ST. COLMAN’S N.S. CAPPAGH, CROGHAN, TULLAMORE.
ENROLMENT POLICY.

St. Colman’s N.S. is a five teacher Co-Educational Primary School under the patronage of the Catholic Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin. The school has a commitment to diversity and inclusivity while at the same time promoting and protecting a Catholic ethos within the school.

Equality of access is the key value that determines the enrolment of children to our school. No child is refused admission for reasons of ethnicity, special educational needs, disability, language/accent, gender, traveller status, asylum-seeker/refugee status, religious/political beliefs and values, family or social circumstances.

Parents seeking to enrol their child(ren) are requested to return:
A completed application form,
An original birth/adoption certificate,
Child(ren)’s PPS number(s),
Other completed forms relating to school policies – as enclosed in enrolment package.

While recognising the right of parents to enrol their child in the school of choice, the Board of Management also has the responsibility of respecting the rights of existing school community in our Catchment area, and in particular the children already enrolled. This requires balanced judgements, which are guided by the principles of natural justice and acting in the best interest of all children. Assisting the school in such circumstances the BOM reserves the right to determine the maximum number of children in each classroom bearing in mind:
Size of available space in the classrooms,
Educational needs of children of a particular age,
Multi-grade classes,
Presence of children with special educational/behavioural needs,
Department of Education & Science (DES) maximum class average directives.

In the event of the number of children seeking enrolment in any given class exceeding the number of places available due to the Board of Management being unable to provide suitable accommodation or to recruit the required teaching staff, the following criteria will be used to prioritise children for enrolment:

Brothers/sisters, including step-siblings, resident at same address of children already enrolled. Priority will be given to oldest.
Children living within Parish/School agreed Catchment area.
Children of current school staff – priority to oldest child.

In the event of being unable to enrol a child(ren) from categories (a), (b) or (c) in a given class at the beginning of the school year or mid-year, such children will receive priority – in order of (a), (b) (c) for the subsequent school year over other children on the class waiting list.

As stated it is general school policy only to enrol pupils from within our own agreed catchment area. There may, however, be exceptional circumstances and pupils from outside our catchment area wishing to transfer from other schools may be enrolled subject to the rules governing National schools and local arrangements with other schools. In such cases parents should apply in writing to the Chairperson of the Board of Management stating the reason for the transfer. The consent of the Principal of their existing school will be sought and the decision on enrolment will be taken by the Board having received reports and other relevant details from the school.


There is a Registration week each year – usually before Easter.
Newly enrolled Junior Infants spend one informal period in the school in June to familiarise themselves with their new environment. Pupils may only be enrolled from the age of four upwards. In exceptional cases applications to enrol for Junior Infants from outside our catchment area may be considered. Again, the same criteria as in (6) above are used. Parents should write to the Chairperson of the Board of Management stating the reasons for the application. The Board reserves the right to contact the Principal in their local catchment area regarding the application. The Board will make the decision on enrolment.

Children with Special Needs will be resourced in accordance with the level of resources provided by the Department of Education & Science to the Board of Management. Parents of such children should contact the school well in advance of enrolment so that application can be made in good time for resources from the Special Educational Needs Organiser.
Notwithstanding the availability of such resources, parents of children who are not satisfied with the level of educational provision in our school may be advised to consider a special school which is designed and resourced to specifically cater for the needs of children with special educational needs.

9. The school reserves the right to refuse enrolment to any pupil in exceptional cases. Such an exceptional case could arise where either: (a) the pupil has special needs such that even with additional resources available from the Department of Education & Science, the school cannot meet such needs and/or provide the pupil with an appropriate education or (b) in the opinion of the Board of Management the pupil poses an unacceptable risk to other pupils, school staff or school property. The parents of any child, who has been refused enrolment for any reason, are entitled to appeal that refusal pursuant to section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 and in such circumstances, should be advised in writing of their entitlement to such an appeal.

10 Children enrolled in our school are required to co-operate with and support the School’s Code of Discipline as well as all other policies on curriculum, organisation and management. The Board places responsibility with parents/guardians for ensuring that their child(ren) co-operate with said policies in an appropriate way.


11. These policies may be revised if deemed necessary by the Board of
Management.



This policy has been formulated and endorsed by the Board of Management.

