Admissions Procedure

Preference in offering places to be given on grounds of:

• Optimal use of boarding facilities
• Eligibility to apply for Secondary Education Committee Grants
• Priority to be given to applicants whose
  • Sister/brother attends/has attended the school
  • Parent/parents attended the school
  • Parent/guardian is a member of staff in the school

Otherwise offers of places will be made in chronological order of receipt of preliminary application forms

As each new school year approaches the school will send a Final Application Form to parents/guardians of children whose names are on the preliminary admissions list for the incoming year. The form should be completed and returned to the School within 21 days of the sending out of the forms to confirm continued interest in the applied for place.

On receipt of the completed Final Application Forms the School will allocate places in the incoming First Year. The School is obliged in law to follow an objective and verifiable enrolment procedure. This process is as follows:

• The School will allocate places to prospective scholars from whom completed Final Application Forms are returned.
• The School will give preference to boarding applications and to applicants who are eligible to apply for Secondary Education Committee grants.
• The School will give priority to sisters and brothers of current and former students at the school and to the children of old scholars or members of staff in school.

Otherwise, the School will allocate places in the chronological order it received the initial preliminary application forms.

All applications will be subject to the fees as set out annually in the schedule of fees. A booking fee will fall due on acceptance and payment of the booking fee will secure the place. The paid booking fee will constitute part of the first installment of the school fees for the coming year.

If parents/guardians do not pay the booking fee within fourteen days of receiving the offer of a place the School will be free to offer that place to another prospective scholar.

Parents/Guardians who have a change of mind subsequent to accepting a place will forfeit their booking fee.

Newtown School has a maximum class size of 25 to a class group, with traditionally mixed ability class groupings in each of the junior cycle years.

If the number of Final Application Forms received exceed the number of places available prospective scholars who cannot be accommodated in the first instance may place their names on a waiting list from which the School will fill any vacancies that may arise. The School will fill such vacancies in accordance with the criteria outlined above.

Parents/Guardians who confirm their applications may wish to bring their child to visit the School. The school visit can be a valuable element in the education process. The visit provides an opportunity to see something of school life at first hand and to learn more about what secondary school is like. It can also be an occasion to discuss any matters of school policy and procedures that may be pertinent to the application.

The School may also hold information sessions for parents of prospective scholars when they and the prospective scholars can meet with and listen to teachers and members of staff and other parents speak of their experiences of the school.