2022/23 INFORMATION PACK
If your child is starting Junior Infants this year you should familiarise yourself with St Christopher’s Information Booklet for parents.
ST. CHRISTOPHER’S POLICIES & PROCEDURES
View all our school policy and procedures.
Other Useful Resources:
St Brigid’s Primary School will amalgamate with St Mary’s Boys’ National School when our new school building is completed. The amalgamated school will be known as St Christopher’s Primary School and will be located in a newly constructed building on Haddington Road.
St Christopher’s Primary School will cater for girls and boys from Junior Infants to 6th Class. The Board of Management of St Christopher’s Primary School will issue its own Enrolment Policy in due course.
St Brigid’s Primary School is a Catholic primary school, under the Patronage of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. It was established in 1902 and up to 2017 catered for girls and boys in Junior Infants and Senior Infants, and girls only from 1st to 6th class. During the transition period prior to the amalgamation, all classes will be co-educational (ie: girls and boys together) in preparation for the move to the new school.
The Chairperson of the Board of Management is Fr Patrick Claffey and the Principal is Ms Annemarie Hogan. The teaching team comprises of sixteen mainstream class teachers and a support teaching team of six teachers.
The school operates under the regulation of the Department of Education and Skills (D.E.S.) from which grants and resources are received annually.
The school curriculum followed is the Revised Curriculum for Primary Schools (1999) produced by the NCCA in conjunction with the D.E.S. This is subject to amendments by the D.E.S., in accordance with Section 9 and 30 of the Education Act (1998).
The school supports the principles of
inclusivity ( particularly with reference to children with disabilities or special educational needs).
equality of access and participation in the school.
respect for the diversity of values, beliefs, traditions, languages and ways of life in society.
parental rights to enrol their children in the school of their choice; this in the context of the existing school community and the rights of the pupils already enrolled.
Children should be 4 years of age by 31st May, 2019 for entry to Junior Infants in September 2019.
The closing date for applications for entry to Junior Infants in September 2019, is 15th January, 2019. Following the closing date of 15th January, should the number of children seeking to be enrolled exceed the space and staffing available, the following priority listing will apply:
Category A.
Children who live within the parish of St Mary’s, Haddington Road, and siblings of children already enrolled (including step-sisters/brothers) in either St.Brigid’s Primary School or St.Mary’s Boys’ National School.
Children of members of staff.
Children of past pupils.
All children who apply, who do not fit into sub-categories 1-3.
Priority will be given to the oldest children within each sub-category. This means that children in each category are placed in order of age; places are then allocated from each category, in above priority, in order of age, oldest children first.
Category B.
Late applications:
Applications received after the closing date (ie: 15th January) will be placed on either a Sub-Category 1 (as above) waiting list or a Sub-Category 2-4 (as above) waiting list within Category B. Places will be offered in order of age within each of these two groupings (ie: within Sub-Category 1 and within Sub-Category 2-4).
Category C.
‘Summer babies’:
Should places still be available applications may be considered from children whose fourth birthday falls between 1st June and 31st August. These places will be offered in order of age with priority given to the oldest children.
Application procedure:
Junior Infants should be 4 years of age by 31st May in the year of entry. Applicants who are 4 years of age by 31st August will only be considered if places are available, and are therefore placed on a separate list in order of age (see Category C above).
Parents wishing to enrol their children in this school should, in the first instance, make contact with the Principal/ Admin. Office, either by email or in person. A copy of the school’s enrolment policy will be provided (also available on the school website).
All applications received will be considered in accordance with the enrolment policy and procedure of the school as set out above.
Parents will be required to complete and sign the application form in full, providing details of their child’s name, age and address, PPSN, previous education, special educational needs and any medical needs. Birth certificate and proof of address must be submitted..
In the case of a child with specific special educational needs, the BOM may request copies of medical and/or psychological reports in order to assess the school’s ability to appropriately provide for the education of the child. In such cases, a meeting may be held with the child’s parents and all personnel involved in the care of the child. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the needs of the child and to profile the support services required. Following this meeting and on receipt of all relevant reports, the BOM will assess how the school can meet the needs identified. Application may be made to the Special Educational Needs Organiser for additional resources if appropriate.
Applications for entry in September to classes other than Junior Infants:
Applications for entry at the start of the school year to classes other than Junior Infants may be submitted at any time. Names of applicants are placed on a waiting list, in order of date of application. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis; this means that as a place becomes available in a particular class, that place is allocated to the first child on the waiting list for that class.
Pupils may transfer to the school, subject to the above, and in some cases, subject to the prior approval of the D.E.S. However, enrolment of children during the school year will depend on the availability of places in the requested class. The decision to enrol is at the discretion of the BOM, which will be mindful of the following:
The number of classrooms available
The size of available space in each classroom
The educational needs of children already enrolled
Multigrade classes if applicable
DES maximum class average directives.
