Frequently Asked Questions
Schools generally communicate with parents by sending emails, web texts and the school website. You should check your emails and school website daily for updates. At the start of each month each class may post some work or photos to give parents a snap shot of the previous month’s work.
A split class is one where two or more levels are taught together (e.g. 3rd class and 4th class) by the same teacher in the same classroom. This may be necessary in a smaller school where pupil numbers don’t allow for separate classes at all levels or in a larger school where the intake might fluctuate. The Principal is responsible for the allocation of teachers to classes. ESRI research (2014) which used data on 8,568 nine-year-old children from the Growing Up in Ireland study showed that children in a split class “did not perform any better nor any worse than children in single-grade classes”. It is believed that older children benefit by having the work they covered in the previous year reinforced and the younger children experience a broader spectrum of information, allowing many of them to advance. The Principal has to decide what is the best way to split the classes, where necessary, and in some cases it is by age, some alphabetically.
The Special Education Teaching allocation model provides that all schools will have a basic allocation to assist pupils who have learning and literacy difficulties, including those arising from English as an Additional Language (EAL) needs. Additional support is available for schools with high concentrations of pupils that require language support.
The curriculum refers to the programme of study your child will follow through their primary school years. It is presented in seven areas, some of which are further subdivided into subjects. The development of curriculum for Religious education remains the responsibility of the different church authorities. However, the Minister for Education and Skills has asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to develop a religion and ethics programme for schools.
A Learning Support Teacher service is available to all primary schools and the Department of Education and Science has produced Learning Support Guidelines. These guidelines explain the aims and activities of learning support programmes. They include the procedures for identifying and selecting children who might be having difficulty with their school work curriculum and who need supplemental teaching. It is the learning support teachers who provide this extra teaching.
The first thing you should do is speak to the child’s teacher. Please contact the teacher directly by using their school email or phone the office an arrange an appointment with the teacher. When you meet the teacher explain the problem as clearly and calmly as possible. Be prepared to work with the teacher and your child to resolve the problem. If the problem cannot be resolved at this level, the next step is to involve the Principal. You should make an appointment and bring with you any paperwork which may be relevant. If the problem remains unresolved the next step is to contact the Board of Management of the school.
School gate opens at 9.10am, we cannot accept responsibility for them before this time. It is a drop and go system. Please do not park or block the gates. Junior and Senior Infants are walked to the gate at 2pm, the remaining classes depart at 3pm. It is a pick up and go system, please do not congregate at the school gates.
In each school year there will be one formal parent/teacher meeting held in each primary school. The school will let you know the date and time of the meeting. This is an important meeting and you should do your best to attend. During the Pandemic meetings have moved to phone calls. At the meeting you can see examples of your child’s work and discuss your child’s progress with the class teacher. Going to these meetings also shows your child that you are interested in how they are doing. If you are concerned about your child’s progress at any stage during the year, you can arrange to speak to the class teacher.
The school will provide a written report for each child towards the end of the last term. The Principal and teachers will regularly evaluate students and periodically report the results of the evaluation to the students and their parents”. Under the Education (Welfare) Act, if a student leaves one school to go to another, the Principal of the first school must give information about the child to the new school. This information may include attendance or other relevant matters relating to the child’s progress. You should receive a written report from your child’s school at some point(s) during the year. This report will give you information on your child’s progress during the year.