Minister Quinn invites applications for patronage of new primary schools in 2014
Aibreán 22, 2013
The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairí Quinn T.D., has today invited patron bodies to apply for the patronage of four new primary schools due to be established in September 2014.
The four new schools will be in Midleton, Cork; Swords, Dublin Fingal; Sandymount/Ringsend, Dublin South; and Galway City West (Knocknacarra).
Today’s announcement is the continuation of a process which began in June 2011 when the Minister announced that 20 primary schools and 20 new post-primary schools were to be established up to 2017 across a number of locations to cater for increasing pupil numbers.
Inviting the applications from interested patron bodies today, Minister Quinn said, “Parental demand is the key issue in deciding who should be awarded patronage of these new primary schools.
“I believe strongly that parents should have choices in the education of their children and the process of awarding patronage for new schools is centred on this. This process, which is overseen by the New Schools Establishment Group, will take account of the voices of parents and the existing diversity of patronage in each of the four areas where we are establishing new schools.”
The criteria for recognition of new schools were set out in 2011. Patrons are asked to provide evidence of parental demand when making an application for a new school. In addition, the criteria used in deciding on patronage include how the proposed schools under the respective patrons should provide for extending or strengthening diversity of provision in each area, having regard to the views of parents.
The New Schools Establishment Group, an independent advisory group, is then tasked with advising the Minister on the patronage of the new schools following its consideration of a report prepared by Department officials.
Of the 20 new primary to be built in coming years to meet rising enrolment, seven opened in September 2012 and five more are due to open this coming September. The Department of Education & Skills is forecasting an increase of over 45,050 primary pupils by the start of the 2017/18 school year.
These new schools are part of a €2 billion five-year capital investment programme, launched by Minister Quinn last year.
The deadline for receipt of applications for patronage of these new schools is close of business on Friday 14th June 2013.
The new school in Galway City West was previously announced as an Irish language medium school to open in September 2013 but with the question of patronage undecided at that time. It has now been decided to re-run the patronage determination process in respect of this school. The question of language of instruction for this new school will be informed by the preferences expressed by the parents locally under the re-run process.
New Arrangements for patronage of new Primary schools
The following key elements will apply to the establishment of a new primary school:
- The demographics of the area must support the need for the establishment of a new school (or where meeting the demographics through the extension of existing schools would leave an unmet demand for diversity of patronage)
- If the demographics require the establishment of a school, then the process for the selection of the type of school should allow for different patrons/bodies to be considered as the patron of a new school.
- Most new schools must have the capacity to accept at least one full class group of pupils at junior infant level and to increase capacity up to three full streams as needed subject to demographics and parental demand in the area.
- The following requirements will have to be satisfied by prospective school patrons:
- Confirmation that the prospective patron is willing to accept and open special education facilities;
- Confirmation that the prospective patron is willing to have up to three streams subject to demand for the school;
- Confirmation that the prospective patron is willing to enter into the standard lease agreement with the Department of Education and Skills. Otherwise the prospective patron could provide their own school site;
- Confirmation of willingness to operate by the rules and regulations laid down in various Department of Education and Skills circulars and operating procedures and to follow the prescribed curriculum;
- Confirmation of willingness to operate the school within the resourcing and policy parameters established by the Department of Education and Skills;
- Confirmation of willingness to be part of a campus development with other primary or second-level schools as identified by the Department;
- Confirmation of willingness to enrol children in the area for whom the Department has identified the need for a school.
The criteria to be considered in deciding on patronage are the following:
- The development already achieved by recently established schools of a particular patronage in the identified area and the potential for future growth of these schools;
- The extent or range of diversity of patronage offered across existing schools in the identified area, having regard to the views of parents;
- The proximity of schools of similar ethos to those proposed by the applicant patrons;
- How the proposed schools under the respective patrons would provide for extending or strengthening diversity of provision in each area, having regard to the views of parents;
- Parental demand for the school that a patron is willing to establish;
- The extent to which schools of similar patronage in the area have already expanded to at least three streams (subject to space on an existing site etc);
- In an area to be served by a single school, the extent to which the needs of all pupils in the area can be met by the school.
The process will involve the following steps at primary level:
- The Department will proactively identify the areas where significant additional school accommodation is required.
- Identification of locations of new schools and sizes of new schools by the Department
- In concluding as to whether a demographic need might be met through extension projects in local schools, the Department should not seek to extend accommodation in existing schools of a certain patronage, where there is a certain level of demand for patronage of a different type in that area.
- written applications from prospective patrons addressing all of the criteria
- consideration of the applications by Department officials and report drafted for consideration by the News Schools Establishment Group
- consideration by Group of report and endorsement by Group or identification of need for further analysis by Department and subsequent consideration by Group
- report from the Group submitted to the Minister for consideration
- decision by the Minister
Parental Preferences
Patron bodies proposing schools will be asked to provide evidence of parental demand. Patrons will be asked to sign up lists of parents who indicate interest in having their children educated in their new school. These lists are to be broken down by the age of the children, including year of proposed entry to school, and by where they are living, having regard for the area to be served by the school. A template for submission of parental demand will be provided for this purpose, and all information must be presented in this format only.
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