St.Marys

Enrolment Criteria and Procedures
Within the context and parameters of Department regulations and programmes, the rights of the Patron as set out in the Education Act and the funding and resources available, and the fact that we are a boys school in the Parish of The Annunciation Rathfarnham, equality of access is the key value that determines the enrolment of boys to our school.
No boy is refused admission on the grounds of ethnicity, disability, special educational needs, language/accent, traveller status, asylum seeker/refugee status, religious/political beliefs and values, family or social circumstances. While recognising the rights of parents/guardians to enrol their boy in the school of their choice, the Board of Management of St. Mary's is also required to respect the rights of the existing school community and in particular the boys already enrolled. This requires balanced judgements which are guided by the principles of natural justice and acting in the best interest of all the boys. Assisting the school in such circumstances, the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the maximum number of boys in each separate classroom bearing in mind:
Educational needs of boys of a particular age Multi grade classes
Presence of boys with special educational/behavioural needs Department of Education and Science maximum class average directives (currently a maximum average of 30 per class).

In the event that the number of boys seeking enrolment exceeds the number of places available in any given class, the following criteria will be used to prioritise boys for enrolment:
Catholic boys from the parish (priority to oldest).
Brothers of boys already enrolled in the school (priority to oldest). Catholic boys from outside the parish who do not have a Catholic school in their parish (priority to oldest).
Boys of current and past staff of schools in the parish (priority to oldest).
Boys from outside the parish who have had fathers, brothers, uncles or other relatives attend St. Mary's. (priority to oldest).
Boys from outside the parish whose family may have affiliations with our school or parish. (priority to oldest).
Boys of other religious denominations or with no formal religious affiliation who live within the parish boundaries (priority to oldest). Catholic boys from outside the parish who have a sister attending Loreto Convent GNS Grange Road (priority to oldest).
Catholic boys from outside the parish (priority to oldest).
When space permits we accept and welcome boys of other religious denominations and those with no formal religious affiliations who live outside the parish (priority to oldest).

Enrolment Procedures
Boys who have reached the age of four, on or before 31st. March, may be enrolled in the Junior Infant class for September of that year.
Application forms are available between 1st October and 28th February of the academic year preceding entry to the school.
The form should be completed and returned before the 1st March. Information required on the application form will include pupil's name, age and address, names and addresses of pupil's parents/guardians, religion, contact telephone numbers and emergency contact numbers.
Details of any medical/behavioural conditions [including medical reports, assessments etc.] of which the school should be aware, previous primary schools attended [if the child is transferring from another school] and reports etc. from the original school should also be attached with any relevant information.
In relation to the enrolment of a boy with special needs, the Board of Management of St. Mary's will request a copy of the child's medical and or psychological report, or where such a report is not available, will require that the boy be assessed immediately. The purpose of the assessment is to assist the school in establishing if the resources of the school are sufficient to put into place the required facilities and resources to meet the educational needs of the boy as outlined in the report.
It may be necessary for the Board of Management to defer enrolment of a particular boy, pending;
the receipt of an assessment report; and/or the provision of appropriate resources by the Department of Education and Science to meet the needs specified in the psychological and/or medical report.
On receipt of a place offer, written confirmation of acceptance together with certificates of birth/adoption and baptism [for Catholic boys who wish to receive the sacraments] is required. At this stage also parents/guardians are expected to pay for books required and to acquire the school uniform and tracksuit.
Enrolments will also be considered for classes other than Junior Infants if space permits. Boys who wish to transfer from other schools may do so at any time subject to our own school's enrolment policy and local agreements with other schools. All applications from such pupils must be accompanied by school reports and any other relevant data.
We expect pupils to remain in St. Mary's for the complete duration of their primary education as this enhances the stability of our school community.