CODE OF DISCIPLINE

All our pupils are constitutionally entitled to learn in a peaceful environment.
Parents/Guardians as the primary educators of the child and have a responsibility to ensure that their child does not deny other pupils this entitlement.
Our curriculum aims to ensure each child to realise his or her potential as a unique individual.
In doing this it is hoped the pupil will develop skills which will enable him or her to live a full and useful life and so contribute to the good of society.
The Board of Management and teachers are committed to the realisation of these aims.


GENERAL BEHAVIOUR:

Pupils should have respect for:
themselves and their property
each other
their class teacher
all the teachers within the school
all visitors to the school.

Teachers should at all times treat all the pupils fairly and equally, and should not be seen to show favouritism within the classroom.
Corrective action by teachers will be in areas that will be of benefit to the pupil as well as being an exercise to fit the disciplinary problem.
Where a pupil continues to disrupt the class the situation will be brought to the attention of the Principal.
Extreme misbehaviour of pupils is to be recorded in a discipline book.
Where a pupil continues to disrupt the class the Principal will request a meeting with the parents/Guardians.
If the disciplinary problem is not resolved to the satisfaction of the Principal and the class teacher, Parents/Guardians will be requested to appear before the Board of Management. Under the terms of the Department of Education Circular 7/88 suspension of the pupil may follow – an action we would hope we would never have to invoke.

ATTENDANCE:

Regular attendance is expected if the pupil is to achieve his or her potential. When a pupil is absent a written note is requested as explanation. These notes are in the back of the Homework Diary. Under the terms of the Education and Welfare Act the name of any pupil who is absent 20 or more days in the year has to be sent to the local Educational Welfare Board with a list of reasons for the absences.

If a pupil has to leave school during the day it is expected that parents/Guardians or another designated person collect him or her. (The contact person should have written permission to collect the pupil.)

UNIFORM:

Pupils are expected to wear the school uniform every day. Names should be clearly visible on the school jumper.

HOMEWORK:

Generally it is school policy to assign homework on weeknights Monday-Thursday. Parents should sign journal if possible to confirm that homework has been completed.

LUNCH:

The school promotes a healthy eating habit and lifestyle among our pupils. Consequently, pupils are encouraged to bring a nutritious lunch to school. Consumption of bars, sticky bars, sweets, crisps, fizzy drinks and chewing gum is forbidden. Pupils may on Fridays bring a chocolate bar – e.g. Kit Kat, Club Milk, Twix, etc.


MOBILE PHONES:

The use of mobile phones is not permitted during school hours. They may use the school phone if parents need to be contacted.

PROPERTY:

Pupils should respect the property of other pupils and school property. Names should be clearly visible on personal property. It is expected that all schoolbooks be covered.

BEHAVIOUR IN THE PLAYGROUND:

· We aim to make the playground a happy place.
· Children are encouraged to report any concerns to the supervising teacher.
· Any behaviour, which interferes with others at play, is not permitted. Pupils may not leave the playground for any reason without the permission of the supervising teacher.
· Pupils may not approach the wall to speak to a person or parent who comes by car to the school at break-time without first informing the teacher on duty.
· pupils are not permitted around the back of the school and may not play among the evergreens.
· When the bell rings, pupils are expected to line up in an orderly fashion.
· Pupils misbehaving in the yard will have their names recorded in the "Yard Book".

PARENTAL CO-OPERATION:

To maintain good standards of behaviour the school must rely on the support and co-operation of parents. We would, therefore, earnestly request you:

familiarise yourself with the school’s policy document in
relation to discipline and bullying.
Communicate regularly with the school about factors likely
to effect the behaviour of your child in school.
Having signed the code, to co-operate with the school in its
Implementation.



This Policy is approved by the Board of Management.

ST. COLMAN’S N.S., CAPPAGH.
ANTI-BULLYING POLICY.

The role of the school is to provide an education for the pupils in a stable, secure learning environment. Bullying behaviour by its very nature undermines and prevents this.

WHAT IS BULLYING?

Bullying is repeated aggression, verbal, physical or psychological. Conducted by an individual or group against others.
Isolated incidents of aggressive behaviour that occurs will not be condoned, but they can scarcely be described as bullying. When the behaviour is systematic and ongoing over a period of time it is deemed to be bullying. (Source Dept. of Education Guidelines.)

