Report to the New Schools Establishment Group

Department of Education & Skills November 2019

Patronage Assessment Report School: Kilcoole & Greystones (Regional Solution) Level: Post-Primary Year: 2020 Size: 800 pupils

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Table of Contents Page

1. School Planning Area Map 2 2. Applications Received 3 3. Demographic Details 4 4. Assessment of Applications 5

4. 1 Patronage

4.1.1 Existing Provision 6

4.1.2 Parental Preferences 7

4. 2 Language

4.2.1 Existing Provision 8

4.2.2 Parental Preferences 9

5. Conclusions 10 Appendix A Map of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí in the area 11

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1. School Planning Area Map

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2. Applications Received Four applications were received from applicant patrons in respect of this school. A brief profile of the applicants together with a synopsis of the school type proposed is set out in the following table.

Applicant Patrons

Profile of Applicant School type proposed

Number of Post-primary schools

An Foras Pátrúnachta is a private charitable company limited by guarantee and the patron of a number of Irish-medium primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

Ethos: Multi-denominational

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Model: Voluntary Secondary School

Language proposed: Irish

Also willing to offer: n/a

Educate Together is a private charitable company limited by guarantee and the patron or representative organisation of a number of primary schools and post-primary schools throughout the country.

Ethos: Multi-denominational

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Model: Voluntary Secondary School

Language proposed: English

Also willing to offer: Irish

Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) is a statutory authority which has responsibility for managing and operating a range of education services including second-level schools and is patron of a number of primary and post-primary schools.

Ethos: Multi-denominational

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Model: Community College

Language proposed: English

Also willing to offer: Irish

Scoil Sinéad Ltd is a private charitable company limited by guarantee and is a new patron body for one primary school and a trustee partner in the management of one post-primary school.

Ethos: Multi-denominational

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Model: Voluntary Secondary School

Language proposed: English

Also willing to offer: Irish

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3. Demographic details The decision to announce a new school in these school planning areas was on the basis of the demographic exercise carried out in 2018 as set out below.

Kilcoole: This school planning area is served by a single provider (Choláiste Chroabh Abhann) at post-primary level. Demographic analysis shows that the average actual intake pattern1 in recent years was 136%. The actual intake pattern for 2018/19 was 133%. The total enrolment in Choláiste Chroabh Abhann in the 2018/19 school year was 715 pupils. The estimated peak year is 2027 with projected enrolments of 943. Enrolments are projected to decrease to 928 by 2029, a reduction of 15 over the projected peak year. Assuming a continuation of the 3 year average intake pattern of 136%, it is estimated that there will be a need for an additional 254 places between 2017 and 2027.

The demographic exercises for this school planning area identified the following net requirement taking into account demographic demand, additional places required as a result of significant additional residential development (including any development arising from the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund- LIHAF) and the current and planned capacity increases in existing post-primary schools in the area:

Greystones: The school planning area is served by two providers (St. David’s Holy Faith

Secondary School and Temple Carrig Secondary School) at post-primary level. Demographic analysis shows that the average actual intake pattern in recent years was 73%. The actual intake pattern for 2018/19 was 81%. The total enrolment in the two post-primary schools in the 2018/19 year was 1,239 pupils. The estimated peak year is 2025 with projected enrolments of 1,708. Enrolments are projected to decrease to 1,320 by 2029, a reduction of 388 over the projected peak year. Assuming a continuation of the three year average intake pattern of 73%, it is estimated that there will be a need for an additional 598 places between 2017 and 2025.

The demographic exercises for this school planning area identified the following net requirement taking into account demographic demand, additional places required as a result of significant additional residential development (including any development arising from the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund- LIHAF) and the current and planned capacity increases in existing post-primary schools in the area:

1 Average Actual Intake Pattern: if all children resident or attending primary school in the relevant school planning area

attended post-primary school in that school planning area, the intake pattern would be 100%. If the intake pattern is less than 100%, it would suggest that some children are travelling to school outside the school planning area. If the intake pattern is greater than 100%, it would suggest that a number of children are travelling into schools in the school planning area from other school planning areas. The average intake pattern over a number of years allows the Department to project the likely demand over the coming years assuming a continuation of the same pattern

Demographic Demand

•254

LIHAF

•0

Additional Residential

Development

•186

Existing / Planned Capacity Increases

•111

Net Requirement

•329

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Following a demographic exercise on these areas, the Department was satisfied that the net requirement of 329 post-primary places in the Kilcoole school planning area and the net requirement of 373 in the Greystones school planning area could not be accommodated in existing schools or through expansion of existing schools. Therefore, a regional solution2 for Kilcoole and Greystones of 1 x 800 pupil post primary school to open in the Charlesland area was announced.

4. Assessment of Applications

All patrons have agreed to the Patronage Commitments as set out in the Section D of the Patronage Application Form attached to main report. The invitation letter to patrons, also attached to the main report, sets out in detail the:

Arrangements for the Establishment and Patronage of New Post- Primary Schools due to open in September 2020; and

General Information for Prospective Patrons.

