St. Kerrill's N.S. Admission Policy

St. Kerrill's N.S., Gurteen, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway, 19770H School Patron: Bishop Michael Duignan

1.Introduction
This Admission Policy complies with the requirements of the Education Act 1998, the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 and the Equal Status Act 2000. In drafting this policy, the board of management of the school has consulted with school staff, the school patron and with parents of children attending the school.

The policy was approved by the school patron on 01/09/2020. It is published on the school’s website and will be made available in hardcopy, on request, to any person who requests it.

The relevant dates and timelines for St. Kerrill’s N.S. admission process are set out in the school’s annual admission notice which is published annually on the school’s website at least one week before the commencement of the admission process for the school year concerned.
This policy must be read in conjunction with the annual admission notice for the school year concerned.
The application form for admission is published on the school’s website and will be made available in hardcopy on request to any person who requests it.

2.Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school

St. Kerrill’s N.S. is a Catholic co-educational primary school with a Catholic ethos under the patronage of Bishop Michael Duignan.

“Catholic Ethos” in the context of a Catholic primary school means the ethos and characteristic spirit of the Roman Catholic Church, which aims at promoting

• ​the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the pupil, including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects
• a living relationship with God and with other people
• a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
• the formation of the pupils in the Catholic faith,  St. Kerrill’s N.S. provides religious education for the pupils in accordance with the doctrines, practices and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, and/or such ethos and/or characteristic spirit as may be determined or interpreted from time to time by the Irish Episcopal Conference.

​ In accordance with S.15 (2) (b) of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management of St. Kerrill’s N.S. shall uphold, and be accountable to the patron for so upholding, the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which inform and are characteristic of the objectives and conduct of the school.

​Our School Community is dedicated to the holistic development of each pupil. We strive to recognise and develop each child’s potential through creating a pleasant and stimulating environment conducive to learning. Each member of staff is recognised for the valuable contribution he/she makes to the collaborative development of school life.

3.Admission Statement
St. Kerrill’s N.S. 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.

Primary schools receiving applications from applicants of a minority religion

St. Kerrill’s N.S. is a school whose objective is to provide education in an environment
which promotes certain religious values and does not discriminate in relation to the admission of a student who has applied for a place in the school in accordance with section 7A of the Equal Status Act 2000.

4.Categories of Special Educational Needs catered for in the school/special class
Non-applicable to St. Kerrill’s N.S.

5.Admission of Students

This school shall admit each student seeking admission except where –

• the school is oversubscribed (please see section 6 below for further details)
• a parent of a student, when required by the principal in accordance with section 23(4) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, fails to confirm in writing that the code of behaviour of the school is acceptable to him or her and that he or she shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the student

St. Kerrill’s N.S. is a Catholic School and may refuse to admit as a student a person who is not of the Catholic Faith where it is proved that the refusal is essential to maintain the ethos of the school.

6.Oversubscription

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:

• The school will give preference to children who have siblings in the school.
• The school will give preference to children of parents/ grandparents who attended the school (25% of available spaces)
• The school will give preference to children from the catchment area.

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:

The school will award the place to the oldest child

7.What will not be considered or taken into account

In accordance with section 62(7)(e) of the Education Act, the school will not consider or take into account any of the following in deciding on applications for admission or when placing a student on a waiting list for admission to the school:

• ​a student’s prior attendance at a pre-school or pre-school service, including naíonraí, other than in relation to a student’s prior attendance at--
  (I) an early intervention class, or
  (II) an early start pre-school, specified in a list published by the Minister from time to time;

(I) an early intervention class, or
(II) an early start pre-school, specified in a list published by the Minister from time to time;

• ​the payment of fees or contributions (howsoever described) to the school;
• a student’s academic ability, skills or aptitude;
• the occupation, financial status, academic ability, skills or aptitude of a student’s parents;
• a requirement that a student, or his or her parents, attend an interview, open day or other meeting as a condition of admission;
• a student’s connection to the school by virtue of a member of his or her family attending or having previously attended the school; (other than, in the case of the school wishing to include a selection criteria based on (1) siblings of a student attending or having attended the school and/or (2) parents or grandparents of a student having attended the school.
  
  In relation to (2) parents and grandparents having attended, a school may only apply this criteria to a maximum of 25% of the available spaces as set out in the school’s annual admission notice).
• the date and time on which an application for admission was received by the school,
  This is subject to the application being received at any time during the period specified for receiving applications set out in the annual admission notice of the school for the school year concerned.
  This is also subject to the school making offers based on existing waiting lists (up until 31st January 2025 only).

8.Decisions on applications

All decisions on applications for admission to St. Kerrill’s N.S. will be based on the following:

• Our school’s admission policy

• The school’s annual admission notice
• The information provided by the applicant in the school’s official application form received during the period specified in our annual admission notice for receiving applications

(Please see section 14 below in relation to applications received outside of the admissions period and section 15 below in relation to applications for places in years other than the intake group.)

Selection criteria that are not included in our school admission policy will not be used to make a decision on an application for a place in our school.

9.Notifying applicants of decisions

Applicants will be informed in writing as to the decision of the school, within the timeline outlined in the annual admissions notice.

If a student is not offered a place in our school, the reasons why they were not offered a place will be communicated in writing to the applicant, including, where applicable, details of the student’s ranking against the selection criteria and details of the student’s place on the waiting list for the school year concerned.

Applicants will be informed of the right to seek a review/right of appeal of the school’s decision (see section 18 below for further details).

10.Acceptance of an offer of a place by an applicant

In accepting an offer of admission from St. Kerrill’s N.S., 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.

11.Circumstances in which offers may not be made or may be withdrawn

An offer of admission may not be made or may be withdrawn by St. Kerrill’s N.S. where

•  it is established that information contained in the application is false or misleading.
• an applicant fails to confirm acceptance of an offer of admission on or before the date set out in the annual admission notice of the school.
• the parent of a student, when required by the principal in accordance with section 23(4) of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, fails to confirm in writing that the code of behaviour of the school is acceptable to him or her and that he or she shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure compliance with such code by the student; or
• an applicant has failed to comply with the requirements of ‘acceptance of an offer’ as set out in section 10 above.

​

12.Sharing of Data with other schools

Applicants should be aware that section 66(6) of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 allows for the sharing of certain information between schools in order to facilitate the efficient admission of students.

13. 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 St. Kerrill’s N.S. 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 St. Kerrill’s N.S. 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.

14. 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.

Late applicants will be notified of the decision in respect of their application no later than three weeks after the date on which the school received the application. Late applicants will be offered a place if there is a place available. In the event that there is no place available, the name of the applicant will be added to the waiting list as set out in Section 13.

15.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 are as follows:

Parents may send in an application for enrolment.
The principal will consider the existing class size and the needs within the relevant class.
The application will not be refused on the grounds of any of the criteria listed in no.3 and 7 a

16.Declaration in relation to the non-charging of fees
The board of St. Kerrill’s N.S. or any persons acting on its behalf will not charge fees for or seek payment or contributions (howsoever described) as a condition of-

• an application for admission of a student to the school, or
• ​the admission or continued enrolment of a student in the school.​​

​17.​Arrangements regarding students not attending religious instruction

This section must be completed by schools that provide religious instruction to students.

The following are the school’s arrangements for students, where the parents or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, who has requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction in the school. These arrangements will not result in a reduction in the school day of such students:

A written request should be made to the principal of the school. A meeting will then be arranged with the parent(s) or the student, as the case may be, to discuss how the request may be accommodated by the school.


18.Children with special educational needs

Gurteen N.S. will cooperate with the National Council for Special Education in the performance by the Council of its functions under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 relating to the provision of education to children with special educational needs, including in particular by the provision and operation of a special class or classes when requested to do so by the Council.
Gurteen N.S. will comply with any direction served on the patron or the board, as the case may be, under section 37A and any direction served on the board under section 67 (4B) of the Education Act.

