Admissions Policy for Coláiste Iognáid -

Mission Statement

Coláiste Iognáid is a non fee-paying co-educational voluntary secondary school, comprising of Jesuit and lay staff, and catering for a broad spectrum of social and academic intake. We have a three form entry. One form offers education through the medium of Irish and all three forms offer mixed ability teaching.

The College derives its policy from the charter granted to it by The Society of Jesus, its characteristics being that it is Catholic, Jesuit, Irish and Free.

Through the high quality of our teachers we seek to foster each pupil’s unique talents and qualities as people of competence, confidence conscience and compassion. The criterion of excellence is applied to all our activities.

Because of its tradition Coláiste Iognáid Colaiste Iognaid is committed to fostering a love of heritage, specifically a love of things Irish. It has a special commitment to the Irish Language in order to integrate this heritage with the world in which our students live.

Flowing from our Mission Statement, Coláiste Iognáid would see its outcome goals reflected in graduates who:

• Are in the process of deepening their understanding of who Christ is and of living out their faith more fully.
• Are aware of all of their abilities and are striving to develop them to benefit both themselves and others around them.
• Continue the process of striving for social justice that they engaged in during their time at Coláiste Iognáid.
• Continue their reflection on practice: leading towards discernment.
• Are proud of having belonged to a Jesuit school community with respect for its values and those who taught them.
• Have an appreciation of Ireland’s cultural heritage and its role in a modern Europe

 

 

Parents and Pupils:

Parents:

The parents who send their children to Coláiste Iognáid will be expected to support the Catholic and Jesuit identity of the school and the esteem that the school promotes for the Irish language and heritage.

Coláiste Iognáid considers the parents as partners, and needs the fullest co-operation from them. It expects attendance at parent/teacher meetings, information meetings and other events. The College welcomes the support and contribution of the Parents Council. The acceptance of a place in Coláiste Iognáid implies agreement of parents and pupils to fulfil the expectations articulated above.

Pupils:

Pupils will be required to participate positively in class and in the co-curricular and religious activities offered by the school. Those include retreats, liturgies, prayer groups, social-outreach and faith-formation programmes .

School Governance

Coláiste Iognáid is a voluntary Catholic secondary school under the trusteeship of the Jesuit Order. It is grant aided by the Dept. of Education & Science and is co-educational.

Management Structure

Board of Management Fr. John Humphreys S.J. Chairperson and seven other members.

Principal Mr. Padhraic Lydon

Deputy Principal Mrs. Catherine Hickey Ní Mhaoláin

• The school has a pastoral care structure of Chaplain, class tutors and year heads
• It has a Parent’s Council comprising of volunteers from the parent body
• Curricular leadership is facilitated by a structure of coordinated faculty groups

Teaching Resources

The teaching staff numbers 40 plus teachers.

Curriculum:

The College follows the curricular programmes prescribed by the DES which may be amended from time to time, in accordance with Section 9 and 30 of the Education Act (1998). Official programmes offered by the school include Junior Certificate, Transition Year and Leaving Certificate.

The academic curriculum and other co-curricular dimensions of the life of the school are outlined in accompanying information.

Up to Junior Certificate level Colaiste Iognaid offers one form as a 'Rang Gaeilge' where Irish is the language of instruction as far as is possible, given our resources at any specific time.

In the Irish section of the school students are expected to be willing and capable of being taught through the medium of Irish. Therefore a high level of written and spoken Irish is required. An oral proficiency test is a prerequisite to being offered a place in the Rang Gaeilge.

There are two forms in the English section of the school, namely Loyola and Xavier. Students are allocated to those classes strictly on a mixed ability basis. Those two class groups are further subdivided into three for several subjects, in particular Mathematics, English, Irish and Science. The intention is to keep the class numbers as low as possible to facilitate mixed ability teaching methodologies.

Co-Curricular Activities

In line with the Jesuit philosophy of education, Coláiste Iognáid offers an extensive range of co-curricular activities. We are reliant on the voluntary assistance of teachers, parents and others in the provision of these activities and wish to gratefully acknowledge this contribution. These are considered an essential part of the education that the school provides and considerable resources are committed to them. Being co-curricular, these activities may run during class-time as well as in the evenings and at week-ends.
Among the activities on offer: games, sports, music, drama, debating etc.

Finance and Budget

A voluntary contribution is requested by way of school subscription at the beginning of each academic year. This helps to defray the costs of development and upkeep and is essential to make up the shortfall in the Dept. of Education & Science funding for voluntary secondary schools.

Admissions Policy

In-keeping with the schools mission statement the Board of Management of Coláiste Iognáid supports the principles of;

• Inclusivity.
• Diversity.
• Equality of access, participation and provision.
• Co-education.
• Mixed ability.

The operating framework of the schools Admission Policy is governed by the context and parameters of:

• Regulations laid down by the Dept. of Education & Science
• Rights of the trustees as set out in the Education Act
• The Religious and educational philosophy as set out in the “Characteristics of a Jesuit Education”
• The ethos of Coláiste Iognáid, i.e. co-educational, Catholic school
• Available resources and funding
• A child’s being able to demonstrate that he/she has the ability to avail of the curriculum, which is the primary service provided by the school.
  In circumstances where such participation is unduly difficult consideration will be given to reducing the amount of the standard curriculum for that student, but the minimum requirement of the Dept. of Education & Science will always be adhered to.
• The financial and teaching resources of the school being provided by a combination of voluntary contributions, fund-raising, the Dept. of Education & Science grants and teachers allocation
• The schools following of the curricular programmes prescribed by the Dept, which may be amended from time to time in accordance with Sections 9, and 10 of the Education Act 1998.

