Pelletstown ETNS Parent/Carer Information 2026-2027 by Pelletstown ETNS

About our School

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 10:59:54 UTC

History:

Pelletstown Educate Together N.S. opened in temporary accommodation in Rathborne Community Centre on August 30^th 2015 with 45 Junior Infant pupils. On December 8^th 2015, the school moved to temporary accommodation in the former Castlethorn Marketing Suite on Ashtown Road, Rathborne, Dublin 15. In September 2020, we moved to prefabs on the site of our permanent school. We moved into Phase 1 of our Permanent Building in September 2022 and Phase 2 in September 2023.

Opening Hours:

The school day for Junior Infants is 8:30am - 1:10pm. The school office is open from 8:15am - 2:30pm.

Class Names:

All classes in our school are named after a native bird. One class at each level are given the English name of the bird and the other class are given the Irish version. The 2026-2027 Junior Infant classes will be called Cuckoo and Cuach. These names will stay with those classes until they finish 6^th class. Our Autism classes are called Kingfisher, Cruidín (Irish for Kingfisher) and Kookaburra (a relative of Kingfisher, representing cheerfulness and uniqueness)

Staff:

Our school staff for 2026/2027 will include 19 class teachers, 8 support teachers, 15 Additional Needs Assistants (ANAs), 1 full-time secretary, 1 part-time caretaker, 1 cleaner and 2 bus escorts.

School Lunches

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 11:06:39 UTC

There are 2 break times in the school day;

10:00am - 10:15am

12:00pm - 12:25pm

At the first break the children should bring a small snack which they take outside with them. There is a Healthy Eating policy at our school and children are asked not to bring any sweets, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, crisps, popcorn etc. to school. There is also a ban on all nuts and all nut-based products, as well as kiwis, due to the serious allergies of some of our students. We ask parents/carers to be vigilant in following this. Please see the school’s Healthy Eating Policy for further information.

Pelletstown ETNS participates in the Department of Social Protection School Meals Programme. The Lunch Bag Company is school meal provider for our school. This service will continue into the 2025/2026 school year. Therefore, your child will receive a free hot meal daily for their second break as chosen and ordered by parents via the service providers app. At first break, your child will need you to send a snack in with them. Alternatively, you can order a snack from The Lunch Bag Company at a cost.

You will need to download The Lunch Bag Company app to be able to order these lunches for your child. Before your child starts school, you will be provided with the relevant login details for this.

Educate Together Ethos

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 11:28:20 UTC

Educate Together Ethos:

The Educate Together ethos is based on 4 core principles;

1. Equality-Based

2. Child-Centred

3. Co-Educational

4. Democratically-Run

Further information on the Educate Together ethos is available on the Educate Together website: www.educatetogether.ie

Based on the Educate Together ethos, the school delivers the Learn Together/Ethical Education programme. The school welcomes, respects and values children of all beliefs and none. The school does not provide religious instruction, it provides education about all beliefs and none. Parents wishing for their child to receive religious instruction can organise for classes to be run after school hours.

In accordance with the Educate Together ethos, children wear their own clothes and not a school uniform. Children and parents/carers address all school staff by their first name and do not use titles.

The Curriculum

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 11:32:10 UTC

We are obliged by the Department of Education and Youth to follow the Primary Curriculum Framework as laid out by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.

The Primary Curriculum Framework sets a new vision for primary and special education, focusing on flexibility, inclusion, and wellbeing. It organises learning into five broad areas as follows; Languages (English and Irish), Arts Education (Music, Art and Drama), Social and Environmental Education (SEE) (History and Geography), STEM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), and Wellbeing (Social, Personal and Health Education and Physical Education), while emphasising inquiry-based learning, digital skills, and a playful pedagogy for junior pupils.

As an Educate Together school, we also follow an Ethical Education curriculum; Learn Together. Further information on each subject area can be found at www.ncca.ie.

Ethical Education/Learn Together:

The Learn Together Curriculum is made up of 4 strands;

1. An Ethical Approach to the Environment

2. Equality and Justice

3. Values and Ethical Perspectives

4. Belief Systems

For further information on the Learn Together Curriculum please visit the link below:

https://www.educatetogether.ie/app/uploads/2024/01/Revised-Learn-Together-Curriculum-6.pdf

Extra Curricular Activities

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 11:35:21 UTC

After-school, extra-curricular activities are offered at the school and are provided by both school staff, and external providers. These may vary from term-to-term, but in general the activities available include;
Art, Lego, Drama, Running, Yoga, Book Club, Pokemon Club, Music, Science, STEAM, Gardening, French, Basketball, Zumba and other sports. You will be notified at the start of each term about what activities are available and will be able to register for these using a Google Form.

After-School Care

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 11:38:06 UTC

After-school care is currently provided on-site by School Kids Aloud and they will continue to provide this service in September 2026. This is run completely separately from the school - they just lease space within our building, adhering to our school ethos and policies.

Any queries regarding the service should be directed to Jade - jadeschoolkidsaloud@gmail.com.

We understand they have a capacity limit, and whilst we can make space available, they have a pupil:adult ratio to adhere to, as well as Tusla restrictions regarding capacity. If any parent cannot access an after-school care place with SKA, we advise them to ask to be placed on the waiting list, and in the interim to seek alternative options such as a childminder: https://www.childminding.ie/, www.rollercoaster.ie, or www.mindme.ie may assist with this.

Further Information:

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 11:48:43 UTC

Website:

Further information about our school can be found on our website. This includes school policies, calendars and booklists, information about our Board of Management, Parent Teacher Association and Student Council.

