Curriculum

School Policies 2018-2019

PRESENTATION SECONDARY SCHOOL

THURLES

ADMISSIONS POLICY

SCHOOL YEAR 2018 – 2019

CONTENTS

SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT
SCHOOL PROFILE
SCHOOL DETAILS
ADMISSIONS POLICY
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
CODE OF BEHAVIOUR
- APPLICATION FORMS FOR 1^ST YEAR
- APPLICATION FORMS FOR NON 1^ST YEARS
- FORMS FOR ONE-TO-ONE INTERVIEWS(New Student and Principal/Deputy Principal/Year Head/Teacher)

MISSION STATEMENT

As a Presentation School, we promote the dignity of our girls by educating them in a Catholic environment, nurturing and encouraging their personal development, thus empowering them to achieve their full potential as individuals and as members of society.

SCHOOL PROFILE

Presentation Secondary School Thurles is a Voluntary Catholic Secondary School for girls only, operating under the Trusteeship of CEIST which supports the Religious and Educational Philosophy of the Foundress of the Presentation Order, Nano Nagle.

Key Elements of CEIST

Promoting Spiritual and Human Development

We believe a knowledge of and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ give meaning and purpose to our lives.

Achieving Quality in Teaching and Learning

We are committed to excellence and to continually improving the quality of teaching and learning.

Showing Respect for Every Person

We respect the unique and intrinsic value of every person

Creating Community

Our Schools are faith communities of welcome and hospitality where Gospel values are lived and where there is special care for those most in need.

Being Just and Responsible

We seek to act justly and responsibly in all our relationships.

The school is managed by a Board of Management, is funded by the Department of Education and Science and operates within the regulations and guidelines set down by that Department. The school has an active Parents’ Association, a strong Students’ Council and an established Boarding School.

Since 1817 the Presentation Sisters have involved in education in Thurles, where they have dedicated themselves to serving the community by providing primary and secondary education in the town. Our present Secondary School for girls was built in 1970.

Presentation Secondary School aims, with the resources available, to provide the best possible environment in order to cater for the cultural, educational, moral, physical, religious, social linguistic and spiritual values and traditions of all students. We show special concern for the disadvantaged and we make every effort to ensure that the uniqueness and dignity of each girl is respected and responded to, especially through the pastoral care system in school. We realise too, that we must cater for the changing needs of today’s world and towards that end, we frequently review our various programmes. Being keenly aware of the ever- increasing effect of outside influences on the lives of our students, we are even more concerned to maintain Christian values and practices.

Working together as a school community, the Board of Management, parents, staff, students and boarding school personnel aim to provide an environment which will allow each girl to develop intellectually, physically, morally, socially and spiritually so as they will be able to fulfil their role in society.

Within the context of the Department of Education and Science regulations and programmes, the rights of the Trustees/Board of Management as set out in the Education Act 1998 (Section 15 (1), (2),), and the funding and resources available the school supports the following principles: -

Inclusiveness, particularly with reference to the enrolment of students with a disability or other special educational needs.
Equality with respect to maximum access and participation in the school.
Parental choice in relation to choice of school, having regard for the characteristic spirit of the school.
Respect for the diversity of beliefs, languages, traditions and ways of life in society.

SCHOOL DETAILS

School Name : Presentation Secondary School

Address : Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Contact Details : Telephone : 0504 - 22291

Fax : 0504 – 21783

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Website : www.presthurles.ie

Principal : Marie Collins

Deputy Principal : Trish O'Callaghan

Boarding School : Telephone 0504 – 21131

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Boarding School Manager : Noreen Bohan

Boarding School Deputy Manager : Christina Foley

Type of School : Voluntary Catholic Secondary School

Under the Trustee of CEIST

Grant aided by the Department of Education & Science

All Girls School

Management : The School is run by a Board of Management

The Board of Management is elected every 3 years – comprising of representatives from Trustees, Teachers and Parents.

Organisation : Parents’ Council

Students’ Council

School Day : 9.00a.m. – 4:00p.m(Monday and Tuesday)

9:00a.m- 3:20p.m (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday)

After School:

Sports : 4:10 – 5.00p.m(Monday, Tuesday)/ 3:30-4:30pm(Wednesday, Thursday)

Supervised Study : 4:00 – 6.00p.m.(Monday, Tuesday)/ 3:20-6:00 pm (Wednesday,Thursday,Friday)

Sports Study : 5.00 – 6.00p.m.

School Calendar : Issued Annually

School Courses and Subjects

Presentation Secondary School Thurles follows, the Curricular programmes set down by the Department of Education and Science, which may be amended from the time to time in accordance with the Education Act 1998 (Sections 9 and 30)

Junior Cycle : (3 Years) Senior Cycle : (2 years)

Religion Religion

Irish Irish

English English

Mathematics Mathematics

History History

Geography Geography

Science Physics

Business Studies Chemistry

French Biology

German Business

Home Economics Accounting

Art, Craft and Design Economics

Music French

S.P.H.E German

C.S.P.E. Social & Scientific

P.E. P.E.

