Admissions

Applications for the admission of children for 2024/2025 school year will be taken in line with the process for admissions from the Department of Education.

You will find out the outcome of your application for 2024 on Thursday 25th April via the Admissions Portal


Please click on the link below for our Admissions Criteria 2024/2025. This is the criteria we adhere to when allocating places. If you wish to discuss our criteria then please contact the Pre School Leader by email kyliescott.stbernardspreschool@hotmail.com

https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/types-of-school/school-type/pre-school/st-bernards-pre-school-ed-centre-pg-belfast


The Pre-School application portal on the Education Authority website opens in January for approximately 3 weeks for intake for September of that year. We do not accept applications before January and we do not operate a ‘first come first served basis’ and any applications beyond the closing date will be considered as ‘late’ and applications made within the above timescale will be considered first.

You will apply via the Education Authority website by registering on the Admissions Portal (with your email and password) this is what you will use to make your application, upload any documents and find out the outcome of your application.

If you wish to defer your child’s Pre School year and you are eligible, then you do not need to apply until the following year.

We do not offer Pre Pre places.


If you select St. Bernard’s Pre School as your first preference then may also need to provide us with supporting documents alongside your child’s birth certificate and this can be done online via the portal (refer to our Criteria for requested documentation). We may also require/request supporting documentation for other preference choices. Any applicant that is in receipt of benefit defined under the ‘Socially Disadvantaged’ criterion must provide verification.


If all 26 spaces have been allocated then we offer a Waiting List. All children who are not placed will automatically be placed onto our Waiting List. We will be in contact if a place comes available and order of Waiting List is line with the Admissions Criteria (for example someone who placed us as 2nd Preference will be higher on the Waiting List than someone who placed us as 4th Preference – exceptions to this would be if the child is from Socially Disadvantaged circumstances)


You will be notified if your child has been allocated a place at the end of April 2024. You will be able to access the Portal on the Education Authority website in which you used when applying for Pre School places, to view the outcome of your application.

If you have issues in accessing/navigating the Portal, please contact the Pre School Leader by email : kyliescott.stbernardspreschool@hotmail.com.

For further information, please visit the Education Authority website: – www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions