Mixed private secondary schools

Is St. Andrews college the only mixed private secondary school in south Dublin?

Tabnabs

Wesley College also.

coffee_cake

stratford college is a fee paying co-ed

Thanks guys, forgot about Wesley and haven't heard of Stratford. Are these both really good schools?

ted1

high school in rathgar
St.columbas behind marley park

homer911

Deleted User wrote: »

Thanks guys, forgot about Wesley and haven't heard of Stratford. Are these both really good schools?

People generally choose a fee paying school on the basis of their ethos, as much as their results performance. St Andrew's would probably have the edge over Wesley in terms of LC results, but Wesley takes a very holistic approach with lots of emphasis on extra-curricular activities

All schools have their strengths and weaknesses. Wesley won the All Island Schools choir competition last weekend.

Wesley has a Methodist ethos, St Andrew's is Presbyterian, St. Columba's is CoI, Stratford is Jewish

BTW, closer to/in town you would have http://www.johnscottus.ie and The Institute of Education. There is also St Patrick's http://www.stpatrickscgs.ie/

SerialComplaint

homer911 wrote: »

St Andrew's would probably have the edge over Wesley in terms of LC results,

Where were these LC results published?

homer911

SerialComplaint wrote: »

Where were these LC results published?

The Irish Times used to publish "league tables" based on the admissions to 3rd level education. I dont know if they still do it

They were heavily biased by the "grinds schools" of course - they could not tell what school the 3rd level entrant had been in before attending the grinds schools...

You should also choose the school that suits the pupil. There's no point in paying for secondary school, if it doesnt suit your child and they end up having a miserable time. If your child is academic, then choose an academic school, if your child is an all-rounder, choose an all-round school, or if you want a school with a particular religous ethos, then your choice is relatively straghtforward

Fratton Fred

Any particular why you are after a mixed school?

homer911

Thanks everyone for the info, I'm only really starting out on the secondary school hunt for my daughter, though I have her name down in a couple of girls schools already.

homer911 wrote: »

You should also choose the school that suits the pupil. There's no point in paying for secondary school, if it doesnt suit your child and they end up having a miserable time. If your child is academic, then choose an academic school, if your child is an all-rounder, choose an all-round school, or if you want a school with a particular religous ethos, then your choice is relatively straghtforward

You're absolutely right and that's why I am trying to start looking early. Things are likely to change between now and when she actually goes to secondary school but at the moment she is considered a "gifted" child, very advanced so I think academically she will do well no matter where she is (but then she's only 7 so I can't be sure!!) so as things stand my focus would probably be more on the things she loves - sports sports sports and any other curriculur activities that are on offer. She's definitely an all rounder. The school she is in at the moment have the most fantastic ethos, each child is individual, big montessori influence, it's like a big family and everyone knows and helps everyone, the teachers are their friends etc. That's what I would love to continue but she's in a tiny little school at the moment so the chances of getting that are low I guess.

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Any particular why you are after a mixed school?

Well she loved Holy Child Killiney when we went for the open evening (she also plays hockey there) she loved all the sports they offer etc but she is not a girly girl AT ALL!!! she likes boys and I'm not sure she would be entirely comfortable in an all girls school so I don't know what to be doing! It's a long while off at the moment but I want to have some idea of a shortlist

Fratton Fred

Have you considered Cluny?

I know it is all girl, but they have very close links to CBS Monkstown. My niece moved there from a mixed school in London and apart from the drastic change in uniform ("it's like ankle length kilts innit mate") she never really noticed a difference.

I believe they are about to get their astroturf pitch built soon.

Edit: I should add, if you consider the non private option, I have heard nothing but good things about Newpark School.

Fratton Fred

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Have you considered Cluny?.

Yep, her name is down there too! I don't know why but I just don't like the feel of the place. Can't put my finger on why though :rolleyes:

Edit: I should add, if you consider the non private option, I have heard nothing but good things about Newpark School.