Digital Media Literacy Art

Computers Music

Agricultural Science

L.C.V.P.

Career Guidance Counselling

The Principal allocates students to classes. Subject to sufficient demand and resources, the Board of Management reserves the right to determine the range and level of subjects on an annual basis.

Transition Year Programme

Transition Year is one programme. It provides a bridge to enable students make the transition from Junior to Senior Cycle. It encourages personal and social development and recognises the need for students to grow in independence. Transition Year fosters academic achievement as students prepare for a Leaving Certificate Programme, further study and adult and working life. It encourages the development of a wide range of transferable critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.

Subjects

Religion
Irish
English
Maths
French
German
Spanish
Chinese
Physical Education
Home Economics
Business Studies
Computers/ E.C.D.L.
Art
Science
Geography
History
Music / Drama
Communications
Career Guidance
Life Skills
A variety of modular short courses.

Subjects may vary from year to year depending on the interests of the particular year group, taking in to account the resources and personnel available.

Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

The school offers an alternative programme, to the traditional Leaving Certificate called the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme. Some students may find this course more appropriate to meet their needs than the regular/established Leaving Certificate course. The School introduced this programme in 2001. It is a two-year programme. This new programme focuses on the talents of each individual student, helping her to apply her knowledge, skills and experience to practical tasks at school, in the workplace and in the wider community. It develops good communication and decision-making skills, encourages a sense of responsibility, and enhances self-esteem. Students who successfully complete the LCAP will receive a Leaving Certificate from the Department of Education and Science.

Admissions Policy

This policy operates in respect of admissions to the school in the following circumstances:

Students applying for a place in first year
Students from outside of the school applying for a place in any other year group or programme
Students applying to repeat any year of any programme within the school, including repeating the Leaving Certificate
Students from within the school applying for a place in the curricular programmes, Transition Year or Leaving Certificate Applied Programme(LCA)

This policy aims to ensure that appropriate procedures are in place to enable the school:

To make decisions on all applications in an open and transparent manner
To make an accurate and appropriate assessment of the capacity of the school to cater for the needs of applicants in the light of the resources available to it.

Legal Framework

This policy is complaint with relevant sections of the:

Education Act 1998
Education (Welfare) Act 2000
Equal Status Act 2000
Education for Persons with Special Educational needs Act 2004
Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2007
Data Protection Acts, 1988 and 2003

Special Needs

The Board of Management welcomes students with special education needs unless the nature and degree of these needs is such that to enrol the student would be inconsistent with both the best interests of the student herself and the effective provision of education for the other students with whom the student concerned is to be educated. While recognising and fully supporting parents’ rights to select a school of their choice for their children , the school’s ability to accept students with special needs is dependent on the supply of resources, suitable to the needs of the individual student being supplied by the Department of Education and Skills (DES). Hence the Board of Management reserves the right to postpone admission until such resources have been provided by the Department of Education and Skills.

Parents of Students with special needs should inform the school as early as possible so that an application may be made to the Department of Education and Skills to have the resources necessary to meet the special needs of the student at the commencement of the school year. Parents are strongly advised to inform the school of the full details of their daughter’s special needs well in advance of making an application to enrol. The Board of Management will do all that is reasonably possible to secure the resources to meet the needs of these students.

Procedures Relating to Admission into First Year

The Open Night for incoming First year students will be held on November 19^th, 2015. Alternatively, information concerning Open Night can be obtained by contacting the school office and Application forms are also available from the office on request and website. Application forms to be returned by December 11^th, 2015.

The school accepts applications from girls only.
Girls must have completed Sixth Class in Primary School or its equivalent.
Girls are obliged to accept school ethos.
Students must be willing, with parents/guardians to accept School Rules and Code Of Positive Behaviour. Confirmation in writing, may be required, that parents/guardians and student accept the Code of Behaviour.
Secondary School students must be 12 or over on Jan 1^st of the calendar year following the child’s entry in to 1^st year and must supply a Birth Certificate as identification.
Applicants will be notified of the status of their application with 21 school days after the Closing date for Application for completed applications in any year. Late applications will be kept on file and considered only when applicants who applied on time have been considered.
On receipt of an offer of a place, parents/guardians must secure that place by completing and returning the Acceptance Form which accompanies the offer. This Acceptance Form must be received in the school office on/before the date indicated on the letter offering a place.
Misleading or inaccurate information may result in disqualification of the applicant.
Parents are expected to co-operate with the school’s attempts to identify the educational or other relevant needs of the child by permitting the school to discuss their child’s educational records with the feeder primary school.
An Information Evening for the Parents/Guardians of all incoming students will be held in March/April.
An individual meeting of the parents/guardians and daughter with the Principal, Deputy Principal, Guidance Counsellor, Special Needs Co-ordinator or Year Head will take place in June.

