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In accordance with the requirements of the Children First Act 2015, Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017, the Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 and Tusla Guidance on the preparation of Child Safeguarding Statements, the Board of Management has adopted and will implement fully and without modification the Department’s Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 as part of its' overall Child Safeguarding Statement.

The Designated Liaison Person (DLP) is Mrs. Susanna O’Neill (Principal)

The Deputy Designated Liaison Person (Deputy DLP) is Ms. Niamh Brennan (Deputy Principal)

The Board of Management recognises that child protection and welfare considerations permeate all aspects of school life and must be reflected in all of the school’s policies, procedures, practices and activities.

To view our full Child Safeguarding Statement and other relevant school policies please visit our school website - www.rathpeaconns.com

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In Rathpeacon NS, we aim to support parents in allowing their children to have a Smartphone Free Childhood.

Unfortunately, smartphone-related issues are becoming more and more common among young children. Online bullying, screen addiction and access to inappropriate content are some of the major negative impacts of smartphone use.

We are encouraging parents to get on board and not allow their child own or use a smartphone until after Confirmation at least

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School policies can be found on our school website: www.rathpeaconns.com

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School books: School textbooks are now funded by the government.  Your son/daughter's books will be waiting for them in the classroom each September.  Some smaller items (e.g. stationery) may need to be purchased at home.  Please ensure you label all of your child’s belongings.

School bag: Please buy a bag large enough to carry A4 size books, copies and lunch boxes.  Remember that most of the workbooks are quite big.  A bag with two straps is best.

Note: No bags with wheels please!  These bags are very dangerous in the líne and cause accidents.

School uniform: The school uniform consists of a navy pinafore/pants/skirt, sky blue shirt, navy crested V-neck jumper, a navy tie and dark footwear.  This uniform must be worn every day except on the P.E. day when children should wear their school tracksuit.  Teachers will inform their class about ‘P.E. day(s)’ in September.

The tracksuit consists of a crested light blue T-shirt, navy crested half zip top, navy tracksuit pants with runners.  Pupils may wear navy school shorts in September/October and in May/June.

All of these are available at Buckley Outfitters on Shandon Street, Cork.

Long hair must be tied back at all times.  We discourage unusual hairstyles.

For health and safety reasons, the wearing of all types of jewellery to school is strongly discouraged.  Pupils may only wear one pair of stud earrings. Your child will be asked to remove any item deemed inappropriate or unsafe in our school environment.

(See our Code of Behaviour for further information. Our school rules are also printed in the Homework Journal)

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We work hard to ensure that each child reaches his / her full potential.  Our school symbol is the sunflower - we aim to 'spreag an óige' - to inspire the young and to watch each child blossom.

All children in the school benefit from In-Class Interventions during their time in Rathpeacon.  The class teacher, along with members of our Special Educational Needs Team, will divide the class into small groups.  These smaller groups reduce the pupil:teacher ratio and help us to ensure every child gets an opportunity to develop fine motor skills, concentration, literacy and numeracy skills.

The form of the interventions varies depending on the age/class level of your child.

During their time in school your child will take part in some standardised testing.  You will still be informed before any testing takes place.  These tests may include the Jolly Phonics Reading Assessment; the Middle Infant Screening Test; the Drumcondra Reading Assessment and the SIGMA-T Maths Assessment.

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We are very lucky in Rathpeacon to have a fantastic and hardworking team.  Our school community is supportive and friendly and we look forward to welcoming you to joining the Rathpeacon NS community.

Principal: Mrs. Susanna O’Neill

Deputy Principal: Ms. Niamh Brennan

Teachers:

Mrs. Siobhán Coleman– Assistant Principal I

Ms. Fia O’Farrell – Assistant Principal II

Mrs. Mary Crowley

Mrs. Yvonne McMahon

Ms. Irene O’Brien

Mrs. Sarah Kenneally

Ms. Caroline Dennehy

Ms. Maria Watson – Assistant Principal II

Ms. Hazel Griffin

Ms. Patrice Spillane

Mrs. Áine Butler

Mr. Julian O’Donoghue - Assistant Principal II

Ms. Michelle Crowley

Ms. Claire Ryan

Ms. Aileen Twomey

Ms. Aislinn McGrath - Assistant Principal II

Mrs. Clíodhna Lynch

Mrs. Deirdre O’Sullivan

Ms. Ciara O’Driscoll

Ms. Clíona O’Callaghan

Ms. Leah McDonnell

Ms. Muireann Keane

Special Needs Assistants:

Ms. Aisling Ruane

Ms. Mona Coughlan

Mrs. Michelle Murray

Mrs. Patricia Murphy

Ms. Deirdre Higgins

Mrs. Eithne Gowen

Ms. Annemarie O’Connor

Ms. Rita Sheehy

Mrs. Claire Farrell

Ms. Sarah Lee

School Secretary: Mrs. Kathleen O'Sullivan

School Caretaker: Mr. Con O’Sullivan

Chaplain: Fr. Gabriel Burke

Speech and Drama Teacher: Sinéad McGee

Gymnastics Coach: Mr. Ally Futto

Lollipop Lady: Mrs. Mary Costello

Cleaning Staff: Mr. Abouelhaggag Farrag Ahmed (known as Hagg!)

