If your child was born between 2 July 2019 and 1 July 2020 inclusive, then parents/carers will need to apply for a Primary 1 place for September 2024 when the EA Admissions Portal opens in January 2024.

The EA  Portal for online applications opens at 12.00 noon on 9th January 2024 and closes at 12.00 noon on 26th January 2024 for September 2024 admissions.

The Admissions Criteria will be published online on 12th December 2023 along with guidance on how to complete your application.

The Admissions Helpdesk 028 9598 5595 will be available for digital assistance.

Further information is available below.

RESPECTIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND PRINCIPAL IN RELATION TO ADMISSIONS

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

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 9th January 2024 at 12noon (GMT) and an application submitted by the closing date of 26th January 2024 at 12noon (GMT) will be treated as a punctual application.   An application received after 12noon (GMT) on 26th January 2024 will be treated as a late application.

Priority will be given to children who will have attained compulsory school age at the time of their proposed admission, over those who will not have attained compulsory school age at the time of their proposed admission.

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.

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.

In the event that there are more applicants than places available, the Board of Governors has determined that the following criteria shall be applied by an Admissions Committee of the Board of Governors and principal in the order set down to children of compulsory school age:

1. Children who reside within the traditional catchment area of Clough (including the areas formerly served by Seaforde, Claragh and Annadorn schools) and Downshire Primary School. 

A map showing the catchment area, as agreed by the Board of Governors, is on view in the Secretary’s Office.

2. Compulsory school age children from other areas.

Supplementary Criteria

In the event of over-subscription, in any one of the above criteria, the following sub-criteria will be applied:-

1. Children who, at the date of their application, have a child of the family currently enrolled at the school

2. Children who live closest to the school measured by Google Maps as walking distance from the child’s home to the school.  Where 2 or more children live equidistant from the school, final selection will be by tie-breaker using the following methods:

3. Preference will be given to the eldest first as shown on the birth certificate. Then;

     (ii)      preference will be given on the basis of initial letter of surname as entered on birth certificate in order

               set out below:

J V O Z U G C P R L Y W N D H K M X B F E T S A Q I

This order was determined by a randomised selection of letters of the alphabet.  In the event of the surnames beginning with the same initial letter the subsequent letters of the surname will be used following the same randomly selected alphabet.  In the event of two identical surnames the first initial of the first forename as written on the birth certificate will be used following the same randomly selected alphabet. In the event of the first initial of the first forename being the same initial, the subsequent letters of the same forename will be used in alphabetical order as randomly selected above.

Then;

(iii)  computerised random selection.

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.

WAITING LIST POLICY

The school’s policy on the consideration of applications after the Open Enrolment procedure concludes on 23rd April 2024 is available directly from the school or can be accessed on our school website:

https://www.cumranprimary.co.uk/policies/

Should a vacancy arise, the above criteria will be applied to select pupils from our waiting list.

Application for admission to Year 1 after the beginning of the school year.

As criteria 1-2 above.

Year 2 – Year 7 Intake

As criteria 1-2 above.