The Patron Code of Conduct is also attached to the main report and issued to all valid applicant patrons following receipt of patron application forms.

2 Regional Solution: In some instances, while projected growth in a single school planning area may not, of itself,

warrant provision of a new school, where the combined demographic increases across a number of adjacent school planning areas indicate sufficient demand for a viable school, a regional solution may be put in place to serve these areas.

Demographic Demand

•598

LIHAF

•0

Additional Residential

Development

•165

Existing / Planned Capacity Increases

•390

Net Requirement

•373

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4.1 Patronage 4.1.1 Existing Post-Primary Provision

Kilcoole School Planning Area

Roll No School Name

School Planning

Area Patron Ethos Language Gender

Fee Paying

Total Enrolment

2018/19

76076M Coláiste Chraobh Abhann

Kilcoole KWETB Multi-D English Mixed N 715

Greystones School Planning Area

Roll No School Name

School Planning

Area Patron Ethos Language Gender

Fee Paying

Total Enrolment

2018/19

61830M St. David’s Holy Faith Secondary

Greystones Le Chéile

Schools Trust Catholic English Mixed N 570

68081J

Temple Carrig

Secondary School

Greystones

Archbishop of Dublin & Bishop of Glendalough

COI

Church of Ireland

English Mixed N 669

Of the three post-primary schools currently in the two school planning areas, one is of multi-denominational patronage and two are denominational. All of the proposed models would increase multi-denominational provision in the area.

Adjoining School Planning Areas There are three school planning areas adjoining the Kilcoole and Greystones school planning areas, with 11 post-primary schools as set out in the table below:

Roll No School

Name

School

planning

area

Patron Ethos* Language Gender Fee

Paying

Total

Enrolment

2018/19

61790D Woodbrook

College Bray

Edmund Rice

Trust Catholic English Mixed N 388

61820J

Loreto

Secondary

School

Bray Loreto

Education Trust Catholic English Girls N 762

61800D Presentation

College Bray

Presentation

Brothers

Schools Trust

Catholic English Boys N 645

91376L

St. Kilian’s

Community

School

Bray

KWETB/Order

of Friars Minor

(Fransciscan

Fathers)/Marist

Sisters

Inter-D English Mixed N 458

61811I St. Gerard’s

School Bray

Board of

Governors of St.

Gerard’s School

Catholic English Mixed Y 549

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70821M Coláiste

Raithín Bray KWETB Multi-D Irish Mixed N 284

68261L

North

Wicklow

ETSS

Bray Educate

Together Multi-D English Mixed N 176

70810H

Avondale

Community

College

Rathdrum KWETB Multi-D English Mixed N 538

81016V

East

Glendalough

School

Wicklow

Minister for

Education &

Skills/Archbisho

p of Dublin

Church

of Ireland English Mixed N 369

76099B Coláiste Chill

Mhantáin Wicklow KWETB Inter-D English Mixed N 921

61860V Dominican

College Wicklow

Le Chéile

Schools Trust

Ltd

Catholic English Girls N 445

*Ethos : Multi-D = Multi-denominational, Inter-D = Inter-denominational

4.1.2 Parental Preferences

The table below sets out the valid first preferences received by each applicant patron:

Applicant Patron Valid First Preferences

An Foras Pátrúnachta 134

Educate Together 259

Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB)

414

Scoil Sinéad 10

Total Valid First Preferences 817

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4.2. Language 4.2.1 Existing Provision

(i) Gaelscoileanna (Primary Level)

The following are the details of any Irish–medium gaelscoileanna located within the school planning areas, and in the adjoining school planning areas.

A) Within the school planning areas

There are no gaelscoileanna in the Kilcoole school planning area.There is one gaelscoil in the Greystones school planning area, as set out below:

Roll No School Name

School

planning area

Patron Ethos*

Enrolment 2018/2019 Approx.

distance from nearest existing gaelcholáiste

Approx. distance from centre point of the school planning areas

TOTAL 6th

20301C Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath

Greystones An Foras Pátrúnachta

Inter-D 443 32

5.9 km to 70821M Coláiste Raithín

4.5 km

*Ethos : Multi-D = Multi-denominational, Inter-D = Inter-denominational

B) In adjoining school planning areas

Roll No School Name School

planning area

Patron Ethos*

Enrolment 2018/2019

Approx. distance from nearest existing gaelcholáiste

Approx. distance from centre point of the school planning areas

TOTAL 6th

19584K Scoil Chualann

Bray Archbishop of Dublin

Catholic 222 30

1.3 km to 70821M Coláiste Raithín

9 km

20016D Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh

Bray Archbishop of Dublin

Catholic 216 18

1 km to 70821M Coláiste Raithín

9.9 km

20045K Gaelscoil Chill

Mhantáin Wicklow

An Foras Pátrúnachta

Inter-D 282 40

21.6 km to 76106S

Gaelcoláiste Na Mara in Arklow SPA

14.5 km

*Ethos : Multi-D = Multi-denominational, Inter-D = Inter-denominational

(ii) Gaelcholáistí/Irish–medium Aonaid (Post-Primary Level) The following are details of the Irish-medium Gaelcholáistí or, where relevant, English-medium schools with an Irish-medium Unit (Aonad) within the school planning areas, and in the adjoining school planning areas.

A) Within the school planning area

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There are no Gaelchólaistí/Irish-medium Aonaid within the school planning areas.

B) In adjoining school planning areas There are is one Gaelchólaiste within the adjoining school planning areas as follows:

Roll No School Name School Type

School planning

area Patron Ethos*

Enrolment 2018/2019

Approx. distance

from centre point of the

school planning

areas

70821M Coláiste Raithín

All Irish Bray KWETB Multi-D 284 10 km

*Ethos : Multi-D = Multi-denominational, Inter-D = Interdenominational

Attached at Appendix A to this report is a map of the school planning areas and surrounding areas, including the location of the above Irish-medium school for information.

4.2.2 Parental Preferences Breakdown of valid first preferences by language preference

Language Preference

An Foras Pátrúnachta

Educate Together

Kildare and Wicklow

Education and

Training Board

(KWETB)

Scoil Sinéad Total

Preferences

English 4 254 393 8 659

Irish 125 0 4 1 130

No Preference

5 5 17 1 28

Total first preferences

134 259 414 10 817

The level of parental preferences for Irish-medium instruction is moderate (130 or 15.91% of first preferences) compared with 659 (80.66%) of preferences for English-medium, while 28 (or 3.43%) of parents did not specify a preference in relation to language. The number of preferences for Irish indicate that the establishment of an Aonad should be considered. The only gaelscoil in the Kilcoole and Greystones school planning areas, Gaelscoil na gCloch Liath, is circa 5.9 km from Coláiste Raithín, the gaelcholáiste in Bray, Co. Wicklow. In 2018/2019 there were 88 pupils in sixth class in total in the three gaelscoileanna located in the adjoining school planning areas. Of the three gaelscoileanna in the adjoining school planning areas, two are closer to an existing gaelcholáiste than they are to the centre point of the school planning areas.

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Examining transfer rates to the Gaelcholáiste in Bray, in 2017, 92% of first year pupils (57 of 62) in the Gaelcholáiste came from five gaelscoileanna. 14 pupils in 2017 (23%) came from two gaelscoileanna, which are located nearer to the planned location of the new post-primary school in Greystones than to the Gaelcholáiste in Bray. Eight of these were in the Gaelscoil in Greystones, while six came from the Gaelscoil in Wicklow. Examining the average output from these two gaelscoileanna to Coláiste Raithín in Bray over the period 2015-2017, 20% (some 33 of 163) of first year pupils came from these schools. Taking into account location/proximity, it is considered reasonable that pupils from three of the five gaelscoileanna, comprising 69% (43 pupils) of pupil intake in 2017 to the Gaelcholáiste in Bray would continue to enrol in this Gaelcholáiste, irrespective of whether an Aonad is available in Greystones. An Foras Pátrúnachta is the only applicant patron to propose an Irish-medium school while all of the other applicant patrons proposed English-medium but indicated their willingness to offer an Irish-medium school if demand exists for same. All applicants have confirmed they are willing to open an Aonad should the demand require it.

5. Conclusions

All patrons have confirmed that they will satisfy the requirements as set out by the Department for the patronage of new schools.

All the proposed models would increase diversity in the area by providing multi-denominational

provision in the area.

Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) received the highest number of valid first preference votes i.e. 414.

The level of parental preferences for Irish-medium instruction was 130 of 817 valid first preferences (15.91%) compared with 659 of 817 valid first preferences (80.66%) for English-medium instruction. In the circumstances, consideration will be given to whether this demand can be accommodated in the existing Gaecholáiste in the adjacent school planning area or whether an Aonad should be established in a suitable location within this, or an adjoining school planning area. Considering the transfer rates from the primary schools to the Gaelcholáiste in Bray, there may be some impact on enrolment numbers in the Gaelcholáiste in Bray. Given that the outcome of the analysis indicates that the new school would be under the same patron as the Gaelcholáiste in Bray, KWETB, it is considered that engagement with the school patron in relation to the establishment of an Irish-medium Aonad in the new school in Greystones, taking into account implications for the Gaelcholáiste in Bray, would be advisable.

Based on the results of the parental preferences and broader analysis, including the extent of

diversity currently available in this and the adjoining school planning areas, the analysis indicates that the patronage of the new post-primary school for Kilcoole and Greystones school planning areas should be awarded to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) to provide a multi-denominational Community College with English as the language of instruction (see above recommendation in relation to consideration of Aonad).

Forward Planning Section Department of Education and Skills November 2019

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APPENDIX A