Social Media:

Please feel free to follow the school's social media accounts on Twitter: @pelletstownetns

Aladdin:

We use Aladdin Schools as a platform for pupils profiles, communication with parents, permissions, homework etc. You will all be invited to sign-up for Aladdin over the summer before your child starts school. We recommend you downloading the Aladdin connect app so that you can be kept up to date with all school communications and school events.

Before and after your child starts school, information will be shared with you regarding accessing photos of your child and their class activities on Aladdin Frame.

Starting School

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 11:52:32 UTC

Your child’s first day at school is a day to remember for the rest of their life. You can help to make it a really happy one for them, by following these tips. Please do not worry about whether your child can write their name or knows their 'ABCs/123s', the most important thing now is that your child looks forward to starting school, and has or is developing independent and social skills. :)

As a parent you can;

• Label all your child’s belongings, such as their coat and even their lunch box. Show them where you have written their name.

• Get your child to practice putting on and taking off, zipping up and down their own coats and hanging them up independently.

• If your child finds managing their clothes difficult; Zips may be easier than buttons; elasticated trousers can be easier than zips and buttons, and Velcro runners may be easier than shoe laces.

• Choose a lunch box and drinks container that can be opened easily. Practice taking out and putting back the lunch. Explain what is to be eaten at small break and what has to be eaten at big lunch. (See Healthy Eating Policy).

• Help your child to practice putting things in and out of their school bag.

• Encourage them to tidy up crayons and colouring books.

• Teach them to use a tissue/handkerchief, to share toys, to take turns.

• Practice greetings and common courtesies (please, thank you, excuse me etc.).

• Ensure your child can use the toilet independently and knows to flush the toilet and wash their hands afterwards.

• Tell your child about school beforehand. Describe it as a place where they will be made to feel welcome and safe, and where they will make lots of new friends.

• Make sure that all of your child’s books are labelled with their name and give all of these to the class teacher on this first day of school.

Information Session and Open Days

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 11:56:28 UTC

Junior Infants:

We would love to welcome our Incoming Junior Infants and their parents/carers to the school to become familiar with the surroundings here, and to get to know other children, families and school staff. Please see attached details of our "Stay and Play" dates.

On the day, the format will be as follows;

30th April 2026, 1:30pm: Pupils and parents spending time together in the Junior Infants classrooms with school staff

21st May 2026, 1:30pm: Pupils and parents spending time together in the Junior Infants classrooms with school staff

18th June 2026, 1:30pm: Pupils and parents spending time together in their allocated Junior Infants classroom, with their allocated classmates and their allocated teacher for 2026-2027.

Parent/Carer Information and Refreshments Session

18th June 1:30pm

We will have an information/refreshments session for parents/carers only in the school hall. This will be an opportunity for us to share further information about the school with you, for you to meet other parents of incoming Junior Infants and for you to meet with school staff. Your child will be supervised in their classroom by a teacher and we are here to support them if the transition of you going to the hall is challenging. We have found this has worked very well in recent years, with your child developing a sense of independence in their new surroundings, having already had 2 opportunities to visit the class.

Other classes:

For new pupils joining the school, they will be invited to visit the school during either the 1st 2 weeks of July, or on the 24th/25th August. This will be arranged on a case-by-case basis.

Calendar 2026-2027

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 12:10:34 UTC

The school calendar for 2026-2027 is published above. We have been made aware that there will be school closures during the year to facilitate staff professional learning in the new Primary Curriculum Framework. The dates of such closures will be communicated to you as soon as we are made aware of them.

First Week School Times for Junior Infants

principal1703 — 2022-05-27 12:17:30 UTC

For the first few days of school, the Junior Infant pupils will come to school for shorter days to allow them a chance to ease into school. The following is the timetable for the first 2 weeks of school 2026/2027.

August/September 2026

Wednesday 26th August 2026

9:00am – 10:30am

Thursday 27th August 2026

8:30am - 10:30am

Friday 28th August 2026

8:30am - 11:00am

Monday 31st August and Tuesday 1st September 2026

8:30am – 11:30am

Wednesday 2nd - Friday 4th September 2026

8:30am – 12.00pm

Monday 7th September 2026 onwards

8:30am – 1:10pm (full school day)

Pupil Registration Forms - Mainstream Junior Infants

principal1703 — 2023-04-20 10:16:23 UTC

If you haven't already done so, please ensure you have filled out the registration forms for your child via the above Google Form link. This is only for parents/carers of pupils who been offered and accepted a place at the school.

Pupil Attendance

principal1703 — 2023-06-08 14:21:23 UTC

The attached information booklet provides important and useful information about children's attendance at school. Parents are asked to send their child to school every day, unless the child is too sick to attend or there are other exceptional circumstances (e.g. urgent family reason). Parents must notify the school of absences using the Aladdin app. The school is legally obliged to notify Tusla of absences in excess of 20 school days, or of concerning patterns of absence. Hard copies of this brochure are available from the school office if you would like a copy.

Child Safeguarding

principal1703 — 2023-06-08 14:25:22 UTC

One of our important school policies is our Child Safeguarding Statement and Risk Assessment. You can read this in full on the school website. Please note that the Designated Liaison Person (DLP) for Child Safeguarding is Caitríona Ní Cheallaigh (Principal) and the Deputy Designated Liaison Person is Siobhán Maguire (Deputy Principal).

Booklist/Pupil Portion Information

principal1703 — 2024-06-13 18:35:32 UTC

The Booklist and Pupil Portion Information for 2026-2027 is currently being updated and will be shared with you shortly!

Pupil Registration Forms - Autism Class

principal1703 — 2026-06-15 14:06:14 UTC