Which School?

RuthieRose

I need some help. Just had a little boy and I have been advised to enroll him ASAP in a Primary school. After chatting with the husband we have a couple of things we are looking for in a school and being just a pair of blow-ins I thought it best to ask ye lot!
We are looking for...
1. Easy commute from Knocknacarra (walking or cycling distance would be good but will consider anything as we pass through the city for work daily)
2. Obviously high standard of education (enthuastic teachers) and good facilities. Small class size is probably not an option but it would be nice as we both went to country schools.
3. We would like to give our baby a good range of sporting options and we are both Rugby fans (husband played), swimming is very important and so is GAA as well as gymnastics etc. He will obviously be doing alot of these things outside of school but it would be nice to have him (and us) with like minded people.
4. Good link to a good secondary school that has a Rugby team. A good one would be a bonus as we would like him to have to option to play.

There will be a million questions to ask the school when we go to enroll him but if I could narrow it to about 5 or 6 then it would be a help.
Thanks in advance
RR

biko

If you just had him now then it'll be 4-5 years before he starts?

You can find schools here and then google each to see what curriculum they have today www.schooldays.ie/articles/primary-Schools-in-Ireland-by-County or www.education.ie/home/home.jsp?pcategory=10917&ecategory=12016&language=EN

There aren't many rugby playing secondary schools in Galway - the Bish, the Jes and Endas.

I don't think any primary school plays rugby.

ronnie3585

biko wrote: »

If you just had him now then it'll be 4-5 years before he starts?

The demand for some schools is so high that the kids need to be enrolled that soon.

I think the Jes meets all the requirements that you posted above. I didn't go there myself but I've have four or five cousins there at the minute and both the kids and parents couldn't be happier with the place.

It is a particularly difficult school to get into though. I believe they unashamedly discriminate in favour of applicants who have family or have had family in the school. It seems par for the course that you need to have the childs name down very early though so it wouldn't hurt to sign the little guy up now.

Mrs OBumble

biko wrote: »

If you just had him now then it'll be 4-5 years before he starts?

Standard advice is to enrol them at this stage, so they have the place when it's needed.

I'm told that crafty parents actually enrol in several different schools and then choose which one they want later on.

And polite craft parents tell the other schools that they didn't choose as early as possible (eg six months before the kid is due to start) so that the place can be given to someone else.

OP, if I was you I'd be keeping my options open: at this stage, you have no idea whether he will be a rugby player, computer geek, musician or ballet dancer. The latter may not be something you want to even think about, but it's always possible!

Sponge Bob

Endas are hardly elite right now but in 14 years time they may be the best rugby school in all of Connacht. There is a primary school in Knocknacarra ( behind Sheridans ) thru English and another west of there thru Irish. To get into the latter will require your child attends all Irish preschooling as well as enrollment virtually from the womb.

gaeilgegrinds1

You'd definately want to get him enrolled asap. We've our lad enrolled in a few, all the Irish schools and a few others. What type of ethos do ye want at secondary cos I think looking forward is more important really?

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Well St. Pats fills all the criteria. I think the most important thing is a link to a good secondary school which is the main reason I, and many others went to Pats (strong bond with the Bish, which is hands down the best public school in galway with regards to education). They also had an emphasis on rugby (tag obviously but it was a good few years ago since I went). Traditionally though, they're a GAA school. Oh yeah, it's an all boys school and it only starts at 2nd class though.
If not Pats them I would say Scoil Fhursa (gaelscoil). Probably the best primary school for education but afaik not a great emphasis on sport.
Hope this helps!!

Xiney

Sorry, I know it's how it works here but all I keep thinking about is that episode of Daria where the Morgandorffer's are over at another couple's house and they have a toddler who's carrying around a "my first PSAT book" or something.

RuthieRose

Thanks folks for all your advice.
The reason I have the Rugby thng in mind is because its a team sport that covers a wide range of capability.
Tag, union, league and all the differnet positions means a wide range of capabilities are catered for. GAA on the other hand is very specilized so I am thinking ahead with regards to his sporting capabilities.
The Ethos of the school is very important I agree. I do like the Bish ethos "For God and Country" where as the Jez ethos is more centered rounf the individual. Personally I don't know if any of them take their own ethos very seriously. I know my old school didn't!

Does anyone know what Primary school the Jez is linked to? I think I might need to brush up on the auld Irish.

?Cee?view

The Jes Primary is Scoil Iognáid. It's on Raleigh Row, behind the secondary.

The secondary is Coláiste Iognáid, on Sea Road.

Main difference really between the Jes and the Bish is that the Jes is Coed. Years ago the Bish was better academically, but I think that the Jes has overtaken it as regards results its pupils get.

One big problem. It's virtually impossible to get into the primary. If you've no family connections e.g. one of you having gone there (which it seems you don't), you need to get your kid into the Scoil Iognáid Naoinra (like a Montessori), or the child hasn't a hope of getting into the primary - or so I'm told. That said, it's extremely difficult to get into the naoinra as well.

The headmistress of the primary is a lovely lady and if shes not up to her eyes I'm sure she'd discuss it with you, but she will have literally hundreds of people asking her the same thing. You should be aware that her husband is the headmaster of the secondary.

