Primary Schools - Unsure where to start!

GFurlong

Hello,

I have recently moved to Dublin with my young family. My three year old son is currently attending nursery in the city. Before moving to Dublin I was told that he wouldn’t be due to attend primary school until he was five or six, however somebody I work with has told me that he would need to be enrolled at primary school from the September following his fourth birthday, is this correct?

Also, where do I start? Is there a council list? Are places automatically allocated by catchment area? or do I have a choice? If so, I would like to know where I could get some impartial advice/recommendations. Is there an Irish equivalent of the Ofsted Report over here? Any suggestions would be welcome…

Shifty

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/education/primary-and-post-primary-education/going-to-primary-school/primary_education_life_event

Most children in Ireland start their first-level education in primary schools (also called national schools) at the age of 4 or 5 years of age. Legally, children can be enrolled at primary school from the age of 4 upwards and must have started their formal education by the age of 6 years. As a result, much of what is regarded as early childhood education in other countries is included in the Irish primary school system. The primary school cycle is 8 years long. Schools generally have 2 years of infant classes, followed by class 1 to class 6.

The primary education sector in Ireland is made up of different types of primary school including denominational schools, multi-denominational schools, Irish-speaking schools (called Gaelscoileanna), special schools and non-State-aided private primary schools. Education in State primary schools in Ireland is free of charge. The current and capital costs of primary schools, including teachers' salaries, are funded mainly by the Government and supplemented by local contributions.

Irish primary education stresses the central position of the individual child and promotes a curriculum that is related to the child's interests and needs. The curriculum in primary schools aims to facilitate the full development of each child, while making due allowances for individual differences. It also stresses the importance of activity and guided-discovery learning and teaching methods, teaching and learning through activities related to the child's environment, and an integrated curriculum.


In school
The length of the school day in primary school in Ireland is 5 hours and 40 minutes. This includes assembly time, roll-call and breaks which are usually around 11am and 12.30pm. Primary schools may reduce the school day by an hour for children in their first 2 years at primary school (commonly called junior infants and senior infants) and in their third year at primary school (commonly called first class). You can read the Department of Education and Science (DES) Circular 11/95 Time in School (Primary) here.

Overall, primary schools in Ireland must be open for a minimum of 183 days in each school year. All schools must close for the months of July and August. Christmas, Easter and mid-term breaks are standardised in both primary and post primary schools.

While students do not have to wear a uniform at primary school, many schools (in consultation with parents) have introduced school uniforms. Check with your school about their policy. In September 2008 the Minister for Education and Science and the Minister for Integration Policy agreed a set of recommendations on school uniform policy. There is also a DES Circular on the weight of schoolbags.

The principal is responsible for running the school. Each class has a class teacher who teaches all subjects to their class. In some smaller schools the teacher has more than one class. There may be other teachers in the school such as a language support teacher to help learn English or a learning support teacher to help children who are having difficulty with the curriculum. Schools set their own policy in relation to homework.

Children starting school for the first time will be in Junior Infants. If your child has attended school before, the principal, you and the class teacher will decide together which class your child will be in. Children are only allowed to repeat a year for educational reasons and in special situations. You can get more information in the DES Primary Circular 32/03 Retention of Pupils in Same Grade in Primary Schools.

Under the Education Act 1998 the school must provide reports for each child and the school must allow parents to have access to their child's school record. Schools usually hold a parent/teacher meeting during the year. If you are concerned about your child's progress at any stage during the year, you can arrange to speak to the class teacher.



http://www.education.ie/home/home.jsp?maincat=&pcategory=10856&ecategory=41358&sectionpage=12251&language=EN&link=link001&page=1&doc=37554

What school will my child attend?
There are over 3,200 primary schools in the country. Children normally attend their local school. You can send your child to the primary school of your choice, as long as there is a place for them. While most primary schools can enrol all the children who apply, there is no guarantee of a place in the local school.



How do I enrol my child in primary school?
To enrol your child, you should first check the list of primary schools in your area. You should contact the school of your choice to see if there is a place available. If a school is full, it may not be able to enrol your child. The school may place your child on a waiting list or suggest another school in the area.

If they do not have enough places, the school will give priority according to their admissions policy. For example, they may give priority to brothers and sisters of current pupils or to children living in the local area. This policy is decided by the board of management of the school. The school can give you a copy if you ask for it.

When choosing a primary school, you may also need to know about the admissions policies of post-primary schools. Some post-primary schools give priority to students from certain primary schools.



What is an admissions policy?
The admissions policy sets out the school's policy for enrolling children in the school. Schools that cannot enrol all the pupils who want to attend must have an admissions policy according to the Education Act. The school's board of management draws up this policy. They may choose to only enrol children from a particular area or age group. The admissions policy must be in line with section 7 of the Equal Status Act 2000.

An admissions policy may also be called an enrolment policy. A school will give you information about their policy if you ask them for it.



Can I appeal the decision if a school refuses to enrol my child?
If a school refuses to enrol a student, you have the right to appeal the decision. You must first appeal to the school's board of management. If this is not successful, you can appeal the decision to the Department, under Section 29 of the Education Act.

Your appeal is heard by an appeals committee. In most cases, appeals are dealt with within 30 days. The Department may give directions to the board of management to resolve the matter. The board of management has to obey these. The appeals procedure makes sure that schools keep to their admissions policies.

You can get more information about appealing decisions on enrolment in Primary Circular 22/02 Appeals Procedures under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 and in the Appeal Procedures document.



Are there different types of school?
The primary education sector includes state-funded primary schools, special schools and private primary schools. State-funded primary schools used to be known as national schools and include:

religious schools, such as Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland, Muslim;
non-denominational schools;
multi-denominational schools; and
Gaelscoileanna (schools that teach through the Irish language).
Single sex schools teach boys and girls separately. Co-educational schools teach boys and girls together. A number of special schools cater for particular types of disability and special needs (see: Special services and extra support).

The list of primary schools gives details of primary, post-primary and special schools, as well as schools with special classes.



What is whole-school evaluation?
Whole-school evaluation (WSE) is how we inspect the work of a school. A team of inspectors meets with members of the school community to discuss their work, their role and their vision for the school. The inspectors talk to members of the parent association in schools where the association is linked to the National Parents Council. Otherwise they meet with the parents' representatives on the board of management.

The inspectors' role is to evaluate the education system and to give advice and support to schools. In particular, the inspectors measure how well the school is doing on:

teaching and learning;
management and planning; and
supports for pupils.


Where can I find school inspection reports?
We publish school inspection reports carried out after 6 February 2006 on our website. You can search for these using the search facility and typing in 'school inspection reports'.



How long is the school day?
Schools open from Monday to Friday. Classes usually start between 9am and 9.30am. A school day lasts 5 hours and 40 minutes. This includes assembly time, roll call and breaks.

There is normally a morning break around 11 am and a lunch break around 12.30 pm. It is important to give your child healthy food and drink for these two breaks. Schools encourage healthy eating and many schools ask parents not to give sweets, chocolate, crisps or fizzy drinks for lunch.

The school day may be shorter for children in infant classes. You can get more information in Circular 11/95 Time in School (Primary).

Hope that helps!

GFurlong

Thank-you Shifty, great help!

GFurlong

Is there any way I can identify the more successful primary schools in the Dublin area, are there any performance tables available? :rolleyes: