School starts at 8:40 a.m. and finishes at 2:20 p.m. for all pupils except Junior and Senior Infants, who go home at 1:20 p.m. (12:20 for the first week in September for Junior Infants).

We ask families to make a voluntary donation annually. This donation goes to help cover the cost of additional educational materials, heating, lighting, swimming, music, gymnastics etc.  Any family who are in a position to pay the Voluntary donation will also be asked to sign a CHY3 form.  This is an enduring certificate which allows the school to claim an additional €112 from the Revenue Commissioners.

A Book Rental Scheme is in operation. All books are supplied by the school and are expected to be returned in good condition at the end of the year. All books and classroom materials were covered by the Free Book Grant in 2023/24. The Board of Management produce a yearly budget and epayment requests are sent to all families every September to cover any additional  cost of  Classroom Materials and Field Trips along with a Voluntary Donation.  Payments should be made through the Aladdin epayments system.

There is no school uniform, but the children are expected to be suitably dressed for work and play.

These clothes should ;

• be appropriate to an environment shared by children of primary school age.
• allow pupils to work and play actively and safely in the classroom, school yard and the many local amenities
• allow children to participate fully in physical and hands on activities
• not cause offence to other members of the school community with their slogans
• be age appropriate

In the interest of health and safety we would ask you to take note of the following:

• Stud earrings and watches are the only jewellery permitted to be worn.
• We would ask that shoes with Velcro be worn until children can tie their own laces.
• No shoes with a high heel or flipflops should be worn
• Sandals should be secured to the foot by a strap.
• Wellies may be worn during inclement weather but a pair of shoes suitable for indoor use must be brought in.
• All long hair, regardless of gender, must be tied back. Long fringes should be kept off the face with clips or a hair band.

These vary from time to time according to demand and are taught by outside service providers. Currently on offer are Spanish, French, chess, yoga, technology, drama and hurling. A charge to cover running costs is applied; however parents on low incomes can apply to the Principal in confidence for a grant to cover the expense.

Contact Juliet: 086 102 4849 

Please see our Healthy Eating policy. We encourage a ‘naked lunch’ initiative, where children have a sectioned lunchbox and a refillable beaker to limit single use plastic waste.

A number of fund-raising events are held during the year which we ask parents to support. The main events are a Christmas Fair, usually around the start of December, and a school concert in June.

A carol service is held at Christmastime in Christchurch Cathedral and we also hold short assemblies once a month in our local chuch. Parents are welcome to attend these monthly assemblies lead by the children from different classes. 

We teach the “Follow Me” religion programme.

A formal parent-teacher meeting is held once a year. At other times, parents are welcome to arrange an appointment if they would like to discuss their child’s progress, or any difficulties they may have. School reports are issued at the end of each academic year on the school’s Aladdin system.

Children should not be absent from school for any reason other than illness. Under the terms of the Educational Welfare Law, all children who are absent from school for 20 days or more in any one academic year, or whose attendance record gives any cause for concern, must be reported to the Educational Welfare Officer who will contact the parents to discuss the matter. 

Parents are required to use the Aladdin Connect app to log all absences. 

Class teachers take their classes on trips regularly throughout the year, to such places of interest as museums, art galleries, the Ark, the concert hall, theatres etc.  These trips tie in with topics being taught in classes.  We frequently rely on parents to help supervise on these trips.  All parents must be Garda Vetted to assist in this way.

We also invite music, theatre and other educational groups to bring performances and workshops to the school occasionally.

A copy of the school Code of Behaviour is issued to all parents and is published on our website.  We expect full parental support and co-operation in this area. There is a formal complaints policy which is also issued to all parents when their children start at the school.