Below are enrolment forms for students either starting their journey with Mercy College, choosing to continue with a PLC Course or repeat the Leaving Cert. Please fill in all necessary details to ensure enrolment is done swiftly and efficiently.
Mercy College Sligo – PLC Course Enrolment Form (2018)
Mercy College Sligo – Repeat Students Enrolment Form (2018)
Click here to complete the enrolment form for 1st – 6th Year Students. Download either Word or PDF Format
Notices re enrolment will be placed in local newspapers and parish bulletins, these will specify venue, date, time, contact person. Parents / Guardians will be notified by post of date / time of Assessment Tests and any other relevant details.
Eligibility: The application form must be submitted no later than end of May for the next academic year. To be eligible for admission to the school a girl must have reached 12 years of age on 1st January in the calendar year following the girl’s entry into the school.
Parents will also be notified re offer of place in the school and must return the acceptance slip within 19 days.
Parents are required to accept in writing the College’s Code of Behaviour and undertake to make ‘all reasonable efforts’ to ensure their daughter’s co-operation with the code.
In the event that there are more applications from parents than places that the school can reasonably and safely provide, applications will be considered in the following order of priority:
The Board of Management reserves the right to refuse admission to an applicant who, in the opinion of the school, may pose an unacceptable threat to the safety and welfare of students and staff. The school will examine all applications in the context of appropriate referencing. Subsequent decisions in relation to admissions may be appealed in accordance with the Education Act.
Garda Clearance will be required for students over 18 years of age. The Board will request a copy of the applicant’s medical, psychological or individual educational plan, if available. In the case of such reports being unavailable, the Board will request that an immediate assessment is carried out to assist the school in establishing the educational and training needs of the applicant. If further resources are required to meet these needs, the Board will request the National Council for Special Education to provide the necessary resources. In seeking to identify the applicant’s needs, it may be necessary for the Principal to meet with the applicant’s parents and/or other professionals working with the student
Application for entry to the school is made on a standard application form. The form asks whether the student has any special educational need and parents are requested to make known their child’s needs on the form. Parents are also asked at this stage to give permission for any school- based assessment, which will be required after enrolment and parents are asked to ensure their daughter’s attend the assessment tests. Parents may also contact the school in advance of enrolment if they have concerns about how the school can meet the needs of their daughter. Where students have been assessed by a psychologist while at Primary school, the parent/guardian is responsible for notifying the second level school of the special Educational Needs of the student.
The school will assess students upon entry to Mercy College and will reassess the needs of students from time to time. Where a student’s condition or circumstances change in the course of her school career such a student may merit re-assessment and a re-evaluation of suitable provision.
To ensure smooth and effective transfer of girls from feeder Primary Schools, principals and parents are encouraged to share information regarding prospective students with the Secondary School. This information includes whether students have previously availed of Resource Hours, students’ Reading Ages, and if they have specific learning difficulties. Mercy College Staff attain this information through school visits and consultation with Primary School personnel and parents. Initial contact is made with parents during the transfer process to assist parental choice.
There is maximum co-ordination regarding the input from various agencies and I or interested parties into the planning for student transfer. These agencies include:
All of these programmes and organisations help to ensure a smooth transition for all students to Second Level
Girls may transfer to Mercy College at any stage subject to
Under the terms of the Education Act 1998, The Department of Education and Science Circular M481 01, Mercy College reserves the right to refuse an applicant for admission in exceptional circumstances. Parents have the right to appeal a refusal.
Transfer of students from outside of Ireland
Context:
In keeping with its Mission Statement and Ethos of inclusiveness, Mercy College welcomes students from diverse backgrounds and cultures and attendance is open to all girls who meet Department of Education and Science Criteria. Traditionally, almost all students enrolling had completed sixth class in an Irish Primary school but in recent years, students from other countries who have not been through the Irish Primary School System have been enrolling in increasing numbers. These students comprise –
In order to comply with legislation and to meet the needs of the school and of newcomer students the enrolment form for all students was amended in 2006 and procedures put in place to ensure that students-enrolling were assessed and placed in Classes which would best meet their needs. Guidelines have been drawn up outlining the enrolment procedure.
International students enrol when they and their parents arrive in Ireland and this does not always coincide with the start of the school year. The age of the students varies and the majority enrol in a year other than first year. It is therefore necessary to have enrolment procedures in place for these students on an on-going basis.
If a prospective student is already in 6th class in an Irish Primary school or arrives in Ireland in time for the start of the school year, she and her parents/guardians enrol in the normal manner while receiving whatever language support is possible or appropriate to assist in the enrolment process. Information is provided about the school and its facilities and prospective students are shown around the building. However, the normal assessment procedure to ascertain whether students have any learning difficulties is not appropriate for migrant students, as the various screening tests used are language dependent.
Notice for enrolment will be placed in regional newspapers and local radio station in the last term. The career guidance teacher visits Leaving Cert classes in the North West and gives the pupils a presentation promoting the options available.
Interviews are held in both May and August. A DES cap is placed on PLC numbers. The school will examine all applications in the context of appropriate referencing, interview and Garda clearance. Students will be notified of acceptance in August.
Non-Europeans, refugees and those with humanitarian leave to remain may be accepted but are not covered by EU funding, thereby incurring a substantial fee.
PLC courses are open to both male and female.
PROTOCOL TO BE FOLLOWED BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL WHEN ENROLLING A NEW STUDENT AT ANY STAGE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR OPERATIVE FROM 2007 ONWARDS
Legislation requires that the exact same enrolment policy and procedure must apply to all students whether Irish or newcomer Irish
An original Birth Certificate is required for all students enrolling. School Personnel record details of this original or take a copy.
If the student’s Birth Certificate in a language other than Irish or English, it must be accompanied by a translation by a sworn translator, with contact details, or the translation should be certified by the Embassy of the country of origin Cost of this is born by the applicant
When the person accompanying the student is a guardian rather than a parent a copy of Guardian ID is required
Also a letter of authorisation from the child’ s parents, signed and certified by a public notary in the child’s country of origin, which may or may not be Ireland, is required
A translation of the letter of authorisation where it is in a language other than Irish or English, signed by a sworn translator of English with contact details, must accompany the application
If the parent/guardian is applying for refugee status in Ireland
ASY 1 Form – number and details required
If the student is not coming to Mercy College directly from an Irish Primary School, copies of reports from most recent schools must be sought. Therefore it is necessary to obtain contact details for previous schools attended
