Admission Policy of Scoil Aislinn

School Address: Boreenmanna road, Cork T12 TF85

Roll number: 20331L
School Patron/s: Cope Foundation

1. Introduction
This Admission Policy complies with the requirements of the Education Act 1998, the
Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, and the Equal Status Act 2000. In drafting this
policy, the board of management of the school has consulted with school staff, the school
patron and with parents of children attending the school.
The policy was approved by the school patron on [date]. It is published on the school’s
website and will be made available in hardcopy on request to any person who requests it.
The relevant dates and timelines for Scoil Aislinn admission process are set out in the
school’s annual admission notice which is published annually on the school’s website at
least one week before the commencement of the admission process for the school year
concerned.
This policy must be read in conjunction with the annual admission notice for the school year
concerned.
The application form for admission is published on the school’s website and will be made
available in hardcopy on request to any person who requests it.
2. Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school
Scoil Aislinn aspires to provide a nurturing, positive learning environment, which promotes
unioqueness and enables each student to reach their full potential and succeed in everyday
life.
Scoil Aislinn’s focus is on the whole child. We work toward an integrated curriculum that
reaches across disciplines and age levels. We aim for an atmosphere of cooperation, with
respect for individual differences and community values.
The needs of the students in Scoil Aislinn are complex, and some students have co-
occurring needs. Every student has an individual education plan, setting out his/her priority
needs, along with the educational behavioural and multi-disciplinary plan for meeting those
needs.
Scoil Aislinn has a Behaviour consultant on site who develops protocols in consultation with
staff and parents.

2.Students have access to all curriculum subjects and lessons are differentiated to suit
individual student’s ability. Students work in groups, individually, in pairs and as a whole
class. In Scoil Aislinn the teaching approach is eclectic and a wide range of methodologies
are used. Students who are non verbal use PECs, Assistive technology, and Lámh.
Students learn through TEACCH programmes, ABA, Social Stories, Intensive interaction, IT,
Sensory motor and desk top.

3. Admission Statement
Scoil Aislinn will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the
following:
(a) the gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student
concerned,
(b) the civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student
concerned,
(c) the family status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student
concerned,
(d) the sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student
concerned,
(e) the religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student
concerned,
(f) the disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student
concerned,
(g) the ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
(h) the Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the
student concerned, or
(i) the ground that the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned has
special educational needs
As per section 61 (3) of the Education Act 1998, ‘gender ground’, ‘civil status ground’, ‘family
status ground’, ‘sexual orientation ground’, ‘religion ground’, ‘disability ground’, ‘
discriminate’, ‘ground of race’ and ‘Traveller community ground’ shall be construed in
accordance with section 3 of the Equal Status Act 2000.

Additional information must be included (as applicable) in this section, in the case of
single gender schools, post-primary denominational schools, denominational primary
schools of a minority religion, all denominational schools, special schools and schools with
special classes as set out below.
All schools must include the below text as part of their admissions statement;
 Scoil Aislinn will cooperate with the National Council for Special Education in the
performance by the Council of its functions under the Education for Persons with Special
Educational Needs Act 2004 relating to the provision of education to children with special
educational needs, including in particular by the provision and operation of a special class
or classes when requested to do so by the Council.
 Scoil Aislinn will comply with any direction served on the patron or the board, as the case
may be, under section 37A and any direction served on the board under section 67(4B) of the Education Act.

Special School
Scoil Aislinn is a school which, with the approval of the Minister for Education, provides
an education exclusively for students with a category or categories of special educational
needs specified by the Minister and does not discriminate in relation to the admission of a
student who does not have the category of needs specified.

4. Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the
school/special class

Scoil Aislinn with the approval of the Minister for Education, provides an education
exclusively for students with (insert details of category or categories of SEN the school
caters for).

Note for schools: The act does not require schools and special classes providing for a
category or categories of special educational needs to change their current status. The
current arrangements in relation to the category or categories of special educational needs
provided by schools will continue as in previous years unless otherwise directed by the
NCSE or the Department.

5. Admission of Students

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –
a) the school is oversubscribed (please see section 6 below for further details)
b) a parent of a student, when required by the principal in accordance with section 23(4)
of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, fails to confirm in writing that the code of
behaviour of the school is acceptable to him or her and that he or she shall make all
reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the student

Special School
Scoil Aislinn provides an education exclusively for students with Autism and Complex
Needs and may refuse admission to a student, where the student does not have the
specified category of special educational needs provided for by this school.