19. Reviews/appeals

Review of decisions by the board of Management
The parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, may request the board to review a decision to refuse admission. Such requests must be made in accordance with Section 29C of the Education Act 1998.   
The timeline within which such a review must be requested and the other requirements applicable to such reviews are set out in the procedures determined by the Minister under section 29B of the Education Act 1998 which are published on the website of the Department of Education and Skills.
The board will conduct such reviews in accordance with the requirements of the procedures determined under Section 29B and with section 29C of the Education Act 1998.

Anti-Bullying Policy

 
School Position on Bullying
In Gurteen N.S we acknowledge that bullying behaviour constitutes a serious infringement of the rights of targeted children, as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.  We recognise the negative impact that bullying behaviour can have on the lives of our pupils.  The wellbeing of our pupils is at the forefront of everything that we do.  We are therefore fully committed to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour and ensuring that all our pupils are kept safe from harm.  Accordingly, the teachers in this school, together with other staff members seek, on an ongoing basis, to cultivate an environment in the school that is free from bullying. 

All pupils are expected to contribute to the creation and maintenance of a safe environment in this school. On becoming aware of any bullying situation in or outside the school, involving or having an impact on members of the school community, they should notify a trusted responsible adult.  Bullying behaviour is too serious not to report.  Pupils’ participation in school life in general is encouraged through existing school structures.  Awareness of bullying, and willingness to take action to prevent or stop it, is part of this participation. 

Every report of bullying is treated seriously and dealt with, having due regard for the well being of the targeted pupil(s) and the perpetrator(s).  The immediate priority, should a bullying situation arise, is ending the bullying, (thereby protecting the person(s) being targeted) and resolving the issues and restoring the relationships involved, insofar as is practicable, using a ‘Reform, not Blame’ approach.
 
Anti-Bullying Policy

1. The Board of Management of Gurteen N.S has adopted the following policy, within the framework of the school’s overall code of behaviour, to prevent and address bullying behaviour.  This policy fully complies with the requirements of Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools, 2024.
2. Catholic schools have a distinctive understanding of the human person, recognising that every person is created in God's image and likeness and has inherent dignity as a child of God. This is the basis for ensuring that each person in our school is treated with respect and care, in accordance with the Catholic Schedule.
3. As a Catholic school, we are committed to respecting the dignity of every individual. No human person is to be devalued, and all have an indispensable part to play in the school community, regardless of difference. 

Definition of bullying
Bullying is defined in Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying and Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools as targeted behaviour, online or offline that causes harm. The harm caused can be physical, social and/or emotional in nature. Bullying behaviour is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power in relationships between two people or groups of people in society. The detailed definition is provided in Chapter 2 of the Bí Cineálta procedures.
Each school is required to develop and implement a Bí Cineálta policy that sets out how the school community prevents and addresses bullying behaviour. Strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour that is not bullying behaviour are provided for within the school’s Code of Behaviour.
 
Behaviour that is not bullying behaviour
A one-off instance of negative behaviour towards another student is not bullying behaviour. However, a single hurtful message posted on social media can be considered bullying behaviour as it has a high likelihood of being shared multiple times and thus becomes a repeated behaviour.
Disagreement between two students, or instances where students don’t want to be friends or to remain friends, is not considered bullying unless it involves deliberate and repeated attempts to cause distress, exclude or create dislike by others including deliberate manipulation of friendship groups.
 Some students with special educational needs may have social communication difficulties which may make them communicate their needs through behaviours that can hurt themselves or others. It is important to note that their behaviours are not deliberate or planned, but, in certain situations, they are an automatic response which they can’t control.
 
