Rathmore National School

Huge congratulations to Ms. Malone and all the staff and students on their hard work completing the Curious Minds award. We have now been awarded the Silver Award.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Thank you to everyone who took part in the recent Primary School Survey.

The Department of Education and Youth carried out this survey to find out about the 

type of schools that parents/guardians prefer. 

We are now sharing our school’s survey results with you. 

The attached survey results show:

• The preferences of parents/guardians of children currently enrolled in our school; and
• The preferences of parents/guardians of children not yet enrolled who indicated an intention to enrol in our school.

The results outline the preferences of parents/guardians for:

• Co-educational or single-sex provision
• Patronage/ethos
• Language of instruction (English or Irish)

How to understand the survey results

We have attached guidance to help you understand the survey results. In simple terms: 

The percentages in green and gold show what the parents/guardians who took part in the survey prefer.

The red line shows the margin of error. This gives a range around the survey result, showing how much the result might be higher or lower if all parents/guardians of children in our school had responded.

For example:

• if the whole red line is above 50%, this means it is likely that more than half of all parents/guardians prefer that option, even allowing for the margin of error.

What happens next

The Board of Management will now review the survey results and think about what they mean for our school.

As part of this, we want to make sure that parents/guardians, staff, students, and the wider school community can share their views with us. Once we have gathered all feedback, we will consider it carefully and then let you know about any decisions we make and next steps.

For example, if there is a clear preference for a change, the school may submit an ‘expression of interest form’ for change to the department. If this happens, the department will provide us with a dedicated contact person and other support, to help our school in this process. 

Next steps
Please read the attached survey results for our school and guidance document.

You can send any comments or feedback to us at office @rathmorens.ie by [30 September]. We will also be holding a meeting in the School PE hall, on the evening of Wednesday the 16th September at 8pm. The Board will also seek further feedback using a survey. The survey shall be published and the link made available at the beginning of September, closing on September 30th.

We have also included some additional information at the end of this email that you may find useful. 

Thank you for your support with this survey and we look forward to receiving your feedback.

Yours sincerely,

Seamus Clare and Caitríona Lancaster

Further information on the Primary School Survey 

The Department of Education and Youth carried out the Primary School Survey to find out what type of school parents and guardians prefer. These include:

• Co-educational or single-sex provision
• School ethos/patronage
• Language of instruction (English or Irish)

Over 200,000 parents/guardians took part. Each school has received results based on the views of parents with children in the school, or those who plan to enrol a child.

What happens if there is demand for change

If a school ‘expresses an interest’ in change the department will assign a dedicated point of contact to support the school throughout the process of considering and implementing a change in configuration. A range of additional supports will also be made available. 

Co-educational schools

• About 90% of primary schools are co-educational. This means boys and girls are taught together in all classes.
• About 10% of schools are single-sex, meaning they teach only boys or only girls, in some or all classes.
• If a school wants to become co-educational, the Department of Education and Youth will consider this request through its Planning and Building Unit.
• When looking at these requests, the department will check things like whether there are enough school places for boys and girls in the area, and the timing of any changes would reflect this.

Multi-denominational schools

• About 95% of schools have a religious (denominational) ethos.
• About 5% of schools are multi-denominational. In a multi-denominational school, children learn about different religions and beliefs. These schools do not provide religious instruction during the school day.
• If a school wants to become multi-denominational the department will support the school to becoming a multi-denominational school.
• When a school changes to multi-denominational, most things in the school stay the same, for example the school remains open and operating from the same school building, and the department provides the same support, like grants, inspections, regulations, curriculum, and staff.
• A change of ethos to multi-denominational can take place all at once, or gradually, starting with younger classes over time.

Schools that teach through Irish (Gaelscoileanna)

• About 92% of schools teach through English
• About 8% of schools teach through Irish
• Children in schools that provide education through Irish follow the same curriculum as those in other schools but are taught all subjects (except English and other languages) through Irish.

• If a school wants to change and teach through Irish (gaelscoil), the department will support the school to transition to a school that teaches through Irish.

Read additional information at: www.gov.ie/primaryschoolsurvey

Helping Every Child Make the Most of Every School Day

Regular school attendance plays a vital role in your child’s learning, confidence and wellbeing. Being in school helps children build friendships, keep up with learning and feel part of the school community.

Our school is committed to supporting families to ensure that “Every school day counts.”

Be an Attendance HERO

We encourage all pupils to be an Attendance HERO, in line with the Government’s Every School Day Counts campaign:

• H – Here
• E – Every day
• R – Ready to learn
• O – On time

This simple message helps children understand the importance of coming to school regularly and being ready to learn.

To Encourage Good Attendance

Class Rewards (May & June)

To promote teamwork and encouragement within classes, the following monthly rewards will apply during May and June:

• Highest Attendance Class (each month):Pizza Party and PE Party
• Breakfast Bonus (each month) : Sausages, toast and juice.

Individual Rewards

• Each week, all pupils with full attendance will be entered into a weekly class raffle.
• Winners will be invited to visit the principal to select a prize from a lucky dip.
• This is our way of recognising effort and encouraging consistent attendance.        

Attendance HERO Posters

Attendance HERO posters will be displayed around the school to:

• Remind children of the HERO message
• Promote class and individual rewards
• Celebrate positive attendance in a fun and encouraging way

The Student Council from 3rd and 4th will visit classes to promote the initiative.

Supporting Families

We understand that some children may face challenges attending school regularly. Our approach is always supportive and understanding.

• If a child has frequent, unexplained or ongoing absences, parents/guardians may receive a confidential survey.
• This survey helps us understand:

Ø  Any barriers to regular attendance

Ø  How the school can best support your child and family

• Where helpful, follow‑up discussions may take place to agree supports or solutions together.

Working Together

Good attendance is a shared responsibility between home and school. By working together, we can help ensure that every child:

• Feels welcome and supported
• Has the best chance to succeed
• Benefits fully from school life

Thank you for supporting your child to be an Attendance HERO –
Here, Everyday, Ready to learn, On time!

On Sunday, 26th April, ten lucky hurlers from Rathmore National School were given the fantastic opportunity to represent Kildare at half-time during the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship clash between Kildare Senior Hurling Team and Dublin Senior Hurling Team in Parnell Park. 

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon and Parnell Park was packed with supporters from both counties, creating a brilliant atmosphere for the occasion. Upon arrival, the boys were treated like VIPs, receiving premium seats in the stadium along with a special goody bag. 

When half-time arrived, the Rathmore boys proudly took centre stage wearing the famous lily-white jerseys of Kildare. From the moment the sliotar was thrown in, the boys played with tremendous confidence, skill and determination. Thanks to some fantastic teamwork, sharp passing and excellent displays of skill, the Rathmore boys dominated their Dublin counterparts from start to finish. 

The boys notched up some superb scores throughout the game and secured the only Kildare victory of the day with an impressive final scoreline of 2-03 to 0-02. Every player gave a tremendous account of himself and represented his school, club and county with great distinction. 

We were all incredibly proud of the boys and delighted with the honour that was bestowed upon them. It was a fantastic day out from start to finish and one that will live long in the memory of everyone involved. Judging by the talent and determination on display, there is little doubt that many of these young hurlers will wear the lily-white jersey of Kildare again in the future.