Irish School Website and Policy Publication Checklist

This checklist is for principals, school secretaries and BOM chairpersons who need to check what the school displays, makes available, and publishes - and whether it is all current and approved. Irish schools do not work from a single statutory list of what must be published online. Instead, obligations and good practice come from the Children First Act 2015, the Education Act 1998, Department of Education circulars, and Whole School Evaluation (WSE) expectations.

This checklist pulls those strands together into one practical document covering what should be displayed in the school building, what should be available to parents and staff on request, what should be published on the school website, what inspectors may ask to see during a WSE, and how to keep version control tidy across all of it. Run through it at least once a year, and again before any significant inspection or governance review. For the fuller explanation behind each item, see What Irish Schools Need to Display or Make Available, which this checklist is designed to sit alongside.

Physical display (in the school building)

Some things need to be visible in the building itself, not just filed away or referenced online.

  • Child Safeguarding Statement displayed prominently in the school (this is a statutory requirement under the Children First Act 2015)
  • Child Safeguarding Statement is the current version - reviewed within the last 12 months or when circumstances changed
  • Any notices required by your patron or trust body are displayed and current
  • BOM composition or contact information displayed (if required by patron)

Available to parents on request

These documents do not necessarily need to be on display or online, but a parent asking for them should be able to get a current, BOM-approved copy without delay.

  • Code of Behaviour: current, BOM-approved, and can be provided to any parent who asks
  • Admissions/Enrolment policy: current, BOM-approved, and available to prospective parents
  • Child Safeguarding Statement: available to any person who requests it (not just displayed)
  • Anti-Bullying Policy: current and accessible to parents
  • SSE plan/school plan: accessible to parents on request
  • Any policy that directly affects students' school experience is accessible to parents

Available to staff

Staff need more than knowledge that a policy exists - they need to know where it is and be able to get to it, including substitute teachers and new starters.

  • Child Safeguarding Statement: accessible to all staff
  • Designated Liaison Person (DLP) name and reporting procedures: known to all staff
  • Code of Behaviour: accessible to all staff
  • All policies relevant to staff roles and responsibilities are accessible to staff
  • New staff receive copies of relevant policies (or are directed to where they are held) as part of induction

School website (if the school has a website)

Publishing policies online is good practice and increasingly expected by parents and patrons, even though it is not mandated through a single fixed online publication list. If your school has a website, check the following.

  • Admissions/Enrolment policy published on the website and current
  • Child Safeguarding Statement published or clearly accessible from the website
  • Anti-Bullying Policy published or accessible from the website
  • Code of Behaviour published or accessible from the website
  • All policies published on the website show a review/approval date
  • No significantly out-of-date policies are still published on the website
  • School contact information and principal's name are current on the website
  • BOM composition published or available on request (if patron requires or school chooses)

Documents inspectors may ask to see during WSE

None of these are certain to come up, and this list should not be read as a formal WSE requirement - it reflects the kind of governance and policy evidence inspectors commonly ask about. Treat it as a preparation aid, not a script.

  • Child Safeguarding Statement - current, signed, displayed
  • Child Safeguarding Statement risk assessment - underlying document available
  • Code of Behaviour - current, BOM-approved
  • Admissions policy - current, BOM-approved
  • Anti-Bullying Policy - current, BOM-approved
  • SSE plan - current and accessible
  • BOM meeting minutes - complete and accessible for inspection
  • Any subject plans or whole-school plans relevant to the WSE focus area
  • Finance records relevant to a financial governance check (if applicable)

For a broader run-through of evidence preparation beyond publication, see Preparing School Evidence Before Whole School Evaluation.

Version control and approval records

Publication and display are only meaningful if what is on show is actually the current, approved version. This is the section that most often reveals gaps.

  • Every document displayed or made available shows a review/approval date
  • The BOM minutes record when key policies were approved (with version and next review date)
  • The version on display or available to parents matches the BOM-approved version - not a draft
  • When a new policy version is approved by the BOM, the old version is replaced or archived
  • There is a record of when each key document was last reviewed and who approved it

If your BOM does not currently keep this kind of approval trail, Policy Approval Records: What Boards of Management Should Keep covers what a workable record looks like.

What to do with gaps

Every unchecked box above is an action, not a note. Assign a named owner (usually the principal, secretary, or a nominated BOM member), set a target date, and log it in the BOM action log so it is tracked to completion - the same way you would track any other governance follow-up.

Do not treat publication gaps as lower priority than internal governance gaps. A missing or out-of-date policy on the website, or a Code of Behaviour that cannot be produced quickly for a parent, is the visible face of the BOM's governance. It is often the first thing a parent, patron, or inspector actually sees.

For the underlying discipline behind keeping this consistent - not just as a one-off exercise - see Policy Governance Best Practice for Boards of Management and School Policy Publication Best Practice in Ireland.

FAQ

Do Irish schools have to publish policies on their website by law? No. Irish schools do not work from a single fixed statutory online publication list. Most publication and display expectations come from a combination of the Children First Act 2015, the Education Act 1998, Department of Education circulars and WSE expectations, rather than one single legal requirement. The clear exception is the Child Safeguarding Statement, which must be displayed in the school under the Children First Act 2015.

What is the one thing that is a definite legal requirement? Displaying the current Child Safeguarding Statement prominently in the school. Everything else in this checklist reflects strong practice and what schools should have available, rather than a fixed statutory online publication list.

How often should we run this checklist? At least once a year, and again before any significant governance review or expected WSE. Many schools also run it after any policy is newly approved, to confirm the published or displayed version was updated to match.

Who should own this check in the school? Usually the principal or school secretary carries out the check, with the BOM chairperson signing off on the outcome and any gaps logged as BOM actions. It should not rest solely with one person's memory of what is where.

What if we do not have a school website? The website section does not apply, but every other section still does - physical display, availability to parents and staff, and WSE-ready evidence. A school without a website should be especially careful that the "available on request" and "available to staff" sections are watertight, since there is no online fallback.

See how Edvance helps

Most schools already have these documents somewhere - the harder part is knowing which version is current, which has been BOM-approved, and where a parent, staff member or inspector would actually find it. Edvance helps Irish schools maintain governance documents in an organised, version-controlled way, so this kind of publication and display check becomes a routine review rather than a scramble. Book a governance readiness demo to see how it works.

Jurisdiction note

This article applies to schools in Ireland and reflects the Children First Act 2015, the Education Act 1998, and current Department of Education expectations, including those relevant to Whole School Evaluation. Obligations in this area can evolve - always check current Department of Education circulars and confirm specific requirements with your patron or trust body. This article is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Irish schools have to publish policies on their website by law?

No. Irish schools do not work from a single fixed statutory online publication list. Most publication and display expectations come from the Children First Act 2015, the Education Act 1998, Department of Education circulars and WSE expectations.

What is the one thing that is a definite legal requirement?

Displaying the current Child Safeguarding Statement prominently in the school. Everything else in this checklist reflects strong practice and what schools should have available.

How often should we run this checklist?

At least once a year, and again before any significant governance review or expected WSE. Many schools also run it after any policy is newly approved.

Who should own this check in the school?

Usually the principal or school secretary carries out the check, with the BOM chairperson signing off on the outcome and any gaps logged as BOM actions.

What if we do not have a school website?

The website section does not apply, but every other section still does: physical display, availability to parents and staff, and WSE-ready evidence.