Admissions

.We are very proud to be the oldest primary school in Belfast and are looking forward to celebrating our 180th Birthday in 2021. When the pupils put on our school uniform they become part of the Forth River family.  We are fortunate to have a modern building with extensive grounds and a  nature garden on our site.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many children are in each class?

We have one class for each year group. Each class has approximately 30 pupils.

How many pupils attend Forth River?

There are currently 212 pupils on our roll.

What are the admissions criteria?

Admissions Criteria:

1. Children who have reached compulsory school age at the time of their proposed admission, including those children born on or between 1st April 2019 and 1st July 2019 (inclusive) and children born before 1st April 2019 but with a due date on or after 1st April 2019 whose parents deferred their admission to primary school in September 2023, and are resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission will be selected for admission before any child not resident.

2. If the number of applicants who satisfy criterion one exceeds the admissions number, the following sub-criteria will be applied successively and in the order stated:

2.1 children who, at the time of their application, have a child of the family* currently enrolled at the school (indicate name(s) and year group(s).

2.2 children who, at the time of their application, are the eldest child of the family eligible to apply for admission to the school, for example, the eldest or only child of the family; where a child is more than 7 years younger than their next eldest sibling; where the eldest sibling is not eligible to attend mainstream school; where a family has moved residence.

Tie-Break – in the event of oversubscription in the last criteria that can be applied above then the children will be selected by the random selection of letters: children will be selected for admission on the basis of initial letter(s) of surname (as entered on Birth Certificate) in the order set out below:

L  G  F  D  B  Q  N  Mac  P  V  M  R  U  Y  A  O  W  I  E  C  X  K  Mc  T  H  S  J  Z

This order was determined by random selection.

In the event of surnames beginning with the same initial letter, the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in alphabetical order. In the event of two identical surnames, the alphabetical order of the initials of the forenames will be used.

How do I apply for a Primary One place?

All applications must be completed on-line. Please click the link to the Education Authority website for the most up to date details (eani.org.uk)

My child has additional needs, will they get extra support?

We are fortunate to have a teacher to support children with additional needs in reading and literacy. We also have a part-time teacher providing support for children with social and emotional difficulties. This support is usually in the format of small groups.

Do you have a breakfast club?

Yes, breakfast club opens it's doors at 8am. Children can have cereal, toast and juice. The cost is 50 pence per day.

What provision do you have for outdoor play?

Primary 1 and 2 classes share a playground, we also have a courtyard area for outdoor play. Weather permitting, we use the outside areas as much as possible. The Primary 1 children have great fun visiting the nature garden.