girls secondary school

W00LEY

Hi,

My daughter will be going to secondary school next year. Would like to hear people's experiences of the different secondary schools in Galway. I am not from Galway myself. She is not sure where she would like to go.Does she need to enrol for any early.

Thanks

jugger0

W00LEY wrote: »

Hi,

My daughter will be going to secondary school next year. Would like to hear people's experiences of the different secondary schools in Galway. I am not from Galway myself. She is not sure where she would like to go.Does she need to enrol for any early.

Thanks

I would keep her away from the presentation secondary school anyway (near the canal).

forumfiend

W00LEY wrote: »

Does she need to enrol for any early.

Yes, put her name down asap for any you are interested in. You have to do this because if you only apply for one and don't get it you are in trouble. Once you get a place you are happy with, notify the other schools that you are no longer interested so they can take your daughter off their list.

The Jez is probably the hardest to get into. If you haven't got her name down by now, or got some prior association with the school or the Jesuits, you are probably out of luck. My daughter went to Salerno (all-girls) and was very happy there but she has friends who went to other schools including the Pres and were happy there too.

gaeilgegrinds1

Colaiste na Coiribe is amazing, facilities awful but teachers and quality of education second to none. I've heard a lot of bullying cases from Salerno but a few of my friends who went there were very happy. Also, The Jes is great, a real holisitic approach to education. Many of the other schools as mentioned here have bad reputations but not all are warranted. A neighbour of mine went to supposedly the worst school in the city and ended up with a PhD and totally happy. It's what you make it really.

McTigs

I went the Jes myself and it was an excelent school. A very inclusive culture and a great atmosphere. I know nobody that went that doesn't have very fond memories of it..... mind you that was 20 years ago.

But as said above, it's difficult to get into. Get her name down in as many schools as possible now to best give you options

Sponge Bob

Girl only would have to be Salerno and Taylors Hill, get those application forms in today, you left it really late.

dolphin city

isnt' the pres and the mercy going to be merged now?

it doesn't matter what school she goes to - if she wants to learn she will. If she wants to be a dosser, she will do it in whatever school she goes to.

dolphin city

the jes is all sexes - not just girls.

Mrs OBumble

dolphin city wrote: »

isnt' the pres and the mercy going to be merged now?

Haven't seen anything in the the media after the large "Merger is on" announcement a while ago.

But I've heard from some of the staff that it's not happening after all, due to not getting Department of Education approval. My guess is that it's to do with the overall review of patronage.

This is pure rumour and guesswork though, so could be wrong.

Eviledna

I'd recommend Taylor's hill, it is strict but not too much, brand new school built since I was there, good sports, and a decent science focus too.

Have a cousin in 1st year there now who loves it, and even in my day it was really good.

gaeilgegrinds1

Pres/Mercy not going ahead. It's quite late to be trying for next year but if she gets on all the lists perhaps she will be offered a place. Many have a policy of family members first, followed by certain primary schools etc. I agree with the person who said if she wants to learn she will and if she doesn't she won't. It's so so true. Keep in mind where ye will be living.

LadyMayBelle

The Mercy/Pres topic has been going around since I left the school in 2000. The Mercy used to get a lot of slack, but most of the graduates from my year did well for themselves.

Surely the OP would have had to hve her child's name down for Colaiste na Coribe since they were born (pretty much). I know they operate on that basis as well as considering children from Gael Scoil Dara, and on a siblings first basis.

I was always of the understanding that the Jes was a bit over rated academics wise. But alas I never went there. Surely tho there will be difficulty getting your child in anywhere at this late stage?

ErnieBert

Eviledna wrote: »

I'd recommend Taylor's hill, it is strict but not too much, brand new school built since I was there, good sports, and a decent science focus too.

Have a cousin in 1st year there now who loves it, and even in my day it was really good.

The opposite. Taylors' reputation has been dire over the last few years. The Primary school, Scoil Rois has also declined.

The three most consistent schools over the past few decades have been Bish (boys), Salerno (girls) and the Jes (mixed).

In recent years, a new school has emerged from the doldrums, Colaiste Einde (mixed). The discipline is well monitored and they have got great exams results in the last few years.

galwayrush

ErnieBert wrote: »

The opposite. Taylors' reputation has been dire over the last few years. The Primary school, Scoil Rois has also declined.

The three most consistent schools over the past few decades have been Bish (boys), Salerno (girls) and the Jes (mixed).

In recent years, a new school has emerged from the doldrums, Colaiste Einde (mixed). The discipline is well monitored and they have got great exams results in the last few years.

Totally agree with that, my eldest daughter will be attending Salerno next year, however, her name has been down on the list for the last 7 years, apparently because of it's exceptional reputation, there is quite a long waiting list.

whatever99

A friend of mine went to Salerno and she said it was nothing but bullying and that there was no discipline. Granted, that could have changed since she was there, which was about 10 years ago. I would say because of its catchment area it has a 'posh' reputation.

I wouldn't send any daughter of mine to the Pres. It has always had a knackery reputation. Sorry if I've offended anyone, but that's the way it's always been.

happyoutish

I agree with whatever99 a friends daughter had to move from Salerno because of bullying she's now in Taylors and loves it.

I went to Taylors to and have to say it is great. My daughter is in Scoil Rois now and I can't fault it at all

Sponge Bob

Taylors has one 'special' stream but not quite as 'special' as the stream in the Pres. I would not rule it out for that reason. Most of the student are perfectly normal.

