Admissions

Admissions Criteria for Nursery

Admissions criteria to be used in the event of the school being oversubscribed with applications for available places.

Statutory Criteria

1. Children from socially disadvantaged circumstances in their final pre-school year who were born:
   • on or between 2 July 2020 and 1 July 2021 (inclusive) and whose parents have not exercised their right to defer their

child’s entry to primary school; or,

• on or between 1 April 2020 and 1 July 2020 (inclusive) or were due to be born on or between those dates but were born earlier; and,
  • have not attended or are not currently attending a funded pre-school setting under the Pre-School Education Programme as a target aged child; and,
  • that child’s parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1 until September

Note: Children from ‘socially disadvantaged circumstances’ means a child whose parent has an entitlement to (i) Income Support, or (ii) Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or (iii) Income related Employment and Support Allowance, or (iv) Universal Credit. When parents apply for places for their child on this basis they must provide Benefit Verification to confirm that they have an entitlement. The application procedure for Pre-School will outline how Benefit Verification can be submitted.

2. Children not from socially disadvantaged circumstances (as defined above) who are in their final pre-school year (as defined by Criterion 1).

Sub-Criteria

If there are more children satisfying the last criterion above, which can be applied, then selection for the remaining places will be on the application of the following sub-criteria in order:

1. Children whose member of the family* is presently enrolled at Kilmaine Primary School and Nursery Unit (Include details).
2. Children who are enrolled during the 2023/24 school year at Kilmaine Nursery
3. Children whose parent or grandparent is employed at the school or is a member of the Board of Governors at the closing date of
4. Children whose parents nominate Kilmaine Nursery Unit as their first preference.
5. Children who have had a member of the family* enrolled at Kilmaine Primary School and Nursery Unit (Include details).

Supplementary Criterion

In the event of over-subscription by application of any of the above sub-criteria, the following supplementary criterion will be applied:

1. Children who live closest to the school as measured by radial distance from their home to the school gates closest to the Nursery using Google Maps. Where 2 or more children live equidistant from the school final selection will be given according to alphabetical order of the initial letter of the child’s surname as per the birth

In the event of surnames beginning with the same letter the subsequent letters of the surnames will be used in alphabetical order. In the event of 2 identical surnames the alphabetical order of the initials of the forenames as per the birth certificate will be used.

Applicants should note that where an address contained within an application qualifies it for admission, then that address will be verified. To enable the Board of Governors to verify addresses, all applicants should provide any two of the following four documents - If applying in January these documents must be submitted by 4pm on 31 January 2024 :

• a bank or building society statement which shows the address at which the child is resident;
• a utility bill (for instance electricity, gas, Television Licence, telephone) which shows the address at which the child is resident;
• a letter awarding child benefit to the child or another letter relating to this benefit;
• driving

Documents should be uploaded to the admissions portal.  Please note that it is the responsibility of those completing the form to ensure that all information relevant to the school’s admissions criteria is included on the application form.  Parents are advised to upload their documents or attach to their application.

Non-statutory criteria

Note: Applications falling under Criterion 3 are processed only during Stage 2 of the admissions process, after final pre- school year (Statutory 1 and 2) applications.

3. Children who were born:
   • on or between 1 April 2020 - 1 July 2020 (inclusive), or were due to be born on or between those dates but were born earlier; and,
     • and have attended or are currently attending a funded pre-school setting under the Pre-School Education Programme as a target aged (not penultimate aged) child; and,
     • that child’s parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1, or
   • on or between 2 July 2021 and 1 July 2022 (inclusive); or,
   • on or between 1 April 2021 and 1 July 2021 (inclusive) or were due to be born on or between those dates but were

born earlier; and that child’s parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1 until September 2026.

Tie Breaker – Non-Statutory Criterion 3

Children within Criterion 3 will be selected in Chronological Order of Age – eldest child first. In the event of two or more children having the same DOB, selection within Criterion 3 for all places remaining will be given according to alphabetical order of the initial letter of the child’s surname as per the birth certificate.