Criteria for Enrolment

• Secondary school students must be aged 12 by January 1 st in the calendar year following child’s entry into first year. (Birth Certificate required)
• The Board of Management shall have regard for the Dept. of Education & Science directives concerning class size, staffing provisions, and other relevant requirements concerning accommodation such as physical space or the health and welfare of children.
• Coláiste Iognáid, as a coeducational school, tries where possible to operate a policy of gender equality.

Procedure:

Enrolment must be by way of application and the following procedures apply;

• There will be an Open Evening at which the College authority will explain the nature of the educational experience and provision that Coláiste Iognáid make available to the students.
• Properly completed application forms must be submitted not later than the closing date for application which is February 28th (published yearly in the local papers). No priority is given to those who apply earlier than others; the College does not apply a first-come first-served basis.
• Application must be made for either the English or the Irish section of the school.
• First offers are made by post to the home address 21 days after the closing date. ( If further places become available the second offers are made immediately after the Easter Holidays and will be subject to the same time constraints and procedures as outlined below)
• These offers must be accepted by the date specified – i.e. within 10 days of receipt of place offer.
• A place is confirmed when the acceptance form is completed and signed, and when the booking deposit of E100 and birth certificate are submitted. (The deposit will be offset against the voluntary contribution sought from parents to cover the cost of materials etc. Parents experiencing difficulty with this payment should approach the Headmaster).
  Failure to adhere to the administration procedure may result in an application being refused.
• Students who have accepted places are then invited to attend for an assessment examination. This is to ensure mixed ability groups in the English section of the School. Attendance at the test is an essential part of the admission procedure.
• Additional information at this stage will be sought:
  • If either parent / guardian or the boy/girl is not Roman Catholic; or if the boy/girl is not confirmed, then this should be clearly stated
  • Details of any medical condition which the school should be aware of should be clearly stated
  • Relevant information concerning family circumstances should be clearly stated – e.g. if the child is adopted, if the parents are separated / divorced / deceased. If there is a disability, or family illness etc.

Decision Making:

The decisions relating to applications are made by the management of the school in accordance with this policy

The Board of Management will set a figure each year for the number of students to be accepted into First Year – that figure will depend on the overall number of students in the school and the overall capacity for which the school was designed.

Since the number of applicants normally exceeds the number of places available pupils are accepted in accordance with the criteria and in the order set out below.

1) Brothers and sisters of pupils attending Coláiste Iognáid.

2) Children of staff and nieces and nephews of Jesuits.

3) Children of past pupils of Coláiste Iognáid - that is a parent who has completed his/her education in Coláiste Iognáid (i.e. minimum of 4 years)

4) Because of the special relationship between Coláiste Iognáid and Scoil Iognáid, places will also be offered to the pupils of Scoil Iognáid in as far as is possible. Where the number of applicants exceeds the number of places available, offers will be made on a random selection basis. This process will take account of our commitment to gender balance and will be independently witnessed.

• 5)In the case where places remain after those who fulfill the above criteria have been accommodated, offers will be made to other applicants on the basis of random selection. This process will be independently witnessed.
• 6) In the event of places becoming available in the second round, offers will be made on a random selection basis from applicants on the waiting list. This will also be independently witnessed.

In exceptional circumstances the discretion of the Principal and the Board of Management will be exercised.

Special Needs Policy

The school aims to:

• Provide a fair and transparent system of enrolment for all students
• Make reasonable provision and accommodation for students, including students with disability and special educational needs in accordance with relevant legislation, with due regard to the efficient use of resources provided by the DES
• Allow for full participation by students, subject to resources being available and allowing for Health and Safety implications

The Board of Management welcomes applications form children with special educational needs. It will access the child’s records from Primary schools/Individual Educational Reports, medical reports, psychological reports and any other information pertaining to their son’s educational needs. It is essential that this information is supplied on application so that the school can apply to the DES for the required resources to assist them in meeting the child’s educational needs. The Principal or Deputy Principal and other key school personnel may meet with the parent(s)/guardian(s) or a student with special needs and in some cases may need to also meet with the professionals working with the student’s family.

“The Board of Management reserves the right to refuse to enroll any student where, in the view of the Board of Management, such a student may pose an unacceptable risk to other students, to staff or to school property, or where the student has special needs such that, even with additional resources from the DES, the school cannot provide the student with an appropriate education”.

Transition Year

Transition Year is an integral part of the education provided by the school. It is expected that all students will follow the Transition Year Programme.

Admissions to years other than First Year

Admissions to years other than to first year will be determined according to availability of place, subject-choices, and the above criteria. All admissions will be at the discretion of the Board of Management. Enrolment for places will not take place before the end of the previous academic year and pupils who meet the criteria will be offered places from a waiting list on a random selection basis.

Appeal

Where the Board of Management of Colaiste Iognaid is unable to offer a place to a student for whatever reason, the parents of the student have the right to appeal such a refusal to the Board. In the event of that not being successful parents / guardians have a right to appeal the refusal to enroll under section 29 of the Education Act (’98).

 

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