The Board of Management
It is the duty of the Board of Management to manage the school on behalf of the patron, and for the benefit of the students and their parents, and to provide or cause to be provided an appropriate education for each student at the school for which that board has responsibility.
The Board of Management comprises the following members:
Patron’s Nominee & Chairperson: Mr. James Jordan
Principal & Secretary to the Board: Ms. Máire Boyle
Patron’s Nominee: Fr. Richard Gibbons
Community Nominees: Mr Raymond Heneghan & Mrs. Catherine Cunnane
Parent Nominees: Mr Kevin Curry & Mrs Elaine Gill
Teacher Nominee: Mrs Louise Cryan
Parents’ Association
The Parents’ Association is the structure through which parents in a school can work together for the best possible education for their children.
The Parents’ Association works with the Principal, Board of Management and staff to build an effective partnership between the home and school. Partnership between the home and school is important, as with positive and active partnership children receive the best that primary education can offer.
Parents’ Association Committee 2018-2019
Alan Gill, Sinead Mallee, Grace McLoughlin, Joe Neylon, Christine Flatley, Lorraine Curry
Parents’ Association Officers 2018-2019
Chairperson: Alan Gill
Secretary: Grace McLoughlin
Treasurer: Christine Flatley
Parents’ Association Officers 2022-2023
Chairperson: Alan Gill
Secretary: Paula Cunnane
Treasurer: Christine Flatley
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PARENT ASSOCIATION OF
KNOCK NATIONAL SCHOOL
The Purpose of the Parent Association
The purpose of the Parent Association is to provide a structure through which the parents/guardians of children attending Knock National School can work together for the best possible education for their children. The Parent Association will work with the Principal, staff and Board of Management to build effective partnership between home and school.
Under the Education Act, 1998 Section 26:
(1) The parents of students of a recognised school may establish, and maintain from among their number, a parents’ association for that school and membership of that association shall be open to all parents of students of that school.
(2) A parents’ association shall promote the interests of the students in a school in co-operation with the board, Principal, teachers and students of the school and for that purpose may
(a) advise the Principal or the board on any matter relating to the school and the Principal or board, as the case may be, who shall have regard to any such advice, and
(b) adopt a programme of activities which will promote the involvement of parents, in consultation with the Principal, in the operation of the school.
(4) (a) A parents’ association shall, following consultation with its members, make rules governing its meetings and the business and conduct of its affairs.
(b) Where a parents’ association is affiliated to a national association of parents, the rules referred to in paragraph (a) shall be in accordance with guidelines issued by that national association of parents with the concurrence of the Minister.
The Aim of the Parent Association
The aim of the Parent Association is to enable parents to play their part in ensuring provision of the best possible education for their children and that this is achieved through the Association’s programme of activities.
The Parent Association will promote the interests of the students in co-operation with the Board of Management, Principal, teachers and students, in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998.
The Work of the Parent Association
The Parent Association will undertake a programme of activities which will promote the involvement of parents and which will support pupils, parents and school staff. In planning its activities, the Parent Association will consult with the school Principal.
The Membership of the Parent Association
All parents or guardians of children attending Knock National School will be deemed to be members of the Parent Association.
The committee of the Parent Association
The members of the Parent Association will elect a committee with a maximum of 8 and a minimum of 6. This committee will have responsibility for representing the parents of Knock National School and managing the activities of the Parent Association.
Subcommittees
Subcommittees can be set up for particular tasks. The subcommittees may also co-opt people to assist in their work. The subcommittees may not make decisions; they remain at all times accountable to the main committee.
The Election of the Parent Association committee
The members of the committee will be elected each year at the AGM of the Parent Association. Each member will be elected for one year. At the AGM all committee members step down, but they can be re-elected as long as they continue to be eligible to serve, that is as long as they continue to be a parent or guardian of a child in the school.
The committee will ensure 2 places are available for new members each year.
Parents’ representatives elected to the Board of Management are automatically members of the committee, but will not hold an officer position on the Parent Association committee.No member of the committee will hold the same officer position for more than three consecutive years.
The Work of the committee of the Parent Association
The Parent Association committee will be responsible for ensuring that all parents are consulted on issues which are pertinent to the entire parent body. The Parent Association committee may advise the Principal and Board of Management on any matters relating to the school in accordance with the Education Act, 1998, 26.- (2)(a).
The committee is the team that will manage the tasks of the association on behalf of the parent body (the members).
The committee will draw up a plan for the activities of the association, in consultation with parents and in accordance with their wishes.
The committee will be responsible for seeing that activities are run in an efficient and effective way.
The committee will consult with the school Principal and Board of Management when planning the programme of activities for any particular year.
The committee will arrange with the Principal and Board of Management a system for ongoing communication.
At the annual general meeting (AGM) the committee will report to the parent body (the members) about its work.
The committee will manage and account for any funds collected or expended by the Parent Association.
Finance
The Parent Association committee will finance the activities of the Parent Association through fundraising.
A Treasurer will be appointed from among the committee members and will be responsible for keeping account of the income and expenditure of the Parent Association finances. The Treasurer will give a statement of income and expenditure at each committee meeting.