Bullying behaviour that occurs outside of school
As per the Bí Cineálta Procedures, a school is not expected to deal with bullying behaviour that occurs when students are not under the care or responsibility of the school. However, where bullying behaviour has an impact in school, schools are required to support the students involved. Examples of prohibited bullying behaviours that can occur outside of school (non-exhausted list)

• Bullying behaviour that occurs in the area immediately outside the school, the local shops and the wider local area.
• Bullying behaviour that occurs on the journey to and from school.
• Bullying behaviour that occurs in organised clubs and groups outside of school such as sports clubs.
• Online bullying (cyberbullying) behaviour, along with other types of bullying behaviour can cause significant harm and have a lasting impact on students who experience this behaviour. Access to technology means that online bullying behaviour can happen any time and that the student’s home is no longer a safe place. The nature of these technologies means that digital content can be shared and seen by a very wide audience almost instantly and the content is almost impossible to delete permanently.

Requests to take no action
A student reporting bullying behaviour may ask that a member of staff does nothing about the behaviour other than “look out” for them. The student may not want to be identified as having told someone about the bullying behaviour. They may feel that telling someone might make things more difficult for them. Where this occurs, it is important that the member of staff shows empathy to the student, deals with the matter sensitively and speaks with the student to work out together what steps can be taken to address the matter and how their parents will be informed of the situation.
It is important that the student who has experienced bullying behaviour feels safe. Parents may also make schools aware of bullying behaviour that has occurred and specifically request that the school take no action. Parents should put this request in writing to the school or be facilitated to do so where there are literacy, digital literacy or language barriers.
However, while acknowledging the parent’s request, schools have a right to act and may decide that, based on the circumstances, it is appropriate to address the bullying behaviour. 

Section A: Development/review of our Bí Cineálta policy to prevent and address bullying behaviour
All members of our school community were provided with the opportunity to input into the development/review of this policy.
 
Date Consulted
 
Method of consultation

School Staff
May 2025
Half-day closure for training and to get teacher input.

Students
March 2025
Questionnaires to all children from 2nd to 6th class.  Class discussions on Bí Cinealta.

Parents
March 2025
Parental questionnaires sent out to all parents.

Board of Management
July 2025
Meeting and ratification of new procedures

Wider School Community
N/A
 
Date policy was approved: 15th July 2025
 
Section B: Preventing Bullying Behaviour
The Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice provides the following four key areas that are essential for a holistic, whole-school approach to wellbeing promotion:
 Culture and Environment; Curriculum; Policy and Planning and Relationships and Partnerships. This section sets out the prevention strategies that are used by the school to prevent bullying behaviour.

1.Culture and Environment 
Model respectful behaviour to all members of the school community at all times.
 • Display our three key ‘respect’ rules “Respect Myself, Respect Others, Respect our School” around the school.
 • Consistently tackle the use of discriminatory and derogatory language in the school – this includes homophobic and racist language and language that is belittling of pupils with additional needs and/or differences
. • Systems of encouragement and rewards to promote desired behaviour and compliance with the school rules and routines may be used where appropriate.
 • All staff will actively watch out for signs of bullying behaviour.
 • Promote acts of kindness and celebrate ‘Kindness Week’ annually.

2.Curriculum
•Explicitly teach pupils what respectful language and respectful behaviour looks like, acts like, sounds like and feels like in class and around the school

. • The implementation of the Social Physical and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, according to our school plan, including the Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE), Weaving Well-being and Stay Safe Programmes

. • School-wide delivery of lessons on bullying from evidence-based programmes, e.g. Stay Safe Programme, programmes to teach about cyberbullying (e.g. Webwise teachers’ resources and lessons from (www.cybersafekids.ie)

 • Explicitly teach pupils about the appropriate use of social media.

 • Organise seminars/workshops given by relevant professionals to older pupils and to parents/guardians, focusing on educating pupils on appropriate online behaviour, how to stay safe while online and also on developing a culture of reporting any concerns about cyber-bullying. The school-wide approach and the role of parents is of great importance in this regard.

• In younger classes, picture/story books can be used to teach important concepts.

• Use of programmes such as Friends for Life (which looks at social skills and resilience)

• Pupils are helped to examine the issue of bullying in a calm rational way, outside of the tense context of particular bullying situations and so become more aware of the nature of bullying and the various forms that it can take.