I don't know about the Mercy in town any more, they used to have very academic students in the past but that was in the 1990's

whatever99

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Taylors has one 'special' stream

It didn't have that when I was there. What do you mean by 'special'?

gaeilgegrinds1

Look at Salerno, Taylors, Mercy and Pres historically...the first two were preparatory schools and the second were mostly made up of middle-class girls. Things have not changed much but I will say bullying in Salerno is awful. Also, check out how many of them have to go elsewhere in 5th or 6th year because of it. I'd rather a happy child than any of that craic to be honest.

Mrs OBumble

Just curious, is Taylor the official name? Or something else?

(Am working on the area map for that neighbourhood ... know where the school is, just not the name of it!)

ErnieBert

JustMary wrote: »

Just curious, is Taylor the official name? Or something else?

(Am working on the area map for that neighbourhood ... know where the school is, just not the name of it!)

Domican Convent, i think.

moonflower

JustMary wrote: »

Just curious, is Taylor the official name? Or something else?

(Am working on the area map for that neighbourhood ... know where the school is, just not the name of it!)

Dominican College.

_Whimsical_

Taylors is a very good school. The kids are happy there, bullying isn't tolerated and they consistently do very well in state exams. There is an emphasis on academics there and there's always been a pretty ambitious spirit fostered in the students. Over 80% of girls go onto university and basically all go on to some form of third level education.

moonflower

I wouldn't say that bullying isn't tolerated in Taylors, I did my Leaving Cert there in 2008 and even though bullying never affected me there it generally seemed to be ignored when it did happen.
It's not a bad school, but it's definitely not great. Some of the teachers are completely usless and a few seem slightly unhinged. I definitely think it's going downhill, the years after ours seemed to be getting rougher and rougher, and afaik it's been dropping in those university tables that come out in the paper every year.

Sponge Bob

They don't have to take the rougher element any more because they do not have a 'behaviour unit' or a behaviour support unit and a Positive Behaviour Liaison Teacher to deal with them. My understanding is they don't.

I have no hesitation in recommending Taylors as highly as Salerno for academic girls.

Galwaymother

We were more or less asking the same questions on board.ie last March with my daughter down for both Salerno and Enda's. We plumped up for the mixed school as it was important for us, with misgivings about the academic reputation of Enda's.

I have to say my daughter is thriving, learning lots and making friends of both sexes. The facilities are second-to-none in Galway. Most of her teachers are incredible, even igniting an interest in Maths, Science and Geography she never had before. Teachers there make sure girls get their say and plenty of teacher time, even though they're in the minority.

She just told me today that two friends of hers who go to Salerno told her separately that she is very lucky to be where she is, as bullying and name-calling goes on a lot in Salerno, and the girls are very 'bitchy'...I thought it might be just a unfounded reputation, but it seems it is true in some cases. Also, I have to say that the Salerno girls always seem to be wearing trowelfuls of make-up, for some strange reason... I hope I don't get mauled for saying that, but it is my street observations!

Best of luck with finding a place, in any case!

Sponge Bob

There is a more general argument that single sex schools where they exist cater for very academic/sporty kids ( and ideally both but one will do). If a child is neither then they could be better off in a mixed school.

Generally the single sex schools well know their appeal and take good care of the academic/sporty kids but they may not be as good at taking care of the weaker ones who are left to their own devices maybe more than is wise.

In that people have commented on Salerno I have heard all the same complaints about the Bish and almost invariably about the antics of the lower ability streams....which is most of the school.

A further general truism is that boys do relatively better in a mixed school than the girls do given their general ability to begin with.

So if a child gets consistently high SAT/STEN score of 8 plus in primary then a parent should strongly consider the single sex schools in Galway which generally cater very well to that demographic and if under 8 maybe not ...but there are other factors too as I explained.

Aimee30

Go to Taylors! Im in taylors now and its really good! your daughter Wont get into the jes cause you have to be on the waiting list for years!
id say either Taylors or Salerno. You would have a good chance of getting into them. :)

drunknmunky_21

I would highly recommend the Jes. Although it is very late to be applying if you have an family links with the school you will have a chance.
The school caters for every single type of student. I had the best 6 years of my life at that school. There is no "special streaming" and bullying is (or at least was) pretty much non-existent.

tootired

I don't think the Jes has a waiting list years long. I rang up to put my son on the waiting list and was told that I couldn't put his name down until the September he was in 6th class. I was also told that they take students from the Jes primary first, from the local area second, having a sibling there third, parent as past pupil 4th and if any room left a lottery from the waiting list after an entrance exam. I am a former student so hopefully he'll stand a chance.

KittyeeTrix

whatever99 wrote: »

A friend of mine went to Salerno and she said it was nothing but bullying and that there was no discipline. Granted, that could have changed since she was there, which was about 10 years ago. I would say because of its catchment area it has a 'posh' reputation.

I wouldn't send any daughter of mine to the Pres. It has always had a knackery reputation. Sorry if I've offended anyone, but that's the way it's always been.

:eek:
Jaysus, I went to school and did my LC in the early nineties at the Pres and yes tbh I am offended but since I'm not a "knacker" I will accept your apology!!!
One of my former classmates is now a Professor of Archaelogy in NUIG, another is lecturing in the Arts dept of NUIG, others completed law degrees whilst another is now employed in the Chemistry Dept in NUIG................Never saw bullying in the Pres during my time there cos us "knackers" had enough moral fibre not to pick on those less fortunate than us. I don't imagine we would have been quite so fortunate if we had been attending one of the "posher" schools:cool: