St Patrick's College Cavan
Enrolment/Admissions Policy

Introduction
St Patrick's College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys. It is under the Trusteeship of the Bishop and the Diocese of Kilmore.

It was the stated intention of Bishop Nicholas Conaty, the founder of St Patrick's College 1874, that it would be a school ' where learning and religion may go hand in hand and health and strength of body make equal progress with the culture of the mind.' Over the years the College has developed a strong educational ethos and tradition, which emphasises the importance of the spiritual, the intellectual, the physical and the personal and social development of each individual student.

This educational tradition has been continued and enriched over the years by the College Trustees and Staff who have responded to the changing needs of the Church and of society. This rich tradition forms the basis of the educational philosophy of St Patrick's College.

School Details
Name; St. Patrick's College
Address Cullies; Cavan Town
Telephone; 049 4361888 Fax 049 4361858
Web Site; www.stpatscavan.com

The school is managed by a Board of Management and is funded by the Department of Education and Science. It operates within the regulations and guidelines laid down by the Department. The school has a Parents' Council and a Students' Council.

School Resources
The financial and teaching resources of the school are provided for, by a combination of Department of Education and Science grants, teacher allocations, voluntary subscriptions, contributions and fund-raising.

Mission Statement
St. Patrick's College has a strong tradition of promoting an understanding and appreciation of our Catholic heritage. It is a school where Gospel values are central to all aspects of school life, a school which cares for the faith and personal development of each student and reaches out to the wider Christian community. All school activities and developments are assessed by this objective. The school is committed to the promotion of the educational development and fulfilment of the educational needs of all our pupils in a secure environment. There is a pursuit of excellence in individual achievement while nurturing a growth in responsibility that will prepare pupils for their role in family and society. The school spirit is in accordance with our Catholic ethos, in which there is mutual support and respect among all groups involved in the school. St. Patrick's College promotes high standards of teaching and learning through the professional development of dedicated teachers. The College strives to provide a rich and diverse curriculum catering for the needs of each individual student. It strives for excellence in areas of creative arts and sport, social concern and spiritual values, and students are encouraged and challenged to realise their full potential as human beings.

Enrolment Policy
Decisions in relation to enrolment are made by the Principal, acting on behalf of Board of Management in accordance with school policy. Except in exceptional circumstances students will be enrolled on application. In all cases the regulations of the Department of Education and Science will be followed

1. The applicant must have reached 12 years of age on January in the calendar year following his entry into First Year.
2. The applicant must have completed 6th class in a primary school or the equivalent in another jurisdiction.
3. The applicant must be willing, with his parents/guardians, to accept in writing the college ethos as set out in the Religious and Educational Philosophy of the school, i.e. subscribe to the Catholic ethos.
4. The applicant must be willing, with his parents/guardians, to accept in writing the college's Code of Behaviour and Code of Discipline.
5. The applicant is willing to take an Assessment Test.

Note:
On occasions, when some class periods in Religious Education are dedicated to the development of a specifically Catholic faith experience, students of other faiths may opt to be excused from that particular class period.

Closing date of Applications
Application must be made on the official St Patrick's College application form. The form will be distributed on Enrolment/Open Day or may be posted from the school on request. The closing date of applications is Wednesday January 30, 2008. This is subject to review each year.

Each year a small number who initially apply for admission do not subsequently come to the College.

In order to allow the College to ascertain if there are more applicants that places available, parents/guardians of applicants are asked to send €50, half of the subscription towards administration costs, with a confirmation slip of their continued wish to enrol. The closing date for this is Friday February 15th 2008.

Selection Criteria
N.B The class number for a practical class is limited to twenty-four students and for other mainstream classes to thirty students, e.g.120 cohort of students fills to capacity five Science/Woodwork/Art/Technical Graphics/ Materials Technology and four mainstream class groups. The following criteria will be followed in selecting students when there are more applications than places available:

1. Students coming from schools within the feeder school area. See Appendix

2. Students of the religious faith promoted in the founding intention of the school i.e. Roman Catholic.

3. Sons of present and past teachers of the school

4. Brothers of present or past students of the school.

5. Sons of past students of the school.

6. Other eligible applicants on a first come first served basis.

Those applicants to whom the College was not able to offer a place will be placed on a waiting list. The order of the waiting list will be determined by the drawing of lots in the presence of the Chairperson / acting Chairperson of the Board of Management, a parent on the Board and the Principal. This waiting list takes precedence over late applicants.

Late Applications
Late applicants will be placed on a waiting list on a first come, first served basis if the earlier enrolment process is over-subscribed. An application form with all relevant information must be submitted. There must be compliance with the selection criteria. A place will be offered depending on availability of a place in the school.

Students with Special Needs
Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate students with special needs in so far as school resources, supported by the Department of Education and Science, will allow. In order to assist in establishing the educational and training needs relevant to his disability or special needs, the Board will request a copy of the child's relevant medical/psychological report and will require a professional assessment.

The Board will use the resources, both financial and personnel, provided by the Department of Education and Science to provide reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities or special educational needs up to a nominal cost. Applicants are advised that further resources cannot be guaranteed.

If the Board considers that further resources are required, the Department of Education & Science will be requested to provide the resources e.g. special needs assistant, specialised equipment or furniture, transport etc.

The School authorities will meet the parents/guardians to discuss the student's needs and the school's capacity to meet these needs.

The Board cannot guarantee that it will be able to meet all of the student's needs if the Department of Education and Science does not make the necessary resources available to the school.

It may take some time for the Department of Education and Science to process applications. Parents are advised to inform the school as early as possible and discuss the situation well in advance of making an application.

Decisions on enrolment are made in accordance with the provisions of the Education Welfare Act 2000 (Section 19, (3)) and The Equal Status Act 2000. Parents of prospective students will be informed in writing of the Principal's decision within 21 days of receiving such information as is prescribed by the minister under the Act.

Transfers from other Post-Primary Schools
Applications from parents/guardians of students enrolled in other second level schools will be considered if there are vacancies in the appropriate subject-group/class/year.

Application must be made on a St Patrick's College application Form, which can be obtained from the College on request. The Application Form should be returned with a written reference from the previous school. Parents/Guardians who request a place for their son will be asked to attend for interview with him before the Principal makes a decision on the application. Places are not guaranteed.

Students may transfer from another post-primary school subject to the following:

1. That the school authorities are satisfied with the reasons for the transfer being in the best interest of the student.
2. The possible problems and disruption of studies when moving into an established class and Year Group will be considered. The situation may arise where a student may have to take up or discontinue a subject.
3. That space is available in the school, in particular with specialist classes where the capacity is limited.
4. The school authorities are provided with all relevant information from the former school.
5. That it is in the best interest of the school.
6. It is in agreement with the school's enrolment and admissions policy.
7. The student fulfills all conditions laid down by the Department of Education and Science.
8. A suitable vacancy exists in the school.
9. Parents/guardians and their son must sign the Code of Behaviour and Rules of the School, thereby agreeing to accept and uphold them.

Repeat of Leaving Certificate Year 2 Students of the school may repeat Leaving Certificate Year 2 subject to the following conditions being fulfilled:
1. The Department of Education and Science's regulations must be fulfilled and a suitable vacancy must exist in the school. 2. Applicants must accept that not all current subject combinations may suit repeat students; that they may not be able to take all subjects of their choice if the timetable or class numbers do not permit.
3. They must attend all classes and activities scheduled for them.
4. The student's record in the school (conduct, work-ethic and attendance) must be satisfactory.
5. Repeat students who may not be timetabled for some subjects will be required to be in a supervised situation during all class periods.

Curriculum / Subjects
The school currently offers the traditional Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate programmes.

Junior Cycle; Irish, English, Mathematics, Science, French, German, History, Geography, Business Studies, Art, Music, Religion, Materials Technology, Technical Graphics, CSPE, SPHE (non exam), PE (non exam).

Senior Cycle; Irish, English, Mathematics, French, German, History, Geography, Art, Music, Accounting, Businesss, Economics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Agricultural Science, Religion (exam), Religion (non exam), Design and Construction Graphics, Construction Studies, PE (non exam), Computer Studies (non exam).

The school reserves the right to change the list of subjects from time to time.

General
All admissions are subject to the approval of the Principal. The Principal acting on behalf of the Board of Management reserves the right to refuse an application for admission in exceptional circumstances, Educational Welfare Act, 2000, Section 24; (5), page 22. Education Act 1998, Section 29, Page 27; Circular Letter M48/01.

Appeals:

Appeal to the Board of Management;
Should the Principal refuse a student's application for admission to the school, the parents/guardians of the student will be informed in writing of the fact and the reasons for the decision. The parents/guardians will also be informed of their right to appeal the decision to the Board of Management within ten calendar days of notification of refusal to enrol. As soon as is practicable, the Board will meet in an emergency session to discuss the appeal. The parents/guardians and possibly the student will be invited to attend.

Appeal to the Secretary General;
Should a student's application for admission to the school be refused by the Board of Management, the parents/guardians have the right to appeal to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science, (Education Act 1998, Section 29 (d)). The parents/guardians will be informed in writing of the Board's decision. The reasons why the student was not accepted will be stated. The right to appeal will be stated and the application form provided. (Circular M48/01). The appeal must be made within 42 calendar days from the date the decision of the Board of Management was notified to the parents/ guardians concerned. (Circular M48/01).

An appeal may be made to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1.

Review
The Board of Management reserves the right to review and amend the Enrolment and Admissions Policy from time to time. The Board of Management will review this policy by December 2008.

Appendix, Feeder Schools

Aughadreena
Ballinagh
Ballinarry
Ballyconnell
Ballyhaise
Belturbet
Bruskey
Butlersbridge
Castlerara
Clifferna
Corlis
Corlurgan
Cornea
Crosserlough
Crosskeys
Crubany
Drumcrave
Drumkilly
Drung
Farnham
Gaelscoil
Greagrahan
Kildallen
Killeshandra
Killyconnon
Killygarry
Kilnaleck
Lacken
Laragh
Lisboduff
Miltown
Mullahoran
Redhills
St. Felim's