choices of a transferring student, this is subject to there being space available in the relevant class(es).

Right of Appeal

Parents have the right to appeal a refusal by this college to enrol a student under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, as per Circular Letter M48/01 of the Department of Education and Science.

An applicant who is refused enrolment has a right of appeal against the decision of the Board of Management of Coláiste an Átha.  Such an appeal should be made in the first instance to Waterford Wexford ETB within 14 days of the date of written notification of the refusal. Subsequently, if necessary,  to the Secretary of the Department of Education and Skills. The appropriate forms and guidelines are available from the school secretary during normal school office hours.

Code of Behaviour

It is a condition of enrolment that-

   (i)  Students undertake to abide by all the requirements of the Code of Behaviour of Coláiste an Átha.

  (ii) Parents/guardians accept the requirements of that code and undertake to take all reasonable steps to ensure their  sons/ daughters abide by it

 (iii) Parents and students are also obliged to accept amendments to the code as they arise and accept this on signing the code.

(iv) Parents/guardians are required to sign the Code of Behaviour

The Code of Behaviour allows, in certain circumstances and subject to the application of procedures and protections as required by law,

 (i) The right of the College authorities to suspend a student

(ii) The right of the Board of Management to expel a student

NOTE:

Unless otherwise stated, students are fully responsible for safeguarding personal property in school, and on school related business.

 

Review and Evaluation

This Policy will be reviewed and amended if necessary on an annual basis. The Policy will be ratified by the Board of Management following the annual review.  Last Reviewed 2015.