Membership
Learn about the Why's and How's of West Cork Sudbury School's Membership Dues.
We will do our very best to accommodate you!
Why is WCSS asking for Membership Dues?
West Cork Sudbury School is a Not-for-profit company and registered Irish Charity*.
The ROI does not provide any funding to institutions who do not follow the set curriculum, which subsequently means WCSS does not receive state funding through the Department of Education or any other state funding. Therefore WCSS has to charge Membership Dues, on a cost sharing basis, to cover all operational costs.
According to the Central Statistics Office Ireland's expenditure on primary education in 2018 was €6,788 per student per year. At secondary level it’s €8,797 per student per year.
Private schools in Ireland which do follow the curriculum received state funding in addition to charging fees between €3,400 and €7,500, of more than €100 million in 2020, with the vast majority of that going towards teacher and SNA salaries.
WCSS receives absolutely no funding and offers a staff-student ratio of 1 staff to 6-7 students which is much higher than in any public or private school.
* CRA 20206027
The path to recognition
WCSS biggest wish for the future is that the Department of Education & Skills will recognise schools like ours as worthy of funding. This kind of change is slow, but we are not without hope when we hear Paul Crone’s (director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD)) suggested interventions for so many students failing in mainstream education. Mr Crone said there was a “blank slate moment” to implement new reforms to bolster the system. "This requires a new vision for education in Ireland, one based on the individual, their aptitudes, and what they can bring to society. When we value each individual, we create for them an environment in which to discover their abilities and skills and flourish. This will encourage students to lead their own education and encourage independent learning." (Full article: Irish Times)
Doesn’t that sound a lot like what we are already doing at WCSS?
WCSS is currently working on forming an Umbrella group for Democratic Schools in Ireland to give our combined voices more weight in lobbying the government for funding.
Accessibility
WCSS has upheld a strong ethical conviction to make WCSS accessible to all incomes,
which means that:
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WCSS’s Membership Dues work on an equitable approach and are therefore based on
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every family's Gross Household Income (GHI). We are asking families who have more, to contribute more in order to offer places to families who have less. On a percentage level, families with an income below the lowest band, actually contribute more relative to their income.
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Staff continue to work for minimum wage but due to the high workload staff do large amounts of unpaid overtime.
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The Board of Management, staff and volunteers put in huge amounts of hours to identify and work on funding avenues in an effort to make WCSS sustainable and to ensure its viability.
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We additionally put a lot of time and energy in securing extra funds through private donations, philanthropy, organised events and also by seeking volunteers within our community throughout the year.
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Grants and Funds: Our position as a Sudbury School makes it especially challenging when it comes to public grants/funding, since all our applications so far have come back to us saying WCSS is not eligible for funding because a) WCSS is a “school” OR b) because WCSS is “not a school”, which is ironic really. Fighting for this model of education in its early stages comes with a lot of obstacles. Failure to secure funding is absolutely not due to a lack of effort, tenacity or creativity on our end.
Membership Dues & GHI
Membership dues based on every family's GHI allow us to achieve the following:
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Accessibility: Make it accessible to families of all incomes to send their children to WCSS. Our Membership Dues work on a solidary approach and are therefore based on every familiy’s Gross Household Income (GHI). Where possible we will offer further subsidies through our Solidarity Fund and/or Membership Dues Assistance Programme.
The maximum contribution we ask for is €6,450/year. -
Family-friendly: We offer sibling subsidies where possible, to allow families to enrol multiple children. Please apply to WCSS's Membership Dues Assistance Programme if you need assistance with sibling placements (see below).
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Sustainability: Ensure the financial viability of the school given that WCSS does not receive funding through the Department of Education & Skills or any other state funding.
Please note: To ensure the financial sustainability of WCSS, GHI bands have to be balanced and therefore not all bands are necessarily available at the time a family applies for a placement. Check table below!
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The Gross Household Income (GHI)
The GHI is the total combined income of the household before taxes are deducted. Each family’s membership dues are assessed using their particular GHI figure.
Please note: Supporting documentation may be requested at any time.
GHI excludes children's allowance and domiciliary care allowance, but includes social welfare payments such as unemployment assistance.
Please contact us if you are unsure of how your Membership Dues are determined, or wish to discuss any aspect of the admissions process. We are all about dialogue!
How are Membership Dues determined?
Each family’s Membership Dues are assessed using their particular
Gross Household Income (GHI) figure, according to the table below:
Regardless of GHI for the duration of
SPRING OFFER
Please note:
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Applications of families who do not wish to disclose their GHI cannot be processed.
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A deposit, equivalent to 1/3 of a family's annual Membership Dues, is due up front to secure the place(s).
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Please find more detailed information about WCSS's Membership Dues in our Enrolment Policy.
How WCSS's Membership Dues have changed over time:
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September 2020: WCSS opened with annual Membership Dues being equivalent to 10% of a family's GHI.
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May 2021: The option of assessing annual Membership Dues based on NET income was introduced for the 10% model.
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May 2022: WCSS changed to a GHI based bracket system with a maximum and minimum contribution.
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May 2023: WCSS's Membership Dues have been adjusted to reflect an increase in minimum wage and inflation rate.
Membership Dues Assistance Programme
Solidarity Fund
A small number of families may qualify for further subsidies, if the school budget allows for such subsidies in the relevant year. We cannot guarantee our budget will allow for this, particularly in our first years but it is an objective that we will rigorously strive for.
The Solidarity Fund can
a) provide fully subsidised placements
OR
b) match the membership dues.
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Please note: If you would like to apply for the Solidarity Fund, please get in contact with us through email or send us a letter.
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If you have any questions please email us to schedule an appointment by phone or in person.