Contact Between School and Home.
1How do I contact the school?
To contact the school, call (053) 914 2071 or you can e-mail office@stpeterscollege.ie
During term time, the main office is open from 9am-4.30pm
2 How does the school communicate with home?
- We do this through our website –www.stpeterscollege.ie
- The school also communicates with home using email and the VSWare platform. We strongly recommend parents/guardians download the VSWare Parent app which is available on iOS and Android. Comprehensive guides on how to download and use the app can be found by clicking on this link.
3What is VSWare?
VSWare is the school’s academic communication platform. Parents/guardians of students will have access to this platform. When your son becomes a student in the school, you will be issued with a username and requested to create your own password. This platform allows you to access your son’s assessment record, term reports, attendance and behaviour records. It can be accessed by the website and by a designated VSWare Parents app. More information is available by clicking on this link.
4I need to contact my son during the school day. What should I do?
In this situation, parents are asked to contact the main office with the relevant details and we will pass the message to your son. Please use this facility in extreme circumstances only.
5I need to take my son out of school for an urgent matter. What should I do?
In this situation, parents are initially asked to call the office. Upon arriving at the school, speak to the office staff and your son will be signed out.
6My son needs to go home during the day due to illness. How can he contact home?
Students who are feeling unwell are asked to contact the relevant year head, Deputy Principal or Principal. If the student has to go home, the school will contact home to make the arrangements. Before leaving, the student should be signed out. Each student is encouraged to remain in school for the full day, if possible.
7When do Parent/Teacher meetings take place?
There is one parent/teacher meeting per year group each year. The calendar, available on our website, lists the dates for each meeting.
Parents are welcome to arrange separate appointments with teachers throughout the year by telephoning the main office and leaving a message for the relevant teacher.
8How often do I receive school reports?
School reports are issued twice a year. They are accessible through VSWare. Reporting happens in December and Jun for 1st year, 2nd year, transition year and LC1. Reporting happens for 3rd year and 6th year in December and after the mock exams,
9How do I contact a specific teacher?
To contact a particular teacher, please ring the main office and leave a message. The teacher will then contact you when s/he has an opportunity.
10I cannot access VSWare. Who should I contact?
Parents are asked to guard their login details carefully. If you have forgotten your password you can simply reset it at the following link, reset VSware password. If you have forgotten your username you are advised to contact the school office.
Absences and Attendance Procedures
As a general request, the school kindly asks all parents/guardians to make every effort to ensure that their son is in school every day. As far as possible, external appointments should be scheduled outside of school time. Each student is responsible for submitting an accurate note, explaining the reason for any absences. It is always best to make contact with the school to advise of any absence.
1My son has an arranged appointment and will need to leave school during the day. What do I need to do?
The VSware App provides a facility for parents/guardians to submit planned absences in advance. Information on how to do this can be found by clicking on this link.. Alternatively you can use your son’s school journal to indicate the reason your son will be leaving school. Please indicate when your son will be leaving and the expected time of return to school. Whether the note is submitted online or in the journal a student must consult with the relevant Year Head, Deputy Principal or Principal before leaving the school grounds.
2How is attendance recorded/monitored?
Teachers take a roll call in each class which is recorded on VSware. The school monitors attendance carefully and contacts home where necessary. Your son’s attendance record is also available for you to monitor on VSWare and we encourage parents/guardians to do this on a regular basis.
3I believe my son's attendance record is inaccurate on VSWare. What should he do?
A student or parent should contact a class Tutor or Year Head to amend their attendance record if they believe it is incorrect.
4When does the school contact home regarding absenteeism?
As mentioned above, the school monitors attendance carefully. Where a student is missing for a number of consecutive days, the school may call home. This is done as part of our pastoral care responsibility. In instances where the school has not received appropriate communication from home regarding absences, an official notification from the school will be issued after 10 days.
5My son has missed over 20 days of school this year due to illness. What happens next?
Where a student under the age of 16 misses 20 days, or more, the school is legally obliged to send a report to The Child and Family Agency (TUSLA).
School staff monitor the attendance of all students on a regular basis and will make contact with home when necessary
School Policies and Anti-Bullying Procedures
1Where can I find information about relevant school policies?
School policies are available via the school website. Hard copies are available by contacting the school.
2I suspect my son is being bullied in school. What should I do?
The school takes cases of alleged bullying very seriously. If you suspect your son is being bullied, please encourage him to speak to a member of staff. Alternatively, you are asked to contact the relevant year head, deputy principal or principal.