TYPES OF BULLYING:

Repeated physical aggression.
Damage to property of others – copies, rulers, etc.
Extortion – lunches, money, etc.
Intimidation – "dirty looks", etc.
Isolation in the playground.
Whispering campaigns.
Name calling or jeering.

SOME EFFECTS:

Feelings of insecurity and anxiety.
Damage of self confidence
Low self esteem
Unwillingness to attend school
Deterioration of educational performance.
Mood changes.

AIMS OF OUR POLICY:

To create an atmosphere where children are encouraged to disclose incidents of bullying behaviour either at home or in school.
To cultivate a positive atmosphere in our school which focuses on respect for each other.
To encourage parents to report their concerns directly to the school at an early stage.
To clarify what constitutes bullying.

PROCEDURES:


All reports of bullying will be noted and dealt with by the teacher in consultation with the Principal.
Serious cases of bullying should be referred to the Principal immediately.
Parents of offending pupil will be made aware of allegations made and be invited to discuss the issue with the Principal and Class teacher.
If the situation is not resolved both parties will be invited to discuss the allegations with the Principal.
If cases are not solved at school level the matter will be referred to the Board of Management who are ultimately responsible in these matters.
It is not school policy to discuss individual bullying issues in a public forum
Education:
Issues concerning bullying will be addressed by teachers both in an informal and a formal way.The STAY SAFE and WALK TALL programmes form an integral part of the SPHE curriculum which addresses bullying and promotes positive behaviour.You as parents play a key role in the education of our pupils .The school can only compliment the positive attitudes you insill in your child.

CONCLUSIONS:

The school recognises the need to co-operate and share in the task with you, in equipping our pupils with life skills to deal with bullying, which does not end at the school gate.
We all have a responsibility to ensure that the child is not afraid to say NO to bullies and to report them.
As parents you have the responsibility of ensuring that your child does not deny others their education or happiness in our school.

ST. COLMAN’S N.S., CAPPAGH.
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY.

1. Philosophy:

In line with the ethos of our school our aim is to provide a safe environment for teaching and learning in accordance with "Stay Safe."

2. Educational Provision:

Education for children will be provided through the SPHE curriculum under the strand unit Safety and Protection using Stay Safe as the resource. A Parental booklet will be distributed prior to the commencement of formal Stay Safe lessons. Parents will have to withdraw their child from these lessons if they have objections to its content. Other resources used will be the "Walk Tall" programme.

3. Management of Issues:

We as a school community are aware of the "Children First" National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children published by the Department of Health and Children and of the "Child Protection" Guidelines and Procedures published by the Department of Education and Science.

It is the policy of our school to follow these guidelines.

4. Definition of Child Abuse:

Child Abuse can be categorised into four different types: neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse.

Neglect can be defined in terms of an omission, where the child suffers significant harm or impairment of development by being deprived of food, clothing, warmth, hygiene, intellectual stimulation, supervision and safety, attachment to and affection from adults, medical care. Neglect generally becomes apparent in different ways over a period of time rather than at one specific moment.

Emotional Abuse is normally to be found in the relationship between a caregiver and a child rather than in a specific event or pattern of events. It occurs when a child’s need for affection, approval, consistency and security are not met. Emotional abuse can be manifested in terms of the child’s behavioural, cognitive, affective or physical functioning.

Physical Abuse is any form of non-accidental injury or injury which results from wilful or neglectful failure to protect a child.

Sexual Abuse occurs when a child is used by another person for his/her gratification or sexual arousal or for that of others.

5. Designated Liaison Person

The Board of Management has appointed the school Principal, Frank Brennan as Designated Liaison Person (DLP). The role of DLP is to liaise with all the relevant agencies, whether in seeking advice, reporting or in follow up consultations. The Deputy Principal will assume the role of DLP in the absence of the Principal.