In the event of surnames beginning with the same letter the subsequent letters of the surnames will be used in alphabetical order. In the event of 2 identical surnames the alphabetical order of the initials of the forenames as per the birth certificate will be used.

*A member of the family will be defined as brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, step brother, step sister, foster brother or foster sister.

Duty to Verify

The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any application form.

If the requested evidence is not provided to the Board of Governors by the deadline given, this will result in the withdrawal of an offer of a place. Similarly, if information is supplied which appears to be false or misleading in any material way, the offer of a place will be withdrawn.

Waiting List Policy

Your child’s name will not be automatically added to the list.  Please contact the school in writing if you wish your child’s name to be on the list.  Should a vacancy arise after 11 June 2024 all applications for admissions to Nursery that were initially refused, new applications, late applications and applications where new information has been provided will be treated equally and the published criteria applied.  The waiting list will be in place until the last day of June 2025.  The school will contact you in writing if your child gains a place in the school by this method.

Download Full Nursery Admission Criteria DocumentDownload Nursery Information Form

Admissions Criteria for Year 1

The Board of Governors has determined that the following criteria shall be applied, in the order set down, in the event of the number of pupils applying for places in Year 1 exceeding the school's admission number.

Year 1 Intake

1. Children with a member of their family* presently enrolled in the school at 26 January 2024. It is the responsibility of the parent to provide full names and classes of siblings when completing the application.
2. Children who are enrolled during the 2023/2024 school year at Kilmaine Primary School Nursery Unit.
3. Children whose parent or grandparent is employed at the school, or is a member of the Board of Governors at the closing date of application.
4. Children whose member of their family * is a former pupil of the school.
5. Children for whom Kilmaine Primary School is the closest controlled primary to their permanent address. This will be measured by Google Maps on the basis of radial distance from their home address to the front gate of Kilmaine Primary School.
6. Children whose parent is a former pupil of the school.
7. Other children

*A member of family will be defined as brother, sister, half brother, half sister, step brother, step sister, foster brother or foster sister.

NB In the event of over-subscription in any one of the criteria 1-7 above, the following tie-breaker will be applied: 

Using Google Maps 'children who live closest to the school, as measured on the basis of radial distance from their home to the school's front entrance gate, will be given priority’.  Where 2 or more children live equal distance from the school final selection will be given according to alphabetical order of child’s surname. 

Duty to Verify

The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any application. 

If the requested evidence is not provided to the Board of Governors by the deadline given, this will result in the withdrawal of an offer of a place.  Similarly, if information is supplied which appears to be false or misleading in any material way, the offer of a place will be withdrawn.

Waiting List Policy

Your child’s name will not be automatically added to the list.  Please contact the school in writing if you wish your child’s name to be on the list.  Should a vacancy arise after 27 April 2024 all applications for admissions to Year 1 that were initially refused, new applications, late applications and applications where new information has been provided will be treated equally and the published criteria applied.  The waiting list will be in place until the last day of June 2025.  The school will contact you in writing if your child gains a place in the school by this method.

Year 2-Year 7 Intake

Providing that the enrolment of a child does not cause the school's enrolment number to be exceeded and, admission of the child would not:

(i) prejudice the provision of efficient education or;

(ii) prejudice the efficient use of the school's resources,

the child will be admitted.

In the event that the number of applications exceeds the number of available places, the following criteria shall be applied to a waiting list, in the order set down.  It is the parents’ responsibility to inform the school in writing each year if they wish to have their child’s name included on the waiting list.

1. Children whose parent or grandparent is employed at the school or is a member of the Board of Governors.
2. Children whose family** member previously attended the school.
3. Other children.

** A member of family will be defined as mother, father, step mother, step father, brother, sister, half brother, half sister, step brother, step sister, foster brother or foster sister.

NB In the event of over-subscription in any one of the criteria 1-3 above, the following tie-breaker will be applied: 'children who live closest to the school, as measured by the radial distance from their home to the school’s front entrance gate’ using Google Maps.

Download Full Year 1 Admission Criteria DocumentDownload Year 1 Information Form