1. Welcome to St Joseph’s Primary School
Open Night
Tuesday 4 December 2018

2. ‘Being the best that we can be’
St. Joseph’s Primary School
Founded by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Mary
Enrolment = 395
Admissions number = 56
14 classes
2 Learning Support Teachers
Literacy
Numeracy
Creative Voices
Happy learning environment
A school at the heart of its local community
‘Being the best that we can be’

3. Surround ourselves with a happy, secure learning environment for all.
Mission Statement
Surround ourselves with a happy, secure learning environment for all.
Join together the home, the school and the wider community.
Promote academic and cultural excellence.
Support and provide for everyone’s individuality.

4. What’s in your pack? Prospectus Primary 1 Newsletter
December Newssheet
Cool Kids Information
Admissions Criteria
Digital Application Information

5. What makes St. Joseph’s different?
A school in the heart of the community…
Linen Centre
Island Arts Centre
The River Lagan
Wallace Park
Wallace Park Tennis Dome
Castle Gardens
Lisburn Racquets’ Club
Leisureplex
Lisburn Library
Amazing variety of extra curricular activities…
Miniversity, Monkeynastix, Labrats, Dance, Speech and Drama, Children’s Music Academy, Coding, Netball, Football, Gaelic, Hurling, Choir, Folk Group, Cookery, Art Club
Cool Kids: Wraparound Care….
8am – 9am
2pm – 5.30pm
July & August

6. The little extras……. Buddies Eco Council Pupil Council Digital Leaders
Learning Leaders
Creative Voices
Sustrans
Digital investment: IWB in every classroom, 6 iPads per class
Links with local post-primary schools
Shared Education Project with Harmony Hill Primary School
Parent Workshops

7. Opportunities….. Sporting The Arts Handball training and team
Netball training and team
Soccer training and team 
Gaelic Football and team
Camogie/Hurling
Olympic Handball 
Swimming gala and lessons.
The Arts
Guitar for P6 and P7
Violin, clarinet, tin whistle and flute
Junior Choir
Senior Choir
P7 show in the Island Hall 
Annual Christmas Concert in the Island Hall
The opportunity to work with a leading industry choreographer in P5 and P7
Pottery lessons in
a pottery studio

8. Pupil Voice
Pupil Council
Eco-Council
Learning Leaders
Digital Leaders

9. Awards and Accreditations

10. Our Academic Record Outstanding standards of academic achievement
GL Assessment Feb 2018
75% of pupils achieved Grades A & B
AQE Feb 2 018:
62% of pupils achieved Bands 1 and 2
September 2018
82% of pupils transferred to a Grammar school:
Rathmore, Friends, Wallace, Hunterhouse, Victoria, Methody, Inst, Assumption, St. Mary’s
Aquinas

11. ETI Report February 2018
Extremely positive inspection in February 2018
Leadership team and coordinators delivering high quality strategic leadership
Positive ethos within the school
All lessons observed were effective or highly effective
Children all very engaged in lessons…developing a wide range of thinking skills and personal capabilities
Differentiation…in the planning and in the delivery…children’s learning adapted to meet their needs
Innovative ways of working with classroom assistants
Positive culture throughout the school …open to change
Wide range of Continual Professional Development available to staff

12. Criteria for selection
Children of compulsory school age who:-
Have a brother or sister, half brother/half sister, step brother/step sister, enrolled in St Joseph’s P.S and indicate this on the application form.
Have had a brother or sister, half brother/half sister, step brother/step sister, enrolled in St Joseph’s P.S and indicate this on the application form.
Are children of the current (2018/19) permanent employees of the school and indicate this on the application form.
Who are the eldest or only child in the family and reside in the Parish of Blaris
Reside in the Parish of Blaris
Reside outside the Parish of Blaris.

13. Sub-Criteria for over subscription
In the event of being over-subscribed in any of the above categories, the following sub- criteria will be applied:
Children will be admitted on the basis of the initial letter of their surname as written on their birth certificate in the order set out below:
G D S Mac N M A V Mc H P Z U E B L C K W Q I R T F X J O Y
In the event of surnames beginning with the same initial letter, as outlined above, the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in strict alphabetical order.
In the event of two identical surnames, the alphabetical order of the initials of the forenames will be used.

14. The Application Process
Select choice of schools
Apply online:
Online application portal opens Wednesday 2 January 2019 at 10am and closes Thursday 31 January at 12 midnight
Birth Certificate and proof of address to first choice primary school before Friday 8 February 2019
Thursday 9 May 2019: Letters issued by the school for which your child is accepted
June 2019: Open Afternoon and Induction Evening for you and your child

15. Digital Admissions Workshops
Tuesday 8 January pm – 6.30pm
Wednesday 9 January am – 11am
We will be available to help you complete the online application here in school.
Bring along your child’s birth certificate and proof of address and we will copy.

16. A day in the life of Primary 1……