DIOCESE
OF
MEATH
Diocesan Education Contact
Mr. Matt Melvin
Education Secretariat
Meath Diocesan Office,
Dublin Road,
Mullingar,
County Westmeath N91 DW32
Tel 044-9348841 | 044-9342038
Email: education@dioceseofmeath.ie
Diocesan Secondary Schools
Saint Finian's College,
Mullingar
Coláiste Choilm
Saint Patrick's Classical School
Saint Mary's College,
Drogheda
Primary Education
All matters concerning the management of Primary Schools
Mr. Matt Melvin, Diocesan Secretary for Education.
All matters concerning the management of Primary Schools are handled by Rev Paul Connell, Diocesan Secretary for Education.
A team of primary school catechists visit every primary school during the school term to gauge and encourage teachers in transmitting the Primary School Catechetics Programme.
Information is regularly sought on the Appointments Procedure for Primary Schools. Many helpful links are available on the link below.
Garda Vetting Update for Clergy and School Principals
Where possible, please type the information on the form and print (rather than handwritting) before sending it to Bishop’s House, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
Any forms that do not include a date of birth and email address will be returned to the applicant. If the applicant does not have an email address, the applicant should ask the Parish Priest or Principal for permission to cite the parish or school email address.
The applicant should post only the application form to the Diocesan Office. The identity documents (copy of passport and utility bill) are shown only to the Parish Priest or Principal; due to data protection laws, these documents should not be sent to the Diocesan Office. The applicant should not send the details of previous addresses to the Diocesan Office; these details are only cited online for the attention of the Garda Vetting Bureau. The applicant should also be informed, as indicated above, that the application will expire after 30 days so it must be completed promptly.
Points to be noted (as directed by An Garda Siochana):
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DO NOT send this form directly to the National Vetting Bureau or to any Garda Station.
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The Applicant refers to the person seeking employment or wishing to volunteer.
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All applicants will be required to provide documents to validate their identity (Passport or Driving Licence) as well as to verify the applicant’s current address (recent utility bill or bank statement).
Personal Information Section on Vetting Invitation Form:
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Insert details for each field, allowing one block letter per box.
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For Date of Birth, allow one digit per box in the format DDMMYYYY.
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Don’t leave any spaces in the Email Box.
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For Job/Role/Position/Ministry, please be specific e.g. Special Needs Assistant, Caretaker, Priest, Choir Leader, Sacristan etc.
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Ensure that the Applicant’s Signature field is signed and the Date Field is filled in.
Parish Priest/Chairperson of BOM/School Principal Section:
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This section should only be completed by one of the above and not by the Applicant.
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Insert details for each field as applicable.
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Don’t leave any spaces in Email Box.
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For School Roll Number, this should be completed when applicant is applying for a role in a school.
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Signature Field must be completed by the Parish Priest/Chairperson of BOM/School Principal.
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Please tick the Box indicating that the Applicant has provided documentation to validate their identity.
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Please indicate the documents that were provided.
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These points to be noted are both specific and detailed; they are issued by the Garda Vetting Office and compliance is necessary for the vetting application to be successfully completed.
Second Level Education
Contacts for Secondary Education
The secondary school catechetics programme and chaplaincy service is facilitated by Mr. Seán Wright.
Contact details for Secondary School Principals and Chaplains are available below.
Post-Primary Diocesan Schools are located in Mullingar, Navan, Athboy, Kells, Trim, Tullamore and Drogheda.
Click here for the questionnaire which Secondary School Principals are required to return annually to the Office for Post-Primary Catechetics.
Chaplaincy
Second Level Chaplains
The secondary school catechetics programme and chaplaincy service is facilitated by Mr. Seán Wright.
Contact details for Secondary School Principals and Chaplains are available below.
Post-Primary Diocesan Schools are located in Mullingar, Navan, Athboy, Kells, Trim, Tullamore and Drogheda.
Click here for the questionnaire which Secondary School Principals are required to return annually to the Office for Post-Primary Catechetics.
Role of the Chaplain
The Chaplain works in harmony with the Principal and teachers of the school along with the families, communities and parishes of the students. They seek to know all students within the school and endeavors to meet individually, all first and sixth year students. They are involved in ensuring that retreats are made available for all students so that they may have the opportunity to reflect and develop a sense of awe, wonder and mystery.
They are involved with students who have suffered a bereavement or are experiencing personal difficulties. They liaise with the tutors and year heads over matters relating to the formation of the students and provides assistance as appropriate. They work with all staff to create a well balanced school community, involving themselves in the life of the school and are present at major events in the student’s school life.
They aim to encourage and foster an awareness of spirituality within the school to provide the students with an opportunity to express their own religious identity, through liturgies, retreats and other religions and non-religious occasions.
The Chaplain aims to be available “any time, any place, any where” to all members of the school community – students, staff, parents and to develop an open and trusting relationship with all those with whom they come into contact as a companion on the journey of life.
CPSMA
Useful Links
SCHOOL BUILDINGS (DES Guide to Planning and Building Unit)
CHILD PROTECTION (Guidelines from DES)
Welcome to the Primary School Management Page. Here we hope you will find an answer to some of the
questions you have about Primary Schools in our Diocese. We also provide some links to pages that will be of assistance to Boards of Management in relation to the running of your particular school. If you have any questions that are not answered here you can contact the Diocesan Secretary for Education:
Fr Brendan Ludlow e-mail. cpsma@dioceseofmeath.ie
PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN THE DIOCESE OF MEATH
Bishop Michael Smith is the Patron of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Meath, covering the most of counties Meath, Westmeath, Offaly, and parts of Louth, Longford, Cavan and Dublin.
When you enter a school in our diocese you will see a copy of the School Charter.
A Roman Catholic School (which is established in connection with the Minister) aims at promoting the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil, intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual, including a living relationship with God and with other people.
The school models and promotes a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Catholic School provides religious education for the pupils in accordance with the doctrines, practices and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church and promotes the formation of pupils in the Catholic Faith.
The Charter defines the goals of Education in a Catholic School.
Our Schools, with quality teachers and and ancillary staff, are managed of behalf of the Patron by Boards of Management.
Each Board of Management is composed as follows:
2 nominees of the Patron (one of whom is Chairperson)
2 Elected members of the Parents/Guardians
1 School Principal
1 Elected representative of the teaching staff
These six people meet and nominate 2 further members of the community to be co-opted onto the Board. Ideally, these 2 people are not parents/guardians, but people from the wider Parish community who have particular gifts and expertise to bring to the Board. This emphasizes the importance of the school in the Parish not only for the Parents and children of a particular generation but for the whole community.
These 8 members constitute the Board of Management. Each Board is nominated by the Patron to the Department of Education and Science (DES) and receives the approval of the State.
New Boards of Management were established on 01 December 2007 and will serve for 4 years.
Each school in the diocese should have a Parents’ Association, and Boards of Management are asked to encourage the parents/guardians to organize an Association. The National Parents’ Council (Primary) will assist schools in forming a Parents Association. The elected Parent representatives to the Board of Management are ex-officio members of the Parents’ Association.