Teachers who suspect child abuse should record their observations over a period of time and report these to the DLP
Disclosures of child abuse from a child or a third party will be reported to the DLP
In the case of a child disclosure, the child will (i) be put at ease, (2) be reassured that all appropriate help will be sought, and (3) be asked to relate the incident(s).
The DLP will record the incident. It is NOT the function of the DLP to investigate the issue
The Chairperson of the Board of Management will be informed of the disclosure.
Informal contact with the designated person in the Midland Health Board will be made, seeking advice as to whether a referral should be made.
The advice given by the Health Board must be acted upon.
If the advice is not to refer, the DLP will record this advice as the reason for non-referral. The Chairperson of the Board of Management will be informed.

It is incumbent on the Board of Management to ensure that all school personnel are familiar with the DES guidelines on child protection and that these guidelines are adhered to in the event of concerns or disclosures around child protection. The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) should be notified promptly of any concerns with regard to the behaviour of a staff member or any allegations of abuse made by a child or an adult.

In the event that the concern involves the DLP, the chairperson of the Board of Management should be notified. A disclosure of abuse should never be ignored.

6. Main issues of concern to be considered:

Allegations of abuse or neglect
Signs or suspicions of neglect.

7. Procedures/Prevention:

The Stay Safe Programme is the primary resource used in this school to provide education for children on abuse prevention. The programme is taught as part of the school’s Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum under the strand unit Safety and Protection.

On enrolment of their child, parents will be informed that the Stay Safe programme is in use in the school and a copy of the "Stay Safe: A Parent’s Guide" provided.

The formal lessons of the programme will be taught in their entirety every second year in accordance with the SPHE two-year cycle plan. Staff will make every effort to ensure that the messages of the programme are reinforced whenever possible. Parents, however, have the right to withdraw their child if they have objections to the content. This will be requested in writing.

The following may also need consideration:

The teaching of the programme in a multi-cultural/multi lingual situation - issues around informing parents and ensuring the messages of the programme are clearly understood by all.
Extra provision for children with special educational needs
Teaching of the programme in a multi-class situation
The role of ancillary teaching staff in relation to the teaching/support of personal safety skills
Education for children around the safe use of technology particularly with regard to mobile phones, internet use, etc.
The arrangements that will be put in place should a parent with to withdraw his/her child from the sensitive aspects of the SPHE curriculum or
The arrangements should a teacher opt out of teaching the sensitive aspects of the SPHE curriculum.

8. OTHER ISSUES:

Recruitment and Selection of Staff:

The recruitment of staff and volunteers is crucial to ensuring that those working with the children in the school are safe adults insofar as this can be determined. While correct procedures must always be followed in relation to advertising, interviewing and the selection of staff, other practices will also be considered.




All applicants should be asked to supply in writing information which includes:
Appropriate personal details
A resume of past and current work/volunteering experience, indicating relevant qualifications or skills acquired.
At least two written references - verification of references should be sought through making verbal contact with the referees.

Garda Vetting, where necessary will always be sought but it is important to note that Garda vetting is not in itself a complete safeguard, as many perpetrators of abuse are not known to the authorities.

It is also considered good practice to do background checks on anyone being considered to assist in a voluntary capacity or seeking work experience in the school. Many colleges and organisations seeking to place individuals on work experience in the school will supply that information.

It is also the responsibility of the Board of Management to ensure that all personnel are properly supervised and supported in the work they are doing.

General Conduct:

IT IS IMPERATIVE that in all dealings with the children in our care a balance is struck between the rights of the child and the need for intervention.

As a general rule any physical contact between school personnel and the child should be in response to the needs of the child and not the needs of the adult. While physical contact can be used to comfort, reassure or assist a child the following should be factors in assessing its appropriateness:
It is acceptable to the child concerned
It is open and not secretive
It is appropriate to the age and development stage of the child.

School personnel should not do things of a personal nature for a child which the child can do for him/herself. Inappropriate physical contact also includes rough physical play and horseplay (tickling, wrestling, etc.) All children should be treated with equal respect - favouritism is not acceptable.


School Personnel should never engage in or allow:
The use of inappropriate language or behaviours e.g. sarcasm,
Physical punishment of any kind
Sexually provocative games or sexually suggestive comments about or to a child
The use of sexually explicit or pornographic materials, etc.

All media products, CDs DVDs, computer software etc - should be checked for their appropriateness with regard to age and suitability. Where a doubt exists with regard to the suitability of material, parents, principal and/or Board of Management should be consulted as necessary.

