PATRON BODIES CAN apply for the patronage of four new primary schools from today.

The four schools that are due to be established in September 2014 will be located in Midleton, Co Cork; Swords, Dublin Fingal; Sandymount/Ringsend, Dublin south; and Galway city west (Knocknacarra).

The new school in Galway city west had previously been announced as an Irish language school which was due to open this September. Due to its patronage remaining undecided, however, the selection process for the school will now be re-run.

The four primary schools are part of the 20 primary and 20 post-primary schools that are set to be established between now and 2017.

Announcing today’s invite for applications, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said that parental demand would be in a key issue in determining who would be awarded patronage.

Criteria for patronage

The criteria to be considered in deciding on patronage includes the following:

• The patronage of the already established schools in a particular area and their potential for future growth.
• The extent or range of diversity of patronage offered across existing schools in the identified area, having regard to the views of parents.
• The proximity of schools of a similar ethos to those proposed by the applicant patrons.
• The way in which the proposed school would aim to extend or strengthen diversity within each area, having regard to the views of parents.
• Parental demand for the school that a patron is willing to establish.
• The extent to which schools of similar patronage in the area have already been expanded.
• In areas to be served by a single school, the extent to which the needs of all pupils in the area can be met by the school.

Read: Primary schools in 23 towns to change patronage following survey >