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6. Oversubscription (this section must be completed by all schools
including schools that do not anticipate being oversubscribed)
In the event that the school is oversubscribed, the school will, when deciding on applications
for admission, apply the following selection criteria in the order listed below to those
applications that are received within the timeline for receipt of applications as set out in the
school’s annual admission notice:
Selection criteria
1    The child must be aged between the ages of 3 years and 6 years with a diagnosis of
autism and accompanying complex needs . These  needs can be physical, emotional,
sensory, behavioural, and / or medical and where the team feel Scoil Aislinn’s ecclectic
approach can assist in supporting the child and his / her complexities.
2     A recommendation from an ASD Multi-Disciplinary team regarding Specialist School
placement is required.
3   In some cases, special resources, equipment and adaptions to facilitate the
prospective student’s access to the building or the curriculum, may be recommended to
the Board of Management by the Admission’s Committee. The Board may, on the advice
of the committee, request that such resources, equipment and adaptions are in place
before the prospective student is formally enrolled and a delay may occur on these
occasions. The Board, in the interests of the prospective student and the other students in
the school may decide to defer formal admission on the grounds that the school cannot,
with current resources and facilities, meet the needs of the prospective student.
4 The student seeking admission has or had a sibling who previously attended Scoil
Aislinn

In the event that there are two or more students tied for a place or places in any of the
selection criteria categories above (the number of applicants exceeds the number of
remaining places), the following arrangements will apply:
The applicants’ names will be put in to a hat and the name drawn will be offered the
remaining place(s).

7. What will not be considered or taken into account
In accordance with section 62(7)(e) of the Education Act, the school will not consider or take
into account any of the following in deciding on applications for admission or when placing a
student on a waiting list for admission to the school:

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(a) a student’s prior attendance at a pre-school or pre-school service, including
naíonraí,
other than in relation to a student’s prior attendance at—
(I) an early intervention class, or
(II) an early start pre-school, specified in a list published by the Minister from time
to time;
(b) the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school;
(c) a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude;
(other than in relation to:
– admission to (a) a special school or (b) a special class insofar as it is
necessary in order to ascertain whether or not the student has the category of
special educational needs concerned and/or
(d) the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s
parents;
(e) a requirement that a student, or his or her parents, attend an interview, open day
or other meeting as a condition of admission;
(f) a student’s connection to the school by virtue of a member of his or her family
attending or having previously attended the school;
(other than, siblings of a student attending or having attended the school

(g) the date and time on which an application for admission was received by the
school,
This is subject to the application being received at any time during the period
specified for receiving applications set out in the annual admission notice of the
school for the school year concerned.
This is also subject to the school making offers based on existing waiting lists (up
until 31 st January 2025 only).
8. Decisions on applications
All decisions on applications for admission to Scoil Aislinn will be based on the following:
 Our school’s admission policy
 The school’s annual admission notice
 The information provided by the applicant in the school’s official application form
received during the period specified in our annual admission notice for receiving
applications
(Please see section 15 below in relation to applications received outside of the
admissions period and section 16 below in relation to applications for places in years
other than the intake group.)
Selection criteria that are not included in our school admission policy will not be used to
make a decision on an application for a place in our school.
9. Notifying applicants of decisions
Applicants will be informed in writing as to the decision of the school, within the timeline
outlined in the annual admissions notice.

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If a student is not offered a place in our school, the reasons why they were not offered a
place will be communicated in writing to the applicant, including, where applicable, details of
the student’s ranking against the selection criteria and details of the student’s place on the
waiting list for the school year concerned.
Applicants will be informed of the right to seek a review/right of appeal of the school’s
decision (see section 18 below for further details).

10. Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant
In accepting an offer of admission from [school name], you must indicate—
(i) whether or not you have accepted an offer of admission for another school or schools. If
you have accepted such an offer, you must also provide details of the offer or offers
concerned and
(ii) whether or not you have applied for and awaiting confirmation of an offer of admission
from another school or schools, and if so, you must provide details of the other school or
schools concerned.

