Enrolment

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How to Enrol

St Patrick’s Catholic School is a State Integrated Catholic School. Criteria for enrolment is set out below under preference enrolment. Under our integration agreement we are able to enrol up to 15 students who do not fit this criteria (non-preference enrolment).

Families are invited to visit the school and meet the Principal and have a look around the school. 

Families of all eligible students must meet with our Parish Pastoral Care Coordinator, Alison Carroll to establish enrolment preference and have the preference card signed by the Parish Priest. She is available to meet on a Tuesday between 10am-12pm only. Please call the school office to make an appointment time. This can be done before visiting the school if preferred and a time will be arranged for a school visit straight afterwards.

For more information about our school, click here – Parent Info Booklet 2024

Online Enrolment Enquiry

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Preference and Non Preference Enrolment

Introduction

The Board of Trustees of St Patrick’s Catholic School will ensure that enrolments comply with the requirements specified in the Integration Agreement and the Private Schools’ Conditional Integration act 1975.

When parent(s)/Guardian(s) apply to enrol a child in a Catholic school, the principal must inform them that if they wish to claim preference and have not yet done so, they need to obtain a preference certificate. To do this they visit their Parish Priest or other person designated by the Bishop (Alison Carroll from this Parish). This is in accordance with the Education and Training Act 2020, Schedule 6, Clause 236.

Applying for preference enrolment is not a guarantee of acceptance. The decision whether to grant a preference enrolment is made by either the Parish Priest, or their delegated representative, using the mandated criteria below:

Definition of Preference and Non Preference

There are two types of enrolments at state integrated schools – preference enrolments and non-preference enrolments. Only after all preference (Catholic) students seeking entry have been enrolled, and then only if the total roll is still less than the maximum specified in our Integration Agreement, can the Board consider non-preference (not Catholic) students up to a maximum 15 students.

Preference Enrolment

1. The child has been baptised, or is being prepared for Baptism, in the Catholic Church.
2. The child’s parents/guardians have already allowed one or more of its siblings to be baptised in the Catholic faith.
3. At least one parent/guardian is a Catholic, and although their child has not yet been baptised, the child’s participation in the life of the school could lead to the parents having the child baptised.
4. With the agreement of the child’s parent/guardian, a significant familial adult undertakes to support the child’s formation in the faith and practices of the Catholic Church. The significant familial adult is expected to be practising their faith in their own local parish. They may be a grandparent, aunt or uncle who is actively involved in the child’s upbringing.
5. One or both of a child’s non-Catholic parents/guardians is preparing to become a Catholic.

Non-preference Enrolment

State integrated schools may also have limited places for non-preference students as described in Definition of Preference and Non-Preference above. At St Patrick’s we have a maximum roll of 350 pupils and can accept 15 non-preference students.

Non-Preference Criteria:

1. The applicants accept that they will be attending a school of Catholic character and that their place in the school is conditional on their participation in the programme and ethos of the school.

2. The applicants accept that they will be required to pay attendance dues as set by the Proprietor and these are not voluntary.

3. Assuming the conditions of Note A above has been met, the Board will use the following priority order for enrolling non-preference applicants:

• The siblings of non-preference students already in the school.
• Siblings of former non-preference students.
• The children of staff or Board members who seek to enrol their children.
• Non-preference students coming from another integrated school with the same Catholic character.
• All other applicants.

4. Where there are more applicants than places available within the same priority category, they will be accepted in order of the date and time the pre-enrolments form was received. If pre-enrolment dates are the same, allocation will be via ballot.
5. Non-preference students who cannot be enrolled immediately, may choose to be placed on a waiting list which is sorted in order of the priority conditions described above. Students on this list are wait listed by date and number and will be contacted if places become available.

Parents and caregivers of those applicants on the waiting list will be notified when and if places become available for their child. Parents and caregivers will then have seven days to confirm their enrolment. If no confirmation is received the applicant will be removed from the waiting list and the position may be offered to the next priority student.

Enrolment information is also available in hard copy from the School Office or by clicking the preference or enrolment buttons on this page.

The Board of Trustees delegates the authority to administer this policy to the Principal.

The Principal encourages all prospective parents to come and meet with her as an initial step. This enables parents to ask any questions, visit a classroom and have a tour of the school.

Application is then made by completing a pre enrolment application. The application requires the office to sight and take a copy of baptismal certificate, birth certificate, proof of residency and immunisation certificate. You will be notified in writing once your child’s enrolment has been confirmed.

To ensure you are guaranteed a place, enrolment is encouraged as soon as possible. It is particularly recommended that siblings are enrolled as early as possible in order that places are kept for them.