Good luck!

mumto3

Hi,
I know its good to have piece of mind and to have your child enrolled asap,but i think thats all it is-piece of mind!Your sonwill have no problems getting a place in most schools in the city.
I was just a blow in to galway when my son started school 5years ago,and without getting to know people and their knowledge on schools i enroled him at scoil bhride in shantalla..a school i would highly recomend dodgeing!!He had no problem getting in and i only enrolled him at summer just before he started.
Having been in galway a number of years now,i wonder what i was thinking!!I have never come accross a worst school in all my years,and i have been to many in my time!
Last october i had enough of the place and took both him and my daughter out of it,and within 2 days they were in the mercy and st pats.
Both schools i can not speak highly enough about,my daughter gets free lunch in the mercy,and 5 euro a term she does an hour of gymnastics a week after school.
the mercy has a playschool which is run by 2 very nice woman,and also offers after school pick up and childcare and the mercy is where most boys start of until the get to second class where most cross the road to st pats,again a great school,with lots of sports.
Take your time to get to know the different areas,talk to parents who have kids in school,youv got plenty of time to enroll him,i got mine in to schools within days!!

?Cee?view

mumto3 wrote: »

Hi,

I was just a blow in to galway when my son started school 5years ago....He had no problem getting in and i only enrolled him at summer just before he started.

The issue now is that birth rates are at an all time high while a few years ago they were much lower and it was much easier to enrol a child. Even though last October you changed easily to another school, you were changing to a "higher" class than babies, so you still wouldn't have to deal with the higher birth rate.

OP, get the kids name down asap!

xxGalwayGirlxx

Scoil Iognaid

jwcurtin

I know it has no rugby connections at all but Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, just off the Cappagh Road, is a brilliant school. When i left, sport equip was very good, Gaelic and Hurling training after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Teachers are very enthusiastic, love their job, and there are after school things like French etc. I went through 8 years of the school and loved it, and the best thing, probably walking distance (4 minute cycle/10 minute walk) plus most of his friend will live locally. I went to Colaiste Na Coirbe, but that said, a few (who are into rugby) went to the Jez, and are on the squad Get in contact with Dairiona (the principal) , and at least have his name down!

Das Kitty

jwcurtin wrote:

I know it has no rugby connections at all but Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, just off the Cappagh Road, is a brilliant school. When i left, sport equip was very good, Gaelic and Hurling training after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Teachers are very enthusiastic, love their job, and there are after school things like French etc. I went through 8 years of the school and loved it, and the best thing, probably walking distance (4 minute cycle/10 minute walk) plus most of his friend will live locally. I went to Colaiste Na Coirbe, but that said, a few (who are into rugby) went to the Jez, and are on the squad Get in contact with Dairiona (the principal) , and at least have his name down!

I hear Colaiste na coiribe are getting good at sports now. Did they win some all Ireland Schools football tournament this year? When I went there we were useless, probably because there were only a handful of us to fill the teams. The fact that I was on the basketball team speaks volumes about their desperation to fill the team at the time!

+1 for gaelscoil mhic amhlaigh from reports of friends with kids there and others who taught there.

lion_bar

RuthieRose wrote: »

I need some help. Just had a little boy and I have been advised to enroll him ASAP in a Primary school. After chatting with the husband we have a couple of things we are looking for in a school and being just a pair of blow-ins I thought it best to ask ye lot!
We are looking for...
1. Easy commute from Knocknacarra (walking or cycling distance would be good but will consider anything as we pass through the city for work daily)
2. Obviously high standard of education (enthuastic teachers) and good facilities. Small class size is probably not an option but it would be nice as we both went to country schools.
3. We would like to give our baby a good range of sporting options and we are both Rugby fans (husband played), swimming is very important and so is GAA as well as gymnastics etc. He will obviously be doing alot of these things outside of school but it would be nice to have him (and us) with like minded people.
4. Good link to a good secondary school that has a Rugby team. A good one would be a bonus as we would like him to have to option to play.

There will be a million questions to ask the school when we go to enroll him but if I could narrow it to about 5 or 6 then it would be a help.
Thanks in advance
RR

Sounds like you need a good gaelscoil followed by a Leinster boarding school.

?Cee?view

lion_bar wrote: »

Sounds like you need a good gaelscoil followed by a Leinster boarding school.

Scoil Iognáid followed by Clongowes! Both (if only nominally) Jesuit.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

churchview wrote: »

Main difference really between the Jes and the Bish is that the Jes is Coed. Years ago the Bish was better academically, but I think that the Jes has overtaken it as regards results its pupils get.
QUOTE]
Eh, no it hasn't. A lot of Jes pupils leave for Yeats. And only two or three years ago the Bish was ranked joint 1st in the country for % of students going into college.

jwcurtin

Ah i have it, The Gaelscoil, followed by Terenure College!

?Cee?view

THFC wrote: »

Eh, no it hasn't. A lot of Jes pupils leave for Yeats. And only two or three years ago the Bish was ranked joint 1st in the country for % of students going into college.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00681/The_top_400_seconda_681535a.pdf

Note, number 37 (Coláiste Iognáid) and Number 65 (St. Joseph's College)

What I find interesting about this is that the Bish, which some would claim is more narrowly academically driven, is nearly 30 places behind the Jes (i.e. a lot behind), in a survey which narrowly measures academic performance. So in the Jes, you get the real-world coeducational experience, the possibility of avoiding streaming based on perceived ability and the bonus of top-class academic results.

?Cee?view

jwcurtin wrote: »

Ah i have it, The Gaelscoil, followed by Terenure College!

Gaelscoil to Gick!

jwcurtin

churchview wrote: »

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00681/The_top_400_seconda_681535a.pdf

Note, number 37 (Coláiste Iognáid) and Number 65 (St. Joseph's College)

What I find interesting about this is that the Bish, which some would claim is more narrowly academically driven, is nearly 30 places behind the Jes (i.e. a lot behind), in a survey which narrowly measures academic performance. So in the Jes, you get the real-world coeducational experience, the possibility of avoiding streaming based on perceived ability and the bonus of top-class academic results.

*Cough* Colaiste Na Coiribe 23rd *sniff* sayin' *cough*:D