11. Circumstances in which offers may not be made or may be withdrawn
An offer of admission may not be made or may be withdrawn by Scoil Aislinn where—
(i) it is established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.
(ii) an applicant fails to confirm acceptance of an offer of admission on or before the
date set out in the annual admission notice of the school.
(iii) the parent of a student, when required by the principal in accordance with section
23(4) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, fails to confirm in writing that the code of
behaviour of the school is acceptable to him or her and that he or she shall make all
reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the student; or
(iv) an applicant has failed to comply with the requirements of ‘acceptance of an offer’
as set out in section 10 above.
12. Sharing of Data with other schools
Applicants should be aware that section 66(6) of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act
2018 allows for the sharing of certain information between schools in order to facilitate the
efficient admission of students. Section 66(6) allows a board to provide a patron or another
board of management with a list of the students in relation to whom—
(i) an application for admission to the school has been received,
(ii) an offer of admission to the school has been made, or
(iii) an offer of admission to the school has been accepted.
The list may include any or all of the following:
(i) the date on which an application for admission was received by the school;
(ii) the date on which an offer of admission was made by the school;
(iii) the date on which an offer of admission was accepted by an applicant;
(iv) a student’s personal details including his or her name, address, date of birth and
personal public service number (within the meaning of section 262 of the Social
Welfare Consolidation Act 2005).

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13. Waiting list in the event of oversubscription
In the event of there being more applications to the school year concerned than places
available, a waiting list of students whose applications for admission to [school name] were
unsuccessful due to the school being oversubscribed will be compiled and will remain valid
for the school year in which admission is being sought.
Placement on the waiting list of Scoil Aislinn is in the order of priority assigned to the
students’ applications after the school has applied the selection criteria in accordance with
this admission policy.
Offers of any subsequent places that become available for and during the school year in
relation to which admission is being sought will be made to those students on the waiting list,
in accordance with the order of priority in relation to which the students have been placed on
the list.

14. Late Applications

All applications for admission received after the closing date as outlined in the annual
admission notice will be considered and decided upon in accordance with our school’s
admissions policy, the Education Admissions to School Act 2018 and any regulations made
under that Act.

15. Procedures for admission of students to other years and during the
school year
The procedures of the school in relation to the admission of students who are not already
admitted to the school to classes or years other than the school’s intake group are as
follows:

The procedures of the school in relation to the admission of students who are not already
admitted to the school, after the commencement of the school year in which admission is
sought, are as follows:

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16. Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees
This rule applies to all schools.
The board of (name of school) or any persons acting on its behalf will not charge fees for or
seek payment or contributions (howsoever described) as a condition of-
(a) an application for admission of a student to the school, or
(b) the admission or continued enrolment of a student in the school.
Exceptions apply only in relation to fee charging post primary schools, the boarding element
in Boarding Schools and admission to post leaving cert or further education courses run by
post-primary schools.
17. Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction
This section must be completed by schools that provide religious instruction to students.
The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parents or in the
case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, who has requested
that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction in the school.
These arrangements will not result in a reduction in the school day of such students:

18. Reviews/appeals
Review of decisions by the board of Management
The parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years,
the student, may request the board to review a decision to refuse admission. Such requests
must be made in accordance with Section 29C of the Education Act 1998.
The timeline within which such a review must be requested and the other requirements
applicable to such reviews are set out in the procedures determined by the Minister under
section 29B of the Education Act 1998 which are published on the website of the
Department of Education.
The board will conduct such reviews in accordance with the requirements of the procedures
determined under Section 29B and with section 29C of the Education Act 1998.
Note:
Where an applicant has been refused admission due to the school being oversubscribed, the
applicant must request a review of that decision by the board of management prior to
making an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998.
Where an applicant has been refused admission due to a reason other than the school being
oversubscribed, the applicant may request a review of that decision by the board of
management prior to making an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998.

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Right of appeal
Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parent of the student, or in the case of a
student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, may appeal a decision of this
school to refuse admission.
An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(i) of the Education Act 1998 where the
refusal to admit was due to the school being oversubscribed.
An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(ii) of the Education Act 1998 where the
refusal to admit was due a reason other than the school being oversubscribed.
Where an applicant has been refused admission due to the school being oversubscribed, the
applicant must request a review of that decision by the board of management prior to
making an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998. (see Review of decisions by
the Board of Management)
Where an applicant has been refused admission due to a reason other than the school being
oversubscribed, the applicant may request a review of that decision by the board of
management prior to making an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act 1998. (see
Review of decisions by the Board of Management)
Appeals under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 will be considered and determined by
an independent appeals committee appointed by the Minister for Education.
The timeline within which such an appeal must be made and the other requirements
applicable to such appeals are set out in the procedures determined by the Minister under
section 29B of the Education Act 1998 which are published on the website of the
Department of Education and Skills.