If transferring from another school, the Principal of St Brigid’s Primary School may make contact with the Principal of that other school prior to the offering of a place.
Refusal to Enrol: The BOM reserves the right to refuse enrolment in exceptional circumstances if, in the opinion of the BOM, there is evidence of an unacceptable risk to other pupils, school staff or school property, or if the applicant has special needs such that, even with additional resources available from the Department of Education and Skills, the school cannot meet such needs and/or provide the applicant with an appropriate education.
Children enrolled in St Brigid’s Primary School are required to co-operate with and support the school’s policies including policies on Code of Behaviour (available in our policy booklet and on our website), Curriculum, Organisation and Management. The BOM places responsibility with Parents/Guardians for ensuring that their child/children co-operate with said policies in an age-appropriate way.
Appeals: Where a Board of Management refuses to enrol a student in a school, the parents has a statutory entitlement under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, as amended, to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of the Department of Education & Skills.
In the event of any dispute, decisions regarding enrolment are the responsibility of the BOM. In this, the BOM is bound by the Rules for National Schools (D.E.S.).
Amended and ratified by the Board of Management
Classes begin: 9.00am
Break times: 10.20-10.30am or 10.35-10.45am
Lunch times: 11.55-12.25pm or 12.30-1.00pm
School finishes for Junior and Senior Infants at 1.30pm
School finishes for 1st-6th classes at 2.30pm
After school activities finish at 3.30pm (unless otherwise arranged)
Please note that the application fee (listed on page 2) has been discontinued.
Change of Contact Number (mobile)
Change of Contact Number Form
Please let us know as soon as possible if you change your mobile number. You can submit the details on this form and send it to us!
Change of Address
Change of Address Form
Please let us know if you change your address. You can do this by completing this form and then press submit. Thank you!
Arrival:
The School opens to receive pupils at 8.50am each morning. The Board of Management does not accept responsibility for pupils arriving before this time. Children are allowed into the school yard before this time because it is considered unwise to leave them outside in the church grounds; (cars enter and leave the grounds before and after mass). However the Board of Management does not take responsibility for supervision and the children are on the premises at their own risk. Parents are regularly notified about this arrangement and new parents are made aware of this arrangement. (See enclosed letter)
The school bell is rung at 8.50am and children line up with their class. They are then escorted into their classrooms by their teacher.
During inclement weather children are admitted onto the corridor on the ground floor before 8.50am but are not allowed into classrooms. Although parents are aware that the school is not responsible for the children until 8.50am the Principal or a teacher may monitor the corridor during this period.
In St.Brigid’s lessons start at 9.00am and so children who arrive in school after 9.00am must sign in; a record is kept in each class of such tardiness and parents’ attention is drawn to it if there is a persistent pattern. We emphasise the importance of the time a child spends in school and punctuality is paramount.
Dismissal:
Children in Junior Infants and Senior Infants finish school at 1.30pm. They are split into two groups, namely children going to an After School facility and those going home. The After School group exit via the back door. This is supervised by a teacher. Children in external After School Services must be signed out by the receiving adult.
Children in Junior and Senior Infants who are going home exit via the front door. Junior Infants are let out first, starting ar 1.25pm. Senior Infants are let out at 1.30pm. The children line up in the hallway and are individually called by their teachers when their parents arrive. Parents are required to submit a form naming the adults who are authorised to collect their children. This form is retained by the class teachers and can be amended as necessary.
Children not collected by 1.40pm are supervised by the secretary, in the office downstairs.
Classes end each day at 2.30pm for 1st-6th classes. Each class teacher escorts her class to the door. Children descending the stairs are trained in walking safely on the stairs, and are required to hold the banister. For safety reasons, 1st Class pupils are let out first, starting ar 2.25pm.
Children in 1st and 2nd classes are called individually when their parents arrive. Parents who wish to have their children escorted home meet the children in the playground; children in 3rd-6th classes may go out to the playground but are instructed to come back in immediately if their parents are not there. The door is closed by 2.40pm. The school is not responsible for children after this time. However, should a child be left in school after this time they go to the office and wait to be collected.
After School Activities
Children who remain in school for After School activities are supervised by the relevant teacher and are then escorted to the door at the end of the lesson. Children not collected at this point are brought to the office to be supervised if necessary. A phone call may be made to the parent to ascertain who is responsible for collection.
Occasionally children are required to come into school early (eg: for a choir practice). The relevant teacher accepts responsibility for those children during the session and returns them to their class line-up at 8.50am.
Pupil Insurance: In September each year parents are given the opportunity to purchase additional Personal Pupil Insurance for their children. This is administered by the school and arranged through Allianz.