If the school is over-subscribed, the following criteria will be applied in selecting applicants.

Sisters of student, past or present.
Pupils of Presentation Primary School, Thurles.
Students from within the traditional catchment area.
An agreed number of boarding school students.
All other applicants.

Procedures relating to Admission to a year other than First Year

Procedure:

Following initial contact with the school, intending applicants will be required to meet with the Principal/Deputy Principal accompanied by parents or guardians.
Applicants should complete the application form, giving all of the details required. Incomplete forms will be returned to parents/guardians.
Applicants will be required to provide details about the second-level education in their previous school(s) including copies of their two most recent school reports that set out the results of in-house examinations. Where an applicant has attended more than one second-level school they may be required, at the discretion of the Board, to submit reports from each school and copies of the results of any State examinations.
Where it is considered necessary by the school, an applicant maybe required to complete a further information form regarding their child’s educational progress and/or to provide a current education psychological assessment report. Failure to complete any of the necessary documentation listed above or to supply any other relevant documentation requested by the school may result in an applicant being refused admission to the school
Only in very exceptional and/or unavoidable circumstances will applications be accepted for entry to a year group sitting a state examination i.e. 3^rd year or 6^th year.

Enrolment Criteria

The applicant and her family must agree to allow the Principal to seek all records relating to the applicant from her previous school(s).
Enrolment is subject to the applicant’s subject choices being available (on the curriculum and not exceeding maximum class size).
All students entering the school must supply a Birth Certificate, two passport photos, two recent school reports or other appropriate identification.

Procedures Relating to Admission to Specific Programmes, Subjects or Subject Level

If the demand for a specific programme, subject or subject level exceeds the number of places available then the school will make every effort, within the constraints of teaching resources, to accommodate the student. Where it is not possible to accommodate all applicants then priority will be given to students from within the school. A lottery will be held to fill remaining places.

Entry to Transition Year (TY)

It is the stated intention of the Board of Management of Presentation Secondary School, Thurles that as many students as possible experience the Transition Year Programme in the School. This Programme is designed to broaden the educational experience of the student and further prepare her for the Leaving Certificate Programme. A copy of the TY Programme may be acquired by contacting the Principal of the school.

Procedure for applying: All students wishing to follow the TY Programme must

Complete an application form
Attend for individual interview with Principal/Deputy Principal/Year Head.

Because of the finite nature of resources, it may not be possible to accept all students that apply into TY. In such circumstances the following limits and criteria will apply.

The school shall take into account resources available, maximum class size and suitability of the student for the programme.
Students will have to have displayed a reasonable willingness and capability to follow programmes that allow varying levels of supervision.
Where demand exceeds available places then a lottery system will be used to allocate places.

Entry to Leaving Certificate Applied Programme

Complete an application form
Attend for individual interview with Principal/Deputy Principal/Year Head.

Because of the finite nature of resources, it may not be possible to accept all students that apply into LCA. In such circumstances the following limits and criteria will apply.

The school shall take into account resources available, maximum class size and suitability of the student for the programme.
Students will have to have displayed a reasonable willingness and capability to follow programmes that allow varying levels of supervision.

Entry to Specific Subjects will be determined by the subject choice process, where students indicate their preferred options and school allocates classes. The availability of subjects to students is dependent on resources available to the school.

Admission to repeat a year: All such applications are subject to Dept of Education & Skills Circular Letter M2/95. Applications must be in the light of the class size and overall enrolment restrictions set out elsewhere in this policy. Applications must be in writing and must state the relevant Circular and particular clause(s) being invoked in support of the application and must be accompanied by supporting documentation, as appropriate. The school must be satisfied that the applicant, in light of the special circumstances that gave rise to the application, applied herself to the best of her ability. The application to repeat the year will only be successful subject to all first time applicants having been accommodated.

Admission to repeat the Leaving Cert Programme: The School does not operate a repeat Leaving Certificate Programme. It does not provide any additional teaching to cover material normally covered in year 1 of the Leaving Certificate Programme. Students who apply to repeat the Leaving Certificate will be considered in the context of places available in the relevant subjects, the overall programme and overall enrolment within the school. The student’s previous academic record, application to studies, and attendance will also be taken into account.

Decision-Making Process Regarding Entry to First Year, other Year Groups and Specific Programmes and Subjects.

This is a matter for the Board of Management but is normally delegated to the Principal, who decides on such matters in accordance with the school’s general policies. The Principal may refer any application to the Board for decision.

Right Of Refusal

The school reserves the right to refuse enrolment to any student in exceptional cases.