There is no such thing as an acceptable level of bullying. Prompt and appropriate action on behalf of both the home and the school is crucial in ensuring that such cases are kept to a minimum and do not escalate.
3What supports are in place to help prevent bullying?
The school’s pastoral system is central to reducing instances of bullying and ensuring bullying behaviour is addressed in a manner appropriate to our school’s ethos. Each base class has a dedicated class tutor, a teacher with special responsibility for each class group. Each year group has a designated year head. The school also has a dedicated Guidance and Counselling team as part of our pastoral system. All students also engage in education around bullying behaviour through our wellbeing programme.
Curriculum
1What core subjects are studied in first year?
Irish, English, Maths, History, Geography, Religious Education and Wellbeing which includes Physical Education (P.E), Civic, Social and Political Education (C.S.P.E.), Social, Personal and Health Education (S.P.H.E.) are all studied as core subjects in first year. Each student will continue to study all of these subjects in second and third year.
2What other "optional" subjects are studied in first year and for how long?
A Modern European Language (French or German), Business Studies, Science, Graphics, Wood Technology, Visual Art and Music are studied by all students for the duration of first year.
3When do students decide what subjects they will keep on for second year?
Towards the end of first year, students will indicate a preference for 4 of the optional subjects they wish to continue to study for Junior Cycle. The school will then endeavour to accommodate these preferences subject to resources and timetabling constraints. It may not be possible to guarantee all preferences for all students.
4What subjects are offered at Senior Cycle?
Irish, English, Maths, non-exam Religion, non-exam Physical Education and Guidance are studied as core subjects for the Senior Cycle. In addition students select preferences for four subjects form the following list: Applied Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Agricultural Science, Accounting, Business, Economics, French, German, History, Geography, Music, Art, Design & Communication Graphics (DCG), Construction Studies, Physical Education as an exam subject, Religious Education as an exam subject. Whilst every effort will be made to allocate students to their preferred optional subjects, due to resources and timetabling constraints, it may not be possible to accommodate the chosen preferences of every student.
5What if my son is exempt from Irish?
Students who are exempt from the study of Irish will be allocated to a class for students with additional needs at the time when Irish is timetabled.
Academic Matters
1How much homework should my son be doing during the school week?
Homework is assigned regularly. As students differ so much in terms of their ability in specific subject areas and speed of completion of work, it is impossible to be specific as to the amount of time to be spent on a daily basis on homework and revision by each individual student.
There are many forms of homework. Your son will receive specific advice regarding homework from his teachers and the guidance team over the course of his time in the school. Homework is an integral part of school life and all students are encouraged to do their best on a consistent basis.
2My son will be absent from school for a few days, but does not want to miss schoolwork. What should she do?
If your son knows he will be absent for a period of time; he should discuss this with his teacher prior to leaving. The teacher can then suggest extra work if necessary. The school uses Microsoft Teams as a learning and communication platform for students and teachers. Your son will be able to remain in contact with his teachers and classmates through this platform.
3My son is struggling with a particular subject. What should he do?
In the first instance, we encourage students to discuss any difficulties they are having with their subject teacher. If problems persist, parents are welcome to contact the school in order to speak to a particular teacher.
4My son is interested in supervised study. How can I register him for it?
Supervised evening study is available for students from second year onwards. Interested students should contact the office for details.
After School Detention
1What is it?
The school has a comprehensive code of behaviour. Many strategies are in place to make this as effective as possible. In certain circumstances, students may receive the negative sanction of having to attend after school detention.
2Who issues this sanction?
The sanction is issued by an individual teacher. It is recorded by the teacher on VSWare in the ‘Behaviour Section’. A message from the school will issue to parents/guardians as to when the detention will be served. Note: this message will not be sent on immediate issue of the detention. It will be issued by the school detention coordinator.
3When does after school detention take place?
It takes place on Wednesday between 3.50pm and 4.50 pm.
Lockers
1How does my son get access to a locker?
Lockers are assigned at the beginning of the academic year. Your son will receive a key for his locker. It is highly recommended that he gets a copy cut.
2Is there a fee?
Yes, there is a yearly rental fee included in the administration fee which is payable through the VSware App.
3What happens if my son loses his locker key?
He will need to go to a deputy principal who will arrange for a new lock to be fitted. Note: there is a charge associated with changing the lock therefore students are encouraged to keep keys secure with an identifying keyring attached in case it is misplaced.
Digital Platform
1Does the school use a designated online platform?
The school uses the Microsoft Office 365 platform. Each student is given a school email and access to the platform.
2How do I find out more about the platform?
A school statement on our digital learning platform is available on the school website – Please see ‘School Policies’.