• Pupils are made aware that the consequences of bullying behaviour are always bad for those who are targeted, even if this is not always obvious at the time.


• Pupils are encouraged to recognise and reject bullying behaviour and to report it to teachers, either spontaneously or through surveys that are regularly used in the school each year – e.g. a survey of all pupils who can read and write every half-term.

• The school will specifically consider the additional needs of SEN pupils with regard to programme implementation and the development of skills and strategies to enable all pupils to respond appropriately.
 

3.Policy and Planning
•Have our child-friendly Bí Cineálta Policy on display prominently around the school.
 • All staff, to the best of their ability, will ensure there is adequate playground/school yard/outdoor supervision (as per the school’s Supervision Policy).
 • School staff and pupils can identify hot spots and hot times for bullying in the school. -Hot spots tend to be in the playground/school yard/outdoor areas, toilet areas and other areas of unstructured supervision.

4.Relationships and Partnerships
• Catch the children being good - notice and acknowledge desired respectful behaviour by providing positive attention.
• Raise awareness of the definition of bullying behaviour and how the school deals with such behaviour.
• Give constructive feedback to pupils when respectful behaviour and respectful language are absent.
 • Support the active participation of parents in school life, e.g. being a member of the Parents’ Association, volunteering to help in the school garden etc.
• Actively promote the right of every member of the school community to be safe and secure in school.
• Support the active participation of students in school life through formal and informal structures, e.g. circle-time activities, sports’ teams, student council, playground pals and paired readers.
 
In developing preventative strategies which this school will use to prevent all forms of bullying behaviour, we come from the context of our Catholic ethos where inclusivity permeates the school in a real way. This school takes positive steps to ensure that the culture of the school is one which welcomes a respectful dialogue and encounter with diversity and difference, by ensuring that prevention and inclusivity strategies are given priority and discussed regularly at board of management and staff meetings.
The dignity and the wellbeing of the individual person is of paramount concern in our Christian response. This school will listen closely to and dialogue with parents, thereby building a relationship of mutual understanding, respect, trust and confidence.
 
 
The school has the following supervision and monitoring policies in place to prevent and address bullying behaviour (see Chapter 5 of the Bí Cineálta procedures):
Supervision Policy
Acceptable Use of the Internet Policy
Code of Behaviour
Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment
 
Section C: Addressing Bullying Behaviour
 The teacher(s) with responsibility for addressing bullying behaviour is (are) as follows:
Mainstream class teachers and SET. The Principal/Deputy Principal will provide support and advice and will become involved where appropriate.  The steps that will be taken by the school to determine if bullying behaviour has occurred, the approaches taken to address the bullying behaviour and to review progress are as follows (see Chapter 6 of the Bí Cineálta procedures):
The whole school community has a responsibility to prevent and address bullying behaviour. The following approach and steps are based on the information contained in Chapter 6 of the Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.
Approach
The primary aim in addressing reports of bullying behaviour should be to stop the bullying behaviour and to restore, as far as practicable, the relationships of the students involved, rather than to apportion blame. When addressing bullying behaviour, the teachers with responsibility will:
 > ensure that the student experiencing bullying behaviour feels listened to and reassured.
> seek to ensure the privacy of those involved.
> conduct all conversations with sensitivity.
> consider the age and ability of the students involved.
> listen to the views of the student who is experiencing the bullying behaviour as to how best to address the situation.
 > take action in a timely manner.
> inform parents of those involved.
 