Toileting/Intimate Care:

Children with specific toileting/intimate care needs will normally have a Special Needs Assistant assigned to him/her. It is very important that before the child is enrolled in the school, a meeting is held at which all school personnel involved with the child attend along with the child’s parents/guardians. At that meeting the needs of the child should be addressed and agreement reached as to how the school can meet those needs.
It is important that those involved with the intimate care of the child agree practices which are acceptable to the staff, the child and the parents. It may be useful to have an Intimate Care policy in which agreed practices are outlined. Practices agreed should be sufficiently flexible to cover unforeseen situations, e.g. if personnel involved in assisting the child are absent. The Board of Management should be made aware of practices agreed.




Toileting accidents:

Toileting accidents are not uncommon, particularly at Junior level and it is therefore prudent that the school address how these situations will be dealt with in the school. Parents may not be in a position to come to the school immediately should their child have a toileting accident and consideration has to be given to the implications of leaving a child unattended to in this situation. Unless there are very specific reasons why school staff should not attend to the child, procedures with which staff members are comfortable and which have due regard to minimising upset to the child should be agreed.

Toileting children – The school keeps a limited stock of underwear and tracksuit bottoms for such events. Children will be encouraged to assist themselves and where possible an older sibling will be contacted to assist.
Parents of pupils with no siblings in the school will be contacted to inform them of the situation. It is generally not school policy to have teachers remove a pupil’s underwear.
It may be necessary to have the pupil collected from the school.
A note should be kept of such incidents and parents should be informed.

Swimming:

In activities that require children to change clothing, appropriate steps should be taken to ensure that reasonable protection is afforded to the children and staff members involved. Due regard needs to be given to the potential health, safety and abuse concerns. To the end the Board of Management should ensure that:
A balance is struck between the child’s right to privacy and adequate supervision with due regard to gender issues.
Where children need assistance with changing, agreement should be reached between parents and staff as to how best those needs can be met. To this end, parents of pupils with dressing difficulties will be encouraged to come to the pool. Parents will be asked to give written consent to this and may withdraw their child from swimming if unable to attend themselves.
Clear boundaries are set down if volunteers are involved in assisting with changing, supervision, etc. Boundaries will vary depending on age/needs of child and on the physical constraints.
Parents are notified if volunteers are assisting children.
Staff should avoid assisting children with anything of a personal nature that the child can do for him/herself.
A report of any incident be made to the Principal, parents and Board of Management, appropriate.

It is good practice to have at least two adults present while children are changing for swimming or at any out-of-school event.

Pupil Transport:

It is generally school policy that teachers will not drive a group of pupils to any destination. Where possible a bus will be hired to bring pupils to events. If a pupil has to leave school during school hours parents will be contacted to collect the pupil. It is school policy that teachers will not ferry individual pupils to any destination.

Visitors/Guest Speakers:

The visitor/guest speaker should not be left alone with children. The school (BOM/Principal/teacher as appropriate) has a responsibility to check out the credentials of the visitor/guest speaker and to ensure that the content/material in use is appropriate.
Photographs:

Parental consent will be sought if a photograph of a pupil or a group of pupils is to appear in the local media. It is general school policy that a pupil’s name does not appear on a photograph.





One to one teaching:

One to one teaching may be provided if deemed appropriate. For some children this may be more beneficial than working as part of a small group. Schools need to weigh up the benefits of this against the possible disadvantages in relation to a child protection issue. Every effort should be made to ensure the protection of children and staff. It is crucial that clear boundaries are put in place regarding physical environment (e.g. vision panel in door), seating arrangements, proper timetabling, etc.

If a child needs learning support or one-to-one teaching parents should be advised of arrangements in place.

Open access to the classroom is required.

On-going training and Staff Development:

Staff needs will be assessed and the facilities of the local education centre will be used. The Stay Safe Office will also be contacted and we will avail of support provided for staff, parents and B.O.M.
Parents Association will be encouraged to support the process by providing ongoing information to members and providing facilities to discuss child protection issues.

Review and Evaluation:

Policy will be reviewed in line with other SPHE policies.
Should the school need to use reporting procedures there will be an evaluation of the process to assess its effectiveness and to inform further use of the process.

This policy has been accepted by the Board of Management of
St. Colman’s N.S., Cappagh.