Mrs. Catherine O’Mahony

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The school yard is divided into zones for different age groups.  Each area is supervised carefully, however, small falls or accidents will occasionally happen.

In the event of an injury to your child while at school, one of our SNAs will assess the severity of the injury and will administer First Aid as required.  All of our Special Needs Assistants are fully trained First Responders.  All staff are trained in basic Paediatric First Aid.

If a child is injured at school, you will usually be contacted by phone. For less serious cuts and grazes a note may be sent home with your child and it is recommended that you inspect the injury again yourself.

In the case of more serious injuries, where it is judged medical assistance is required, you will be contacted by phone at the earliest opportunity. If we are unable to contact you, a local doctor will be called. If urgent care is required, an ambulance will be called or staff may bring your child directly to the hospital.

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If your son/daughter needs to take any prescription medication in school (inhalers, antibiotics etc.), you need to contact the school principal. The same applies if your child has any additional medical needs e.g. epilepsy, allergies or any physical disability. The principal will discuss any requirements with you and ask you to complete a form outlining details and any other needs your son / daughter may have so that supports can be put in place.

Prescribed medication required by pupils will be administered only by teachers or SNAs but strictly subject to school policy and only on the written request of parents. Our Administration of Medication Form will be provided to you for this purpose.   Your child is not allowed to have any medication in their school bags without the permission of the school principal.

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Texts and emails are sent to you using an app called Aladdin Connect. Before your child starts school, you should download the app to your phone, tablet, laptop or PC. You will be sent registration details by text from the school. Therefore it is important that you inform us if you change your phone number or email address.

The app is GDPR compliant. Each parent signs in with an email address and their own unique password.  Parents are able to do all of the following using the app:

View contact details and those of emergency contacts (and amend if necessary)

View school reports

Inform the school with regard to late arrival or early collection

Give permission (for tours etc)

Book your Parent/Teacher meeting

Pay school bills online

Send notes giving reasons for pupil absences

Receive notices from the school / class teacher

Other features may be added as time goes on.

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Parent/Teacher Meetings take place in the first term for all pupils. You will be able to make an appointment via our school App – Aladdin Connect. The Principal will send you a text on how to do this when the time comes.

These meetings are an opportunity for you to discuss the progress of your child and to work with the class teacher on any areas which may need to be developed.

Further meetings may be arranged at other times during the year by appointment only via the school office.

Written reports are sent via Aladdin Connect in June each year.

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The main aims of the Parents’ Association are to involve you, the parents, in the education of your children and to offer teachers support in the course of their work.

The Parents’ Association aims to represent the views of all parents in the school.  They work closely with the school for the benefit of all the children.

The Parents’ Association are always delighted for more people to get involved.

Here are just a few of our annual events in which you could get involved:

·         Helping with school celebrations – Grandparents Day, Daffodil Day, Graduation etc

·         Helping out with school fundraising events

·         Donating skills and expertise – e.g. I.T. skills, painting, gardening, etc

·         Organising the School Book scheme

Please come along to the first meeting in September to find out more.

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School life is very busy.  Below you can see just a small selection of some of the many activities we, as a school, take part in.  Your son/daughter can look forward to taking part in all of these activities - and many more - during their time in Rathpeacon N.S.

1.      Speech and Drama – classes take place within school time under the direction of a qualified Speech and Drama teacher.  The Speech and Drama teacher assists the school in putting on school shows annually.

2.      Gymnastics – Every child from Junior Infants to Sixth Class is given the opportunity to enjoy Gymnastics under the guidance of our specialist gymnastics teacher - Ally.

3.      Swimming – Second and Third Classes attend swimming lessons during the course of the year.  The fee for swimming includes the cost of the bus, lifeguard services and instructor fees

4.       GAA – Hurling/camogie and football training are provided after school time during the Autumn and Spring terms for pupils from Fifth and Sixth Class.  Teams are entered into a number of inter-school competitions every year including the Sciath na Scol. Every pupil also gets to enjoy taking part in the GAA Go Games initiative in school.

5.      Athletics – Teams of boys and girls are selected to represent the school at cross country running, Splash and Dash and the Cork Primary School Sports each year.

6.      Chess Club – Pupils from senior classes are given the opportunity to join an after school chess club.  Teams representing the school take part in the ‘Féile Fichelle’ chess festival.

