Admissions Policy
This Admissions Policy Document was ratified by the Board of Management on 26th June 2018.
School Culture and Ethos
St. David’s, Holy Faith Secondary School is a Catholic school under the patronage of Le Chéile Schools Trust. We welcome students of all faiths and of no faith backgrounds.
Every reasonable effort is made in St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary School, to accommodate the individuality of each student while at the same time acknowledging the right of each student to receive his/her education in a safe environment conducive to maximising their educational potential.
The ethos of our school is a major factor in establishing and maintaining high standards of behaviour and discipline. This is characterised by a strong sense of community within our school and a high level of co-operation between our students, staff and parents/guardians, achieved through positive relationships. Management and staff of St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary School, promote the educational welfare of all our students.
Total school enrolment is determined annually by the Board of Management. The Board of Management stipulates that all base classes will have a maximum of thirty students per class. Practical classes (Sciences, Construction/Material Technology Wood, Engineering/Metalwork, Art and DCG/Technical Graphic) will have a maximum of twenty four students per class and in the case of Home Economics, a maximum of twenty students per class. This is to safeguard the health and safety of all in the school and to ensure the best possible educational provision for each student.
The School supports, as espoused by the Education Act 1998, the following principles:
Admissions Policy
First Year 2021
All applications for places at the school will be accessible from the school website (www.stdavids.ie) from Monday, 5th November 2018 at 9.00am. All completed applications must be submitted to the school office by Friday, 16th November 2018 at 3.35pm. Hard copy application forms will be available upon request at the school office.
Only completed hardcopy application forms received by the school office by 3.35pm Friday, 16th November 2018 will be considered by the school when allocating places. It is the applicant’s sole responsibility to ensure that their application has been received by St. David’s secondary school on time and that a copy of the receipt from the school be retained by the applicant as proof.
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 twelve years by 31st December in First Year.
Application of Places
Priority will be afforded to children in Category 1 and then sequentially to each subsequent category.
Where there is an excess of applicants within a category, any priority afforded within that category will first be applied and remaining places available shall be offered on the basis of random selection from qualifying applicants within that category.
Parents/Guardians will be informed by the school whether their son’s/daughter’s application has been successful within twenty-one days of the closing date of receipt of application form, Administrative fee and all other relevant documentation. The Administration fee is a non-refundable fee which must accompany all applications.
The completed application form, any other relevant documentation including the Administrative fee (as set by the Board of Management), should be returned to the school addressed to the Deputy Principal, Mr. Simon Carey.
Administrative Fee
As part of the Admission Process there is an Administrative fee of 250 Euro. This is to ensure that the applicant is committed to taking up his/her place in St. David’s and is not unfairly blocking a place which prevents another applicant from securing his/her place. This payment must accompany the Admission application form by Friday, 16th November 2018 by 3.35pm.
In the event that no place can be offered to the applicant a full refund of this will be made. In the event that an applicant accepts a place and subsequently withdraws the Administrative will not refunded.
Sibling Priority
If a child who has accepted a place for 2019 or 2020 does not take up that place, a sibling afforded priority as a sibling of that child under Category 1 will lose that priority and will be deemed to have forfeited their place and the place will be offered to another applicant without notice*.
First Year Enrolment Criteria for St. David’s Secondary School, Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
In the event, that the total number of First Year applicants exceeds the number of places available, as decided by St David’s Board of Management annually, the following criteria will be applied to determine to whom places will be offered.
The Board of Management shall prioritise the allocation of places for First Year in September 2021 according to the following criteria:
Criterion 1.
At present have a brother or sister attending, or
Had in the past, a brother or sister attending St. David’s, or
Who have a brother or sister confirmed to attend St. David’s in 2019 or 2020 * (see Sibling Priority, page 3).
If, after applying Criterion 1, places remain available, Criterion 2 will be applied to the remaining applicants. If the number of applications in Criterion 2 exceed the number of places available, random selection will apply.
Criterion 2.
If, after applying Criterion 2, places remain available, Criterion 3 will be applied to the remaining applicants. If the number of applications in Criterion 3 exceed the number of places available, random selection will apply.
Criterion 3.
If, after applying Criterion 3, places remain available, Criterion 4 will be applied to the remaining applicants. If the number of applications in Criterion 4 exceed the number of places available, random selection will apply.
Criterion 4.