A written statement of income and expenditure will be given at the AGM and a copy will be forwarded to the Board of Management for their information.
The Parent Association will keep a bank account in its name. Each cheque issued requires two signatures. The Treasurer and at least one other assigned member of the committee must sign all cheques drawn on the account.
Fundraising for the School
Fundraising for the school by the Parent Association will be done with the prior agreement of the Board of Management. The Parent Association committee will agree with the Board of Management as to the specific purposes for which funds are to be raised by the Parent Association.
Membership of National Parents Council Primary
The Parent Association will maintain membership of National Parents Council Primary by annual subscription.
Changing the Constitution
Changes to the constitution can be made at the AGM or, if for an urgent reason, an EGM can be called for that specific purpose. Proposals to change the constitution must be submitted in writing to the Parent Association committee. The Parent Association committee will then circulate these proposals to all parents before the AGM/EGM. All parents of children in the school at the meeting are eligible to vote on the proposals.
—————————————-
Parent/Teacher Communication
The Board of Management, Principal and Staff of Knock NS believe that positive Parent/Teacher communication is essential for your child’s education. The following structures are in place in order to ensure open communication and consultation:
- Class meeting during the first term
- Parent/teacher meetings during the first term.
- Meeting in relation to religious sevices and the Sacraments
- Formal/informal consultation throughout the year
- Written communication in the homework journal/letter
- Parents are invited to assemblies, school concerts, graduation mass, special school events/celebrations
- Parents are invited to support the school in certain curricular areas i.e. Literacy for Fun etc.
- Meetings for parents in relation to children with differing needs
If a parent wishes to meet with a teacher it is advisable to ring the School Secretary to schedule an appointment at a suitable time for both the parent and the teacher. Teachers will not to be available to meet with parents during class time, except in exceptional circumstances.
In the event of a parent having reason to complain, we advise that you follow the agreed Complaints Procedure as outlined below
INTO/CPSMA Complaints Procedure
The INTO and CPSMA reached agreement in 1993 on a procedure for dealing with complaints by parents against teachers. The purpose of this procedure is to facilitate the resolution of difficulties where they may arise in an agreed and fair manner. The agreement lays out in five stages the process to be followed in progressing a complaint and the specific timescale to be followed at each stage.
Only those complaints about teachers which are written and signed by parents/guardians of pupils may be investigated formally by the board of management, except where those complaints are deemed by the board to be:
on matters of professional competence and which are to be referred to the Department of Education and Science;
frivolous or vexatious complaints and complaints which do not impinge on the work of a teacher in a school; or
complaints in which either party has recourse to law or to another existing procedure.
Unwritten complaints, not in the above categories, may be processed informally as set out in Stage 1 of this procedure.
Stage 1
1. A parent/guardian who wishes to make a complaint should, unless there are local arrangements to the contrary, approach the class teacher with a view to resolving the complaint.
2. Where the parent/guardian is unable to resolve the complaint with the class teacher s/he should approach the principal with a view to resolving it.
3. If the complaint is still unresolved the parent/guardian should raise the matter with the chairperson of the board of management with a view to resolving it.
Stage 2
1. If the complain is still unresolved and the parent/guardian wishes to pursue the matter further s/he should lodge the complaint in writing with the chairperson of the board of management.
2. The chairperson should bring the precise nature of the written complaint to the notice of the teacher and seek to resolve the matter between the parties with five days of receipt of the written complaint.
Stage 3
1. If the complaint is not resolved informally, the chairperson should, subject to the general authorisation of the board and except in those cases where the chairperson deems the particular authorisation of the board to be required:
supply the teacher with a copy of the written complaint; and
arrange a meeting with the teacher and, where applicable, the principal teacher with a view to resolving the complaint. Such a meeting should take place within 10 days of receipt of the written complaint.
Stage 4
1. If the complaint is still not resolved the chairperson should make a formal report to the board within 10 days of the meeting referred to in 3(b).
2. If the board considers that the complain is not substantiated the teacher and the complainant should be so informed within three days of the board meeting.
3. If the board considers that the complaint is substantiated or that it warrants further investigation it proceeds as follows:
the teacher should be informed that the investigation is proceeding to the next stage;
the teacher should be supplied with a copy of any written evidence in support of the complaint;
the teacher should be requested to supply a written statement to the board in response to the complaint;
the teacher should be afforded an opportunity to make a presentation of case to the board. The teacher would be entitled to be accompanied and assisted by a friend at any such meeting;
the board may arrange a meeting with the complainant if it considers such to be required. The complainant would be entitled to be accompanied and assisted by a friend at any such meeting; and
the meeting of the board of management referred to in (d) and (e) will take place with in 10 days of the meeting referred to in 3(b).
Stage 5
1. When the board has completed its investigation, the chairperson should convey the decision of the board in writing to the teacher and the complainant within five days of the meeting of the board.
2. The decision of the board shall be final.
3. The Complaints Procedure shall be reviewed after three years.
4. CPSMA or INTO may withdraw from this agreement having given the other party three months’ notice of intention to do so.
In this agreement ‘days’ means school days