7.  Green Flag School - Rathpeacon N.S. is a green flag school.  To date, we have achieved five green flags for reducing/recycling our waste, for energy conservation, for water conservation and for our work on biodiversity.  We will continue our green flag endeavours next term

8.  Active Flag – During the 2024/25 school year we worked hard to renew our ‘Active Flag.’  Our commitment is to give every pupil exposure to as wide a variety of sports as possible and to encourage them to take part for enjoyment and fun above all else.

9.  Tours – Teachers take all classes on a School Tour during the last term.  Teachers may also decide to take classes on educational tours at other times during the year.  You will need to give consent – via the Aladdin Connect App - before your son/daughter will be allowed to take part in any of these excursions.

10.  Student Council - we strongly encourage the pupils to have a say in school life.  To this end we have an active Student Council, a Green Flag Committee, a Coiste Gaelach and an Active Schools Committee.  Elected pupils from the senior end of the school attend regular meetings to implement positive changes for their peers.

In the 2025 - 2026 school year pupils also enjoyed taking part in activities including: Maths Week, Halloween Dress Up, Science Week, Christmas Carol Singing, Christmas Concert, SVP Giving Tree, the FAI Soccer Competition, Engineers Week, the Christy Kelleher Cup, school Basketball League, Féile Fichille, World Book Day, Seachtain na Gaeilge, Credit Union Quiz, Texaco Art Competition, PAWS Water Safety Talk and a Daffodil Day Cake Sale to name just a few!!

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The HSE provides vaccinations, dental examinations, and optician’s examinations from time to time.  Notification will be given when they are due to take place and you may be asked to accompany your child – particularly for appointments in Junior Infants.

Referrals may be made to the Educational Psychologist, the Speech Therapist or Occupational Therapist where it is deemed appropriate.  This will always take place in full consultation with parents.

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Vehicles are not allowed on the school premises at any time unless they have the express agreement of the school authority.  This is for the safety of all children in Rathpeacon.

We ask you to keep traffic to a minimum outside the school also.  To this end, we encourage you to “Stop, Drop and Go.”  The areas outside the school gate are set down areas only.  Children should be encouraged to walk up the footpath directly to their classrooms.  The school gates open at 8.40am and supervising teachers begin supervision duty at 8.40am.

At home time each day, the Junior and Senior Infant class teachers walk the children to a collection point at the main gate.  In senior classes, children walk to either gate under the supervision of the teachers where they can then be collected.

The school must be kept informed regarding who is collecting your son/daughter.  If there is any change in the collection routine, the school must be informed in writing via the Aladdin Connect App.  In the event of an unexpected change please contact the school office directly.  Children will be supervised by a teacher until they are collected.

Children who travel to or from school by bus are supervised until the bus collects them.  The school does not provide any supervision of pupils while they are on the bus.

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Our school operates under the Rules for National Schools of the Department of Education.

The Board of Management is charged with the direct governance of the school, the appointment of teachers and the day to day maintenance and administration of the school. The Board regularly reviews and ratifies school policies.  Many policies are available on our school website – www.rathpeaconns.com.  The authority of the Principal, who is responsible for the daily running of the school, derives from the Board of Management.

The Chairperson of the Board corresponds with the Department of Education and all outside bodies.

At present these are the members of the board:

Chairperson:Mrs. Fiona Monahan

Principal:       Mrs. Susanna O’Neill

Patrons’ Nominee: Fr. Gabriel Burke

Teachers’ Nominee: Mrs. Siobhán Coleman

Parents’ Nominee: Mr. Michael Reynolds & Mrs. Simone Sheehan

Representatives of the Wider Community: Mr. Paddy Cronin & Mr. Chris O’Donoghue

Members of the Board undertake to manage the school in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Education and are required to keep confidential all matters discussed at the meetings unless otherwise advised.

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Parents are advised to avoid planning family holidays during school time.  A calendar of school closures is published and available on the school website - www.rathpeaconns.com

Parents should explain all absences from school via the ‘Reason for Absence’ tab on the Aladdin Connect App.

For significant absences (greater than ten school days) due to illness the school requires a doctor's certificate.

Parents will receive an automated text when their child has reached 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 etc absences.

When a child has reached in excess of 20 days absence it is mandatory for the school to report these absences to TUSLA.

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Parents Contribution – At the beginning of each school year, the Board of Management asks each family for a contribution towards the running costs of the school.  Each family is asked to pay towards the cost of Speech and Drama and Gymnastics as specialist teachers are brought in for these activities.

Notification of these fees is given at the beginning of each term.  A reminder regarding school bills is also sent towards the end of every term. All bills can be paid online using the Aladdin Connect app.

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Regular communication with parents is extremely important to us. Apart from texts and e-mails via Aladdin Connect, we will also communicate with you by phone, e-mail, notes each term from the Principal and notes in School Journals (classes 1st – 6th). In Infant classes, teachers sometimes meet parents at drop off or collection times.