+ Where is the school?

We are located in brand new state of the art, temporary accommodation on the site of the former Greyhound Racing Stadium, Harold’s Cross. This is also the proposed permanent location of our new start of art school which will be built to accommodate 1000 students.

The school is in a great location and is served by a wide range of excellent transport links and is therefore extremely accessible. The planning process for our permanent accommodation is ongoing. You can view all plans and accompanying documentation for our permanent building at Citizen Portal Planning (agileapplications.ie). Our planning reference number 2851/21.

Our full address is as follows:

Harold’s Cross Educate Together Secondary School,151-153 Harold's Cross Rd, Dublin, D6W HP44.

+ What facilities has the school?

Temporary Accommodation

We are currently based temporary accommodation on our permanent site. We share the campus with Harold’s Cross Educate Together National School with whom we will move onto our permanent site once our two new school buildings are constructed.

Outdoor:

We are delighted to have access to a large yard for break and lunchtime as well as a range of sporting activities. We are extremely fortunate to also be situated across the road from Harold’s Cross Park and be located close to a number of sporting organisations who kindly permit us to utilise their playing facilities.

Indoor:

Our complex has 30 bright and well-ventilated classrooms. a state-of-the-art technology and art hybrid room with 3-printer, laser cutter and soldering equipment, fully equipped Science and Home Economics rooms.

+ What are the school hours?

+ What are the school drop-off arrangements in morning?

We operate a park n’ stride system for students who get dropped off to school via car. Parents are requested to drop their children off at a safe location close to the school. There is no parking or set down area at our school. We ask that parents do not use the front entrance area on Harold’s Cross Road to drop off their child.

+ What are the school collection arrangements?

Please arrange to collect your child in a safe location nearby. A member of staff will supervise students as they leave school.

+ At what time can I drop my child off?

There is supervision of all of our students from 8.05am daily.

+ Who do I contact if I am worried about my child?

In general, please use the following lines of communication:

• If you are concerned about a particular subject, then contact the subject teacher.
• If you are concerned that your child is anxious or worried about something, then please contact their Class Tutor.

+ Who do I contact if my child will be absent from school?

You should enter the absent notification on the school app. You can also email the School Office at office@hcetss.ie. Our School Administrator will notify all relevant Teachers.

+ Covid-19

We appreciate how concerned you will be about your children returning to school during this pandemic and we want to assure you that that we are working extremely hard to implement the most robust and effective COVID-19 Response Plan, in line with both Public Health and Department of Education and Skills guidelines. The health and wellbeing of our Students and Staff are of paramount importance to us and we will do everything we can to ensure we are all as safe as possible in our school environment.

No teacher, parent or child should attend an educational setting if unwell, or if any member of their household is unwell or displaying symptoms consistent with Covid-19. Please note, in order to help limit the amount of people entering the school premises, it will not be possible for parents to drop off forgotten lunches, or equipment.

Enrolled Students in the school, will receive a COVID-19 return to school plan and will receive training on the first day of term.

+ Do I need to call if my child will be late for school?

We will introduce a school app during the year which will facilitate contact but for now please either call the school office, or email at office@hcetss.ie if your child is going to be late. If your child is running a few minutes late, please ensure that they come to the office to sign in upon arrival. Failure to do so will result in your child being marked absent. We ask that parents, guardians and carers ensure their child arrives at school before 8.20am.

+ What do I do if my child needs to leave early?

If your child needs to leave school early, please enter the early leave notification on the school app . You can also email the school office at office@hcetss.ie. The School Administrator will notify all relevant Teachers.

+ What happens if my child is frequently absent from school?

We are obliged to inform Túsla, the Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency, in the case of any student who is absent from school on twenty or more days during the school year. This is a legal requirement that we must fulfil regardless of the reason for absences. You will be informed in writing in advance if Túsla has to be contacted.

+ What is the school policy on mobile phones?

One of the key priorities for us is to continue building positive relationships in our school. Positive relationships are fundamental to the learning environment that we aspire to create. To achieve this, we need your support with our mobile phone policy.

We want to create an environment where students are focused on their learning, building social connections and are not distracted by mobile phones. We recommend that students do not bring mobile phones on to the school campus. To facilitate this, you can always pass a message to your child during the school day through the school office. Similarly, if your child wishes to contact you, they can use the school phone.

However, if your child wishes to bring a phone in to school, they must switch it off and lock it away in their locker before 8.20am each morning. Phones can only be accessed at the end of the school day after the last lesson.

We ask that you consider the following before allowing your son/daughter to bring their mobile phone to school.

• Mobile phones are valuable items which may lead to theft. The school is not responsible for replacing a lost, stolen or damaged phone.
• Use of camera phones can lead to child protection and data protection issues.

If a mobile phone is used without permission, it will be confiscated, placed in a zip lock bag and locked away in the school office for collection by a parent/guardian who will need to make an appointment prior to collection. We want to have minimal exchange of items/materials between any members of our school community given Covid-19 guidelines so your support with our policy is essential.

Students are not permitted to enter the Wi-Fi code for the school into any personal device apart from their iPad.

+ What areas of the school are out of bounds?

As part of the induction process for students, we talk to students about areas on the site which are out of bounds due to health & safety issues, or which we cannot supervise.

+ What can I do to help my child settle into school?

By helping them to come to school on time and with everything they need. Encourage involvement in extracurricular activities. Follow HSE guidelines on Covid-19 symptoms. By encouraging good habits around sleep, screen time, eating, exercise, social distancing, good hand hygiene, use of face masks and homework. By reading app notifications (when it is launched) and checking our school calendar. By contacting us if you are concerned or if you notice anything that worries you.

+ What equipment/books will we need to buy?

Each student will need to purchase an iPad and these will be used as the main learning resource.

+ What costs are associated with the iPad?

There is a payment plan for the iPad, case, servicing and optional insurance, or the total cost can be paid up front through Wriggle. Full details will be provided on enrolment.

+ What IT access is useful at home?

Your child’s iPad will have all the functionality required but will need access to Wi-Fi to access Office365.

+ What kind of behaviour do we expect?

Our pillar values are kindness, creativity an effort. We expect that students will be kind, open-minded, polite and that they will always give of their best. We expect that they will take pride in their school community and that they will look out for each other. Students should note that we will not tolerate bullying or disrespectful behaviour. We expect that all members of the school community will engage with each other with courtesy and consideration.

+ How can parents become involved in school life?

We welcome offers of help from parents/guardians/carers. If you have a skill which you can share, then please contact the school office (office@hcetss.ie). There are two parent nominees on Board of Management. Once established, our Parent/Staff Association will be looking for volunteers.

+ How are lockers managed?

Lockers will be managed by a company called LockerFix. Each student will be allocated a locker for the school year and each locker can be locked securely.

+ Do you have an ASD class (a class for children with an Autistic Spectrum Diagnosis)?

Yes, we opened our first AS class in September 2021. This was an important step for us in our journey into becoming a fully inclusive school community. We will open three further AS classes when we move into our permanent accommodation.