Such an exceptional case could include the following:

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

Ultimately, the right to refuse admission is a matter for the Board of Management, who must balance the rights of the individual alongside the rights of the school community in line with legislation.

Right of Appeal

Where a student is refused admission to the school or to a specific programme within the school, they have the right to appeal this decision to the Board of Management, or under S.29 of the Education Act, to the Secretary General of the Dept. of Education and Skills.

Other Relevant Policies

All School policies are available from the school on request. Some policies can be viewed on the school website.

Equality of Access and Participation

Guided by the Principles of the School Mission Statement, Presentation Secondary School, will ensure no girl will be refused admission for reasons of religion, ethnicity, special educational needs (unless the needs cannot be met by the school, as outlined above), disability, traveller status, asylum seeker/refugee status, sexual orientation, family or social status.

Parents/Guardians

The school relies on parents/guardians to provide it with complete information and to update us in writing with any changes in the information provided. Unless and until we are otherwise informed in writing, all correspondence in relation to the student will be sent to the address indicated on the enrolment form. In the case of parents who have separated, and where the school has been notified of same, the school will arrange for both parties to receive correspondence in relation to the child, if requested to do so in writing. The Principal will also, when requested by a parent try to facilitate involvement by both parties in parent-teacher meetings. Should a parent or student wish to update or access their personal data, they should write to the Principal.

Data Protection

The School is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 1988 and 2003. Personal data supplied on the enrolment form will be used for the purposes of student enrolment, registration – including the October returns to the Department of Education and Skills, administration, child welfare, the school texting service for parents and to fulfil any other legal obligations. While the information provided will generally be treated as confidential to the school, from time to time it may be necessary for us to exchange personal data on a confidential basis with other bodies including the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Social & Family Affairs, An Garda Siochana, the Health Service Executive and the National Educational Welfare Board.

Review Procedures

The Board of Management will review the Admission Policy annually in line with evolving legislation and practice, including the Education Acts, the Equal Status Act and all related statutory and regulatory requirements.

ENROLMENT FORM – ACADEMIC YEAR 2019 – 2020

Year of Entry other than First Year

Date of Enrolment:________________________________________________________________

Year you are enrolling for in this school ___________ Irish Exemption Y/N ________________

Pupil’s Surname:_______________________ Christian Name:____________________________

(as on her Birth Cert)

Christian Name by which she is known:_______________________________________________

Date of Birth:______________________ PPS No.(must be provided)_______________________

Family Medical Card : Yes_______ No _______ Card No._________________________

Post Primary School(s) attended:___________________________Dates:____________________

School Phone No:_____________________ Post Primary School Roll No:__________________

Home Address:____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone No:___________________________ Pupil’s Mobile:__________________________

Country of Birth:_______________________ Passport(s) held:____________________________

(e.g. Irish) ____________________________

Day Pupil Boarder Day Boarder

Father’s Full Name:__________________________________Mobile No.:_____________________

Occupation:___________________________ Place of Work:________________________________

Mother’s Full Name:________________________________Maiden Name:____________________

Occupation:___________________________ Place of Work:________________________________

Past Pupil Yes _________ No _________ Mobile No:_________________________________

Name/s and Address/es for Correspondence:____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

No. of Children in Family:________ Boys _____ Girls _____ Place in Family:_______

Sisters who are presently attending this school

Name:____________________________________ Year Group_________________________

Sisters who are past pupils of this school

Name:____________________________________ Year of Completion________________________

Name:___________________________________ Year of Completion________________________

MEDICAL INFORMATION

In the event of an accident or medical emergency, we ask your permission to bring your daughter to the doctor / hospital

Signed:___________________________________________

Family Doctor’s Name:_________________________________ Phone No.____________________

Does your child suffer from allergies? (Give details – e.g. penicillin, nuts, plasters, etc)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Has your daughter any health issues that would effect full participation in school life? (Give details)

___________________________________________________________________________________

Eyesight problems?___________________________________________________________

Hearing problems?___________________________________________________________

Please enclose the following with this Enrolment Form:

Your daughter’s Birth Certificate
Two passport photographs
Two school reports
If applicable – Junior Cert / Leaving Cert Results

Parents / Guardians are advised that by signing this form they are indicating their consent to this information being held by the school and to it being shared with the Department of Education and Skills.

Signed:___________________________________________ (Mother)

Signed:___________________________________________ (Father)

ENROLMENT FORM – ACADEMIC YEAR 2015 - 2016

Pupil’s Surname:_______________________ Christian Name:____________________________

(as on her Birth Cert)

Christian Name by which she is known:_______________________________________________

Date of Birth:______________________ PPS No.(must be provided)_______________________

Family Medical Card : Yes_______ No _______ Card No._________________________

Primary School(s) attended:_____________________________Dates:______________________

Primary School Phone No:___________________ Primary School Roll No:__________________