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First year application procedures
Advertisements are placed in the local newspaper during October/November to formally announce details regarding open night in early November. Enrolment information is also placed on the school website. The information pertaining to the school’s enrolment process and the enrolment policy can be located under the Parent’s section of the school website.
The Principal and or the Deputy Principal visit the primary schools in the catchment area to speak to sixth class pupils and primary school staff to inform them about open night. A letter of invitation to open night is distributed to all students of 6th class.
Admissions Policy
Admissions Notice
APPLICATION FORM FOR ADMISSION TO FIRST YEAR for the Academic Year 2025/2026
This is an application form for admission and does not constitute an offer of a place, implied or otherwise. Use of the word ‘student’ throughout this Application Form does not imply that the person on whose behalf this application is being made is regarded as a having been accepted as a student of Sacred Heart Secondary School
Completed applications will be accepted from: October 1st 2024
Open Night 5pm on Thursday October 3rd 2024
Closing date for receipt of applications: Friday 18th October 2024
Date by which applicants will be notified in writing of the decision on their application: November 12th 2024
Date by which applicants must confirm acceptance of an offer of admission: December 2nd 2024
Student Transfer Form for all year groups except 1st Year
If for any reason you are having difficulty completing the above online application form, please contact the school office.
Applicants should read the school’s Admission Policy. The information requested on the application form is required in order to process your application for admission to the school. The information provided by you will be treated confidentially and processed in line with the school’s Admission Policy.
Anypersonal data provided on this form will be used to:
identify applicants.
process an application in line with the school’s Admission Policy.
communicate with parents / guardians in respect of an application.
notify parents / guardians of the outcome of an application.
The information will be retained for an appropriate period thereafter to address potential queries arising from the application process, or added to the student’s school file in the case of successful applicants.
In accordance with section 66(6) of the Education Act 1998, as amended, personal data relating to applications for admission may be shared with the Board of Management of another school, or its patron, in order to facilitate the efficient admission of students. This information may include the date on which an application was received by the school, the date on which an offer was made, and the date on which an offer was accepted. Personal information concerning applicants may also be shared, including their name, address, date of birth and PPS number.
Further information on the handling of your personal data, including how to exercise your rights under GDPR, is set out in the school’s Data Protection Policy.
Admissions
Sacred Heart Secondary School will not discriminate in its admission of a student to the school on any of the following:
the gender ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
the civil status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
the family status ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
the sexual orientation ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
the religion ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
the disability ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
the ground of race of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned,
the Traveller community ground of the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned, or
the ground that the student or the applicant in respect of the student concerned has special educational needs
As per section 61(3) of the Education Act 1998, ‘civil status ground’, ‘disability ground’, ‘discriminate’, ‘family status ground’, ‘gender ground’, ‘ground of race’, ‘religion ground’, ‘sexual orientation ground’ and ‘Traveller community ground’ shall be construed in accordance with section 3 of the Equal Status Act 2000.
Single gender schools
Sacred Heart Secondary School is an all-girls school and does not discriminate where it refuses to admit a girl applying for admission to this school.
Post-primary denominational schools
Sacred Heart Secondary School is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment which promotes catholic values and does not discriminate where it admits a student of other religious faiths or students from non-religious backgrounds in preference to others.
In the event that the school is oversubscribed, the school will, when deciding on applications for admission, apply the following selection criteria in the order listed below to those applications that are received within the timeline for receipt of applications as set out in the school’s annual admission notice:
If applications are in excess of the number of places available, preference will be given to students in the following order:
1. Age –Only children who comply with DES rules i.e. students must be aged 12 on the 1st January in the calendar year following the child’s entry into First Year are eligible.
2. Sister of students currently enrolled or that have graduated from Sacred Heart Secondary School.
3. Girls attending our feeder schools in the catchment area. See Nominated feeder schools.
4. A girl who has relocated and is now residing in the catchment area.
5 A girl whose parent or grandparent is a past pupil of the school.(In line with the Admission Act 2018, where a maximum of 25% of the available spaces under this criteria)
6. Daughters of Sacred Heart staff/members of the Sacred Heart Board of Management.
7. In the event that the number to be admitted on this basis exceeds the number of places available, places will be filled by lottery and the remaining students will be placed on a waiting list.
Nominated Feeder Schools
Feeder Primary Schools of Sacred Heart Secondary School
St Josephs, Clonakilty, Gael Scoil, Clonakilty, Kilgarriffe N.S, Knockskeagh N. S, Timoleague N. S, Kilmeen N. S., Barryroe N.S., Kilcolman N. S., Darrara N.S, Ardfield N.S, Ahiohill N. S. Clogagh N.S., Lissavaird N.S.
Oversubscription
In the event that there are two or more students tied for a place or places in any of the selection criteria categories above (the number of applicants exceeds the number of remaining places), the following arrangements will apply:
A Lottery will be held. This will take place at Sacred Heart Secondary School and will be overseen by a member of An Garda Síochana and or Peace Commissioner, a member of the Board of Management, a parent or community representative and the Deputy Principal.
Waiting list in the event of oversubscription
In the event of there being more applications to the school year concerned than places available, a waiting list of students whose applications for admission to Sacred Heart Secondary School were unsuccessful due to the school being oversubscribed will be compiled and will remain valid for the school year in which admission is being sought.
Placement on the waiting list of Sacred Heart Secondary School is in the order of priority assigned to the students’ applications after the school has applied the selection criteria in accordance with this admission policy.
Offers of any subsequent places that become available for and during the school year in relation to which admission is being sought will be made to those students on the waiting list, in accordance with the order of priority in relation to which the students have been placed on the list.
Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant
In accepting an offer of admission from Sacred Heart Secondary School, you must indicate—
(i) Whether or not you have accepted an offer of admission for another school or schools. If you have accepted such an offer, you must also provide details of the offer or offers concerned and
(ii) Whether or not you have applied for and awaiting confirmation of an offer of admission from another school or schools, and if so, you must provide details of the other school or schools concerned.
Applicants should be aware that failure to disclose this information on the acceptance of a place may lead to an offer being withdrawn by the school.
In late February, standard aptitude tests are held to enable the school to assess the overall ability level of incoming students and to allow the school to build an educational profile for each student.
In May, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator with the year head visits all primary schools to meet relevant teachers to facilitate the transfer of educational data for the secondary school.
In June the formal transfer of educational data from primary to secondary school is finalised.
Late Applications
All applications for admission received after the closing date as outlined in the annual admission notice will be considered and decided upon in accordance with our school’s admissions policy, the Education Admissions to School Act 2018 and any regulations made under that Act.
Procedures for admission of students to other years and during the school year
The procedures of the school in relation to the admission of students who are not already admitted to the school to classes or years other than the school’s intake group can be found in the school’s Admissions policy.