School Records and Returns

Last updated: 16th February 2023

All schools are required to submit to the Department of Education their "September Returns" detailing required information on staffing and timetabling for the school year. The "October Returns" provide essential information to the DES on the enrolment of students and their needs for the year. The timely submission of the October Returns ensures that the allocation of teaching posts and funding can be notified to schools as early as possible. It also allows information on entrants for the State Examinations to be forwarded to the State Examinations Commission to allow that body to make the necessary preparations for oral, practical and written examinations.

In the year 2014 the Department of Education developed a Post-primary Online Database (P-POD) to collect the information that the Department requires from schools. From the academic year 2014/2015 onwards all Post-primary Schools are obliged to complete their September and October Returns through P-POD. CL38/2014 details the revised arrangements. P-POD is accessed through www.esinet.ie. Most schools are already familiar with this site as it hosts the Online Claims System OLCS. There is a comprehensive Quick Reference Manual available through the Help tab on the P-POD landing page.

Information entered on P-POD can be synchronised with a school's internal management system. The level of synchronisation is dependent on the In School Management System being operated by the school. The purpose of synchronisation is to minimise the level of double entry into computerised management systems of student information, particularly new entrants to schools. The Department of Education has prepared a Guide for the Initial Synchronisation of Data from P-POD which is available on the Department of Education web-site; Guide to P-Pod Synchronisation

From the 2016/17 school year all post primary schools are required to seek additional information in respect of new entrants to their schools and to return this information via the Post-Primary Online Database (P-POD) as part of the annual October Returns.

The information on students sought by the Department is

  • Nationality

  • Whether English or Irish is the mother tongue of the student?

  • Ethnic and Cultural background of the student [To be answered on a voluntary basis]

This information is defined as Personal Data under Data Protection legislation and schools must ensure that necessary policies and procedures are in place to comply with the General Data Protection (GDPR) which came into force on 25th May 2018

ACCS has, in collaboration with JMB and CPSMA, developed the ACCS Data Protection Policy for Schools to support the school in meeting its responsibilities with regard to the processing of personal data.