Waiting List
Once all places have been allocated under this Admissions Policy, a waiting list will be established for unsuccessful applicants, commencing with criterion 2, followed by criterion 3, followed by criterion 4, if applicable.
Late Applications
Applications received after the closing date, will be considered ‘late applications’ and can only be processed after all the applications received ‘on time’. In this event the school will offer the applicant the opportunity to be placed on our waiting list.
Appeals
You may appeal the school’s decision not to enrol your son/daughter to the Board of Management.
Section 29 Appeals
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, gives parents/guardians (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, N91 H30Y. The contact phone number for this Unit is 0761 108588 and the email address is Section29@education.gov.ie. Further information is available on the website www.education.ie.
Transfer of a student from another school
(a) The normal year of entry to St. David’s is in First Year. However, applications are received from parent(s)/guardian(s) of students for a place in a year other than First Year.
The Principal will consider whether or not a transfer is applicable if the student:
(b) Re-admission of a student, who left St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary School.
A student who left St. David’s, and who then wishes to return to resume his/her studies, must follow the same procedure as for “Transfer of Student from another school” above. Re-entry to St. David’s, for such students, is not automatic.
The Board of Management reserves the right to refuse enrolment to any student in exceptional cases. Such an exceptional case could include the following:
1. The D.E.S. has not allocated appropriate resources for a particular student(s) in the view of the Board of Management.
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.
Decisions on all applications are at the discretion of the Board of Management. This policy is reviewed by the Board of Management on an annual basis and the Board of Management retains the discretion to affirm, amend or otherwise alter, the Admissions policy as deemed appropriate.
School Culture and Ethos
St. David’s, Holy Faith Secondary School is a Catholic school under the patronage of Le Chéile Schools Trust. We welcome students of all faiths and of no faith backgrounds.
Every reasonable effort is made in St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary School, to accommodate the individuality of each student while at the same time acknowledging the right of each student to receive his/her education in a safe environment conducive to maximising their educational potential.
The ethos of our school is a major factor in establishing and maintaining high standards of behaviour and discipline. This is characterised by a strong sense of community within our school and a high level of co-operation between our students, staff and parents/guardians, achieved through positive relationships. Management and staff of St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary School, promote the educational welfare of all our students.
Total school enrolment is determined annually by the Board of Management. The Board of Management stipulates that all base classes will have a maximum of thirty students per class. Practical classes (Sciences, Construction/Material Technology Wood, Engineering/Metalwork, Art and DCG/Technical Graphic) will have a maximum of twenty four students per class and in the case of Home Economics, a maximum of twenty students per class. This is to safeguard the health and safety of all in the school and to ensure the best possible educational provision for each student.
The School supports, as espoused by the Education Act 1998, the following principles:
- Equality with respect to maximum access and participation in the school.
- Respect for the diversity of beliefs, languages, traditions and ways of life in society.
- Parental choice in relation to choice of school, having regard for the characteristic spirit of the school.
- Inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of students with a disability or other special educational needs.
Admissions Policy
First Year 2021
All applications for places at the school will be accessible from the school website (www.stdavids.ie) from Monday, 5th November 2018 at 9.00am. All completed applications must be submitted to the school office by Friday, 16th November 2018 at 3.35pm. Hard copy application forms will be available upon request at the school office.
Only completed hardcopy application forms received by the school office by 3.35pm Friday, 16th November 2018 will be considered by the school when allocating places. It is the applicant’s sole responsibility to ensure that their application has been received by St. David’s secondary school on time and that a copy of the receipt from the school be retained by the applicant as proof.
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 twelve years by 31st December in First Year.
Application of Places
Priority will be afforded to children in Category 1 and then sequentially to each subsequent category.
Where there is an excess of applicants within a category, any priority afforded within that category will first be applied and remaining places available shall be offered on the basis of random selection from qualifying applicants within that category.
Parents/Guardians will be informed by the school whether their son’s/daughter’s application has been successful within twenty-one days of the closing date of receipt of application form, Administrative fee and all other relevant documentation. The Administration fee is a non-refundable fee which must accompany all applications.
The completed application form, any other relevant documentation including the Administrative fee (as set by the Board of Management), should be returned to the school addressed to the Deputy Principal, Mr. Simon Carey.
Administrative Fee
As part of the Admission Process there is an Administrative fee of 250 Euro. This is to ensure that the applicant is committed to taking up his/her place in St. David’s and is not unfairly blocking a place which prevents another applicant from securing his/her place. This payment must accompany the Admission application form by Friday, 16th November 2018 by 3.35pm.
In the event that no place can be offered to the applicant a full refund of this will be made. In the event that an applicant accepts a place and subsequently withdraws the Administrative will not refunded.
Sibling Priority
If a child who has accepted a place for 2019 or 2020 does not take up that place, a sibling afforded priority as a sibling of that child under Category 1 will lose that priority and will be deemed to have forfeited their place and the place will be offered to another applicant without notice*.
First Year Enrolment Criteria for St. David’s Secondary School, Greystones, Co. Wicklow.
In the event, that the total number of First Year applicants exceeds the number of places available, as decided by St David’s Board of Management annually, the following criteria will be applied to determine to whom places will be offered.
The Board of Management shall prioritise the allocation of places for First Year in September 2021 according to the following criteria:
Criterion 1.
- Applicants, who:
At present have a brother or sister attending, or
Had in the past, a brother or sister attending St. David’s, or
Who have a brother or sister confirmed to attend St. David’s in 2019 or 2020 * (see Sibling Priority, page 3).
If, after applying Criterion 1, places remain available, Criterion 2 will be applied to the remaining applicants. If the number of applications in Criterion 2 exceed the number of places available, random selection will apply.
Criterion 2.
- Applicants, whose parents/guardians live in the Greystones and Delgany catchment area, and who attend a primary school within that catchment area as detailed below (no particular order of preference) - St. Kevin’s N.S., Greystones, St. Laurence’s N.S., Greystones, St. Brigid’s N.S., Greystones, St. Patrick’s N.S., Greystones, Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath, Greystones, Educate Together N.S., Greystones, Delgany National School, Greystones Community National School and Kilmacanogue National School.
If, after applying Criterion 2, places remain available, Criterion 3 will be applied to the remaining applicants. If the number of applications in Criterion 3 exceed the number of places available, random selection will apply.
Criterion 3.
- Applicants, whose parents/guardians live outside the Greystones and Delgany catchment area, and who attend a primary school, as listed under Criterion 2 or attend the following National Schools (no particular order of preference) - Kilcoole National School, Roundwood National School, St. Andrew’s N.S., Bray and St. Francis N.S., Newcastle.
If, after applying Criterion 3, places remain available, Criterion 4 will be applied to the remaining applicants. If the number of applications in Criterion 4 exceed the number of places available, random selection will apply.
Criterion 4.
- Applicants, whose parents/guardians live in the Greystones and Delgany catchment area, and who do not attend primary schools in Criterion 3.
Waiting List
Once all places have been allocated under this Admissions Policy, a waiting list will be established for unsuccessful applicants, commencing with criterion 2, followed by criterion 3, followed by criterion 4, if applicable.
Late Applications
Applications received after the closing date, will be considered ‘late applications’ and can only be processed after all the applications received ‘on time’. In this event the school will offer the applicant the opportunity to be placed on our waiting list.
Appeals
You may appeal the school’s decision not to enrol your son/daughter to the Board of Management.
Section 29 Appeals
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, gives parents/guardians (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, N91 H30Y. The contact phone number for this Unit is 0761 108588 and the email address is Section29@education.gov.ie. Further information is available on the website www.education.ie.
Transfer of a student from another school
(a) The normal year of entry to St. David’s is in First Year. However, applications are received from parent(s)/guardian(s) of students for a place in a year other than First Year.
The Principal will consider whether or not a transfer is applicable if the student:
- can be accommodated within current class size and subject options
- is accompanied by all relevant information from the previous school i.e. two recent reports, a reference from Principal/Deputy Principal and State Examination results (if applicable)
- is in accordance with the Health, Safety and Welfare at Work Act (1989),
(b) Re-admission of a student, who left St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary School.
A student who left St. David’s, and who then wishes to return to resume his/her studies, must follow the same procedure as for “Transfer of Student from another school” above. Re-entry to St. David’s, for such students, is not automatic.
The Board of Management reserves the right to refuse enrolment to any student in exceptional cases. Such an exceptional case could include the following:
1. The D.E.S. has not allocated appropriate resources for a particular student(s) in the view of the Board of Management.
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.
Decisions on all applications are at the discretion of the Board of Management. This policy is reviewed by the Board of Management on an annual basis and the Board of Management retains the discretion to affirm, amend or otherwise alter, the Admissions policy as deemed appropriate.