Stage 1 - Identifying if bullying behaviour has occurred
Bullying is defined in Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying and Bí Cineálta: Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools as targeted behaviour, online or offline that causes harm. The harm caused can be physical, social and/or emotional in nature. Bullying behaviour is repeated over time and involves an imbalance of power in relationships between two people or groups of people in society. The detailed definition is provided in Chapter 2 of the Bí Cineálta procedures.
Where bullying behaviour is suspected, parents/guardians report it to the class teacher. To determine whether the behaviour reported is bullying behaviour we will consider the following questions:
 1. Is the behaviour targeted at a specific student or group of students?
2. Is the behaviour intended to cause physical, social or emotional harm?
3. Is the behaviour repeated?
If the answer to each of the questions above is Yes, then the behaviour is bullying behaviour, and the behaviour should be addressed using the Bí Cineálta Procedures.
Note: One-off incidents may be considered bullying behaviour in certain circumstances. A single hurtful message posted on social media can be considered bullying behaviour as it has a high likelihood of being shared multiple times and thus becomes a repeated behaviour.
 If the answer to any of these questions is No, then the behaviour is not bullying behaviour.
Strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour are provided for within the school’s Code of Behaviour.
 
When identifying if bullying behaviour has occurred (Stage 1), teachers should consider what, where, when and why? as follows: (Note that these steps are required – as outlined in the Procedures):

• Where one student is reported to be involved, the student should be engaged with individually at first.
• Thereafter, this student and the student who is reported to be experiencing the bullying behaviour should be met together.
• If a group of students is involved, each student should be engaged with individually at first.
• Thereafter, all students involved and the student who is reported to be experiencing the bullying behaviour should be met as a group.
• At the group meeting, each student should be asked for their account of what happened to ensure that everyone in the group is clear about each other’s views.
• Each student should be supported as appropriate, following the group meeting. It may be helpful to ask the students involved to write down their account of the incident(s).
• Parents will be supported by the school, if needed, with recommendations for useful resources/guides to help them support their children,

 
Stage 2: Where bullying behaviour has occurred
 Parents are an integral part of the school community and play an important role, in partnership with schools, in addressing bullying behaviour. Where bullying behaviour has occurred the parents of the students involved must be contacted at an early stage to inform them of the matter and to consult with them on the actions to be taken to address the behaviour.

 It is important to listen to the views of the student who is experiencing the bullying behaviour as to how best to address the situation.  All bullying behaviour will be recorded. This will include the form and type of behaviour if known (see pages 20-24, Section 2.5 and 2.7 of the Bí Cineálta procedures for descriptions/examples of the forms and types of bullying behaviour), where and when it took place, and the date of the engagement with students and parents. The actions and supports agreed to address bullying behaviour will be documented. If the bullying behaviour is a child protection concern the matter will be addressed without delay in accordance with Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools.  The record should be shared with the Principal.
 
 
Stage 3: Follow up where bullying behaviour has occurred .
The teacher must engage with the students involved and their parents again no more than 20 school days after the initial engagement. Important factors to consider as part of this engagement are the nature of the bullying behaviour, the effectiveness of the strategies used to address the bullying behaviour and the relationship between the students involved.

> The teacher should document the review with students and their parents to determine if the bullying behaviour has ceased and the views of students and their parents in relation to this the date that it has been determined that the bullying behaviour has ceased should also be recorded.

 > Any engagement with external services/supports should also be noted.

 > Ongoing supervision and support may be needed for the students involved even where bullying behaviour has ceased.

 > If the bullying behaviour has not ceased the teacher should review the strategies used in consultation with the students involved and their parents. A timeframe should be agreed for further engagement until the bullying behaviour has ceased.

 > If it becomes clear that the student who is displaying the bullying behaviour is continuing to display the behaviour, then consideration should be given to using the strategies to deal with inappropriate behaviour as provided for within the school’s Code of Behaviour. If disciplinary sanctions are considered, this is a matter between the relevant student, their parents and the school.

 > If a parent(s) is not satisfied with how the bullying behaviour has been addressed by the school, in accordance with the Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools they should be referred to the school’s complaints procedures.

> If a parent is dissatisfied with how a complaint has been handled, they may make a complaint to the Ombudsman for Children if they believe that the school’s actions have had a negative effect on the student.
The school will use the following approaches to support those who experience, witness and display bullying behaviour (see Chapter 6 of the Bí Cineálta procedures):