IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PRIMARY 1 / NURSERY ADMISSION IN SEPTEMBER 2023

If your child is starting pre-school or primary school in September 2023, you can apply online between 12.00 noon on Tuesday 10th January 2023 and 12.00 noon on Friday 27th January. Please note that places are not allocated on a first come, first served basis and applications will only be considered after the closing date. Further information is available on the EA website under the Admissions section at - https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions.

Admissions criteria listed below.

Digital Clinics are being held in selected brances of NI Libraries to support with the application process.  In the Belfast area the two available clinics are held in:

-Ormeau Road Library on 10th January from 9.30am - 4.00pm

Cregagh Library on 26th January from 2.00pm - 4.00pm

"For us there was only one school we wanted them to attend and that was Dundonald Primary.

Why you might ask?

Firstly, as a past pupil myself I wanted our girls to experience a warm, caring and supportive school environment were the children always come first.

Secondly, my wife is Mexican and DPS excels in welcoming and celebrating the cultural diversity of its pupils and their families.

Lastly, but certainly not least having read the schools last full inspection report, when they received  Very Good, we knew our girls would receive an exceptional level of education and their individual needs would be met, and their full potential reached."

G.Woods

Criteria for Admission to Primary One 2023

PRIMARY 1 ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR SEPTEMBER 2023

Respective Functions of the Board of Governors

The Board of Governors draws up the admissions criteria and delegates to an Admissions Sub-Committee, which includes the Principal/Vice-Principal, the responsibility for applying these criteria.

Open Evening

There will be an Open Evening on Wednesday 7th December 2022 from 7.00pm - 8.00pm with the Principal's Welcome in the Assembly Hall at 7.00pm.  This evening will provide an excellent opportunity for you and your child to find out about our Primary School provision.  If you are unable to attend on this date, please contact school and we will be delighted to arrange a suitable time for a visit.  

Admissions Criteria

During the admissions procedure when applying the criteria punctual applications will be considered before late applications are considered.  The application procedure opens on 10 January 2023 at 12 noon (GMT) and an application submitted by the closing date of 27 January 2023 at 12 noon (GMT) will be treated as a punctual application.  An application received after 12 noon (GMT) on 27 January 2023 and up to 4pm on 31 January 2023 will be treated as a late application, this is also the last date and time for processing a change of preference in exceptional circumstances.  After 4pm on 31 January 2023 no applications will be processed until after the close of procedure on 27 April 2023.

Year 1 Intake

Priority will be given to children who will have attained compulsory school age at the time of their proposed admission, including those children whose parents deferred their admissions to primary school in September 2022 as defined by the new School Age (NI) Act (both groups to be treated equally).

Priority will be given to children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission will be selected for admission to the school before any child not so resident.

In selecting children for admission, children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission will be selected for admission to the school before any child not so resident.

The admissions criteria will be applied in the following order to children of compulsory school age.

1. Preference will be given to those children with a brother /sister * currently in attendance at Dundonald Primary. Please list name(s) and current class(es)
2. Preference will be given to children who are enrolled during the 2022/23 year at Dundonald Primary School Nursery Unit.
3. Preference will be given to children who are the eldest** child in the family.

*includes half-brother/sister, stepbrother/sister, foster brother/sister

*eldest child is defined as “children who, at the date of their application, are the eldest child of the family to be eligible to apply for admission to the school”

Sub Criteria

In the event of over-subscription in any of the above sub-criteria preference will be given, in the order set down, to children on the following basis:

1. Dundonald Primary School listed as first preference
2. Preference will be given to the child who lives closest to the main entrance of the school.

Distances will be measured electronically in a straight line from the child’s home address to the front door of the school using Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland co-ordinates.

When considering which children should be selected for admission, the Board of Governors will only take into account information which is detailed on the application or provided directly to the school. Parents/Guardians should therefore ensure that all information pertaining to their child and relevant to the school’s admissions criteria is stated on the application or provided directly to the first preference school.  Examples of such information include whether the child has brothers/sisters attending the school or, is the eldest child in the family.

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.

All applicants will be required to verify information at the time of the original application using:

• The child's original birth certificate (essential)
• A utility bill giving current address (within the last 3 months)
• Driver licence with current address

Only 1 item of the latter 2 is necessary.

Waiting List Policy

Any parent who wishes their child to be placed on  a waiting list for any year group should confirm this request in writing by 1st September in that year.  Parents should renew their request in writing at the beginning of the school year.

Should a place become available the above criteria will be applied to all children on the waiting list until the school's admission number has been reached.  Preference will be given, in the first instance, to those for whom Dundonald PS was the first choice school.  Should a place subsequently become available, preference will be given to second choice applicants and so on until all available places are filled.

Application for admission to Y1 after the beginning of the school year 

Criteria as above.

Y2-Y7 Intake 

Children to be admitted into these classes only if the total enrolment number has not been reached and if the number of each year group has not exceeded the Department of Education guidelines on permitted class sizes.

The above criteria will be applicable for admission into Y2-Y7 classes.

Click on the following link to get further information on the online application process - https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions

If you would like your child to attend our school, please watch our open day video to see for yourself why generations of families have chosen Dundonald Primary School for their child's nursery and primary education. 

The Principal  Mr Byers or the Vice-Principal Mrs Burns will be delighted to answer any questions you may have.

