Skeoughvosteen N.S.
Co. Kilkenny
Primary School Survery 26/27
Community Engagement
As part of the Department of Education's Primary School Survey process, Skeoughvosteen National School is seeking the views of our school and wider community on the future arrangements of our school.
What is the Primary School Survey?
The Department of Education carried out a Primary School Survey to gather the views of parents and guardians regarding three key aspects of primary education:
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School type: Whether the school should remain co-educational or become a single-sex school.
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Patronage and ethos: Whether the school should retain its current denominational patronage or move towards a multi-denominational model.
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Language of instruction: Whether the school should retain English as the language of instruction or move towards Irish-medium education.
The results of the survey help the Department and schools to understand the views of families regarding the future of their local primary school.
Survey Results
The results of our initial Primary School Survey were shared with families last June. As the initial survey represented the views of a minority of our school families, we subsequently repeated the survey using Google Forms to gain a broader perspective.
We are now publishing the results of both surveys to ensure transparency and to keep our school community informed.
Primary School Survey – Original Results
Overall respoonse rate 28%
Co-educational model 100%
Single sex model 0%
Multi-denominational patron 62%
Existing denominational patron 38%
Education through Irish 38%
Education through English 62%
Follow-Up Primary School Survey – Google Forms Results
Further Community Engagement – We Want to Hear Your Views
The Board of Management is now undertaking further engagement with parents and guardians and the wider community.
We recognise that there may be differing views regarding the ethos of our school and the language of instruction. It is important that all perspectives are heard and considered, including those of families who may have different views from the majority.
We want to provide an opportunity for parents, guardians, past parents, grandparents, prospective families and other members of our local community to share their thoughts, opinions and suggestions.
Have Your Say – Community Engagement Questionnaire
We have created a questionnaire to allow members of our school and wider community to share their views privately and anonymously.
The questionnaire provides an opportunity to:
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Share your views on the future ethos and patronage of the school.
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Express your opinions on the language of instruction.
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Suggest ways in which our school can be welcoming and inclusive of children and families from all religious and non-religious backgrounds.
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Share any concerns, ideas or suggestions regarding the future of Skeoughvosteen National School.
We would encourage everyone with an interest in the future of our school to take part.
https://forms.gle/QZomzcP5RDn5i9pN6
Please feel free to share this questionnaire with other members of our local community, including past parents, grandparents and families who may consider enrolling their children in Skeoughvosteen National School in the future.
What Happens Next?
The Board of Management and staff will carefully consider the feedback received as part of our future planning and engagement process.
As part of this process:
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A focus group of pupils from 3rd to 6th Class will be established to ensure that the pupil voice is represented.
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We will engage with AppleTree Farm and Nature Explorers to help identify families who may potentially enrol their children in our school in the future.
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We will consider feedback from parents, guardians and the wider community.
Once all feedback has been gathered and carefully considered, we will communicate any decisions made and outline the next steps.
If the engagement process identifies a clear preference for a change in the school's current arrangements, the school may submit an Expression of Interest Form to the Department of Education. The Department may then provide a dedicated contact person and further supports to assist the school throughout the process.
Your Voice Matters
We want to ensure that everyone who has an interest in the future of Skeoughvosteen National School has an opportunity to contribute.
We encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire and share your views.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement with our school community.
Skeoughvosteen National School.
(On behalf of the Board of Management)