Criteria for admission to Nursery 2023

Important Dates:

The on-line application form for Nursery commencing 2023 will be available on 10th January at 12 noon. The application process and form will be detailed on the Education Authority website.

The closing date for on-line application is 27th January at 12 noon. Any applications received after 12 noon on the 27th January 2023 will be considered a late application.

As the pre-school admissions process is in two stages the timetable on the Education Authority also specifies the relevant dates at stage two which will determine if an application is to be considered as punctual or late.

As the Nursery Unit offers a morning or afternoon class, parents must indicate in the "Reasons for Preference" on the online application form their preference e AM or PM session. There is no guarantee that the preferred session will be allocated.

Places in Nursery will be allocated according to the following criteria:

Nursery Admissions Criteria for September 2023

Respective Functions of the Board of Governors and the Principal in relation to admissions

The Board of Governors draws up the admissions criteria and delegates to the Principal and Vice-Principal the responsibility for applying these criteria.

Open Afternoons

Open afternoons are being held in our Nursery on Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th December from 3.30 to 4pm.  This provides an excellent opportunity for you to visit and find out about our Nursery provision.

Admissions Criteria

A timetable of pre-school admissions procedures setting out the dates by which an application is to be submitted is available at www.eani.org.uk/admissions under 'Pre-School Admissions'.  During the admissions procedure when applying the criteria punctual applications will be considered before late applications are considered.

The application procedure opens on 10 January 2023  at 12 noon (GMT) and an application submitted by the closing date of 27 January 2023 at 12 noon (GMT) will be treated as a punctual application.  An application received after 12 noon (GMT) on 27 January 2023 will be treated as a late application.

As the pre-school admissions procedure is in two stages the timetable also specifies the relevant dates at Stage 2 which will determine if an applicaiton is to be considered punctual or late.

The Board of Governors have determined that in the event of the number of applicants exceeding 52, the following criteria will be applied in the order set down to select children for the places available.

When considering which children should be selected for admission, the Board of Governors will only take into account information which is detailed on the application form. Parents should therefore ensure that all information pertaining to their child and relevant to the school’s admissions criteria is stated on the application.

As the nursery unit offers a morning or afternoon class, parents must indicate in the “Reasons for Preference” on the online application their preference ie. AM or PM session. There is no guarantee that the preferred session will be allocated.

Statutory Criteria

1. Children from socially disadvantaged circumstances* in their final pre-school year who were born:​​​​​​
   • on or between 2 July 2019 and 1 July 2020 (inclusive) and whose parents have not exercised their right to defer their child's entry to primary school: or,
   • on or between 1 April 2019 and 1 July 2019 (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,
     1. that child's parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1 until September 2024 
2. Children not from socially disadvantaged circumstances (as defined below) who are in their final pre-school year (as defined by criterion 1)

*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 their child on this basis they must provide Benefit Verification to confirm that they have an entitlement.  The application procedures for Pre-School will outline how Benefit Verification can be submitted.

Sub Criteria - In the event that the school is oversubscribed in criteria 1-2 preference shall be given in the order set out below:

a) Children with an older brother/sister* currently enrolled at Dundonald Primary School or Dundonald Nursery Unit.  Please list name(s) and current class(es).

b) Children who are the eldest* child in the family.

*includes half-brother/sister, stepbrother/sister, foster brother/sister

*eldest child is defined as “children who, at the date of their application, are the eldest child of the family to be eligible to apply for admission to the school”

Supplementary Criteria

In the event of oversubscription in any of the above sub-criteria preference will be given, in the order set down, to children on the following basis:

1. Dundonald Nursery Unit listed as first preference
2. Preference will be given to the child who lives closest to the main entrance of the school. Distances will be measured in a straight line from the child’s home address to the front door of the school using Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

Non-statutory criteria 

Note: Appliations 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 2019 - 1 July 2019 (inclusive), or were due to be born on or between those dates but were born earlier; 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 theri child starting P1, or
• on or between 2 July 2020 and 1 July 2021 (inclusive); or,
• on or between 1 April 2020 and 1 July 2020 (inclusive) or were due to be bron 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 2025.

Tie Breaker - Non Statutory Criterion 3

Children within criterion 3 will be selected in Chronological Order of Age - eldest child first.  Where two or more children have the same date of birth, preference will be given to the child who lives closest to the front gate of the school.  Distances will be measured in a straight line from the child's home address to the front door of the school using Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.  

When considering which children should be selected for admission, the Board of Governors will only take into account information which is detailed on, or provided with the application form.  Parents should therefore ensure that all information pertaining to their child and relevant to the school's admissions criteria is stated on the application form or provided with it.  For example, whether the child has brothers or sisters attending the school/is the eldest or only child in the family.

Address Verification - if applying in January these documents must be submitted by 4pm on 31 January 2023.

Applicants should note that information 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 three following documents with their application:

- a bank or building society statement which shows the address at which the child is resident;

- a utility bill (for instance, electricity, gas, Television License, 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.

This is in addition to the standard requirement to provide a Birth Certificate in order to demonstrate whether or not a child is of the age stated.

Applications after 1 September 2023 

Criteria as above.

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.

Click on the following link to get further information on the online application process - https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions

Criteria for admission P2-P7

Children can be admitted into these classes only if the total enrolment number has not been reached and if the number of each year group has not exceeded the Department of Education guidelines on permitted class sizes.

The criteria applicable for admission into Y2-Y7 classes will be in line with P1 criteria.