Have her down there too!! It's a fantastic school, I wanted to go there when I was leaving Dalkey School Project but my mammy wouldn't let me >.<

So those three, newpark, cluny and holy child, and then loretto dalkey are where her name is down at the moment

homer911

I have no axe to grind, but just to say that I've heard of several bad cases of extreme bullying in Newpark

Fratton Fred

homer911 wrote: »

I have no axe to grind, but just to say that I've heard of several bad cases of extreme bullying in Newpark

I don't doubt it for a minute. The trouble is, I've heard the same about Loretto, Andrews, Rathdown (have we mentioned Rathdown yet) and CBS Monkstown.

I'm not saying it should be ignored, but it is just another factor that has to be included in the delightful decision that is choosing a school.

Gyalist

St. Kilian's in Clonskeagh is also a private co-ed secondary school.

themont85

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Have you considered Cluny?

I know it is all girl, but they have very close links to CBS Monkstown. My niece moved there from a mixed school in London and apart from the drastic change in uniform ("it's like ankle length kilts innit mate") she never really noticed a difference.

I believe they are about to get their astroturf pitch built soon.

Edit: I should add, if you consider the non private option, I have heard nothing but good things about Newpark School.

CBC Monkstown.

Honestly anyone who chooses their child's secondary school because of league tables is a fool. These are a ridiculous measure of a school. St Andrews for example is a top school with an International profile and I think they can do the Bac there. As a result a lot would go to international Unis. The only International Unis on these 'League Tables' are UK ones. Therefore a person who maybe gets a scholarship to a top University in the United States, for example, is given a negative mark on this table!

Different schools cater for different things. If you want to see if the school is 'good' academically my best advice is to ring the school and ask for Info on how many sit Honours subjects ect. Tbh it comes more down to culture if anything else, there is a myth out there that fee paying = better teachers, it comes down to culture and smaller class sizes really, teachers because they are Unionised are spread pretty evenly in terms of ability across the State. If you want to see if it has good special needs, that Info is freely available. Just from a school's website or wikipedia page you can see what kind of culture it has. No school is the 'best' and all cater to different things as said above. A parent and child with a good mentality will succeed in most learning environments really if they have the right attitude and have researched the school well.

SerialComplaint

homer911 wrote: »

The Irish Times used to publish "league tables" based on the admissions to 3rd level education. I dont know if they still do it

They were heavily biased by the "grinds schools" of course - they could not tell what school the 3rd level entrant had been in before attending the grinds schools...

They never published league tables of LC results. They published tables of numbers going onto 3rd level. This tells you next to nothing about LC results, and tells you lots about the ability of parents to pay for 3rd level.

HavingCrack

themont85 wrote: »

Therefore a person who maybe gets a scholarship to a top University in the United States, for example, is given a negative mark on this table!
.

A pupil from my old school (public, not a great reputation-probably deservedly) got a fully funded scholarship to Harvard this year on the basis of academic results :eek:. However, those league tables would act against him-craziness really.

amtw

St. Gerards in Bray is also a mixed school. Postal address is in Wicklow but it is actually in Dublin.

Great school, wonderful ethos, parents are expected and encouraged to get involved. My 3 children went to the secondary school there and they all loved it. 2 girls, 1 boy, all did very well including one who was very dyslexic and one who was not in the least bit sporty.

I really wanted my 3 kids to go to the same school and I was delighted with St. Gerards. Check out their website and go visit.

RandolphEsq

SerialComplaint wrote: »

They never published league tables of LC results. They published tables of numbers going onto 3rd level. This tells you next to nothing about LC results, and tells you lots about the ability of parents to pay for 3rd level.

It doesn't tell anything about parents ability to pay for 3rd level education because;
a) it doesn't say whether or not it is parents paying for the 3rd level education or the students and
b) it doesn't say about individual students and how they/their parents got the money together to pay and
c) those that didn't go on to 3rd level education aren't noted in the league tables so there is no way of knowing whether or not it was due to ability to pay for the 3rd level education

It is necessarily true, therefore, that the tables tell absolutely nothing about a parents' ability to pay for 3rd level education (point a)

ted1

They also never say if the student went on to do a trade, take a year out, start tgrir own buisness etc

SerialComplaint

RandolphEsq wrote: »

It doesn't tell anything about parents ability to pay for 3rd level education because;
a) it doesn't say whether or not it is parents paying for the 3rd level education or the students and
b) it doesn't say about individual students and how they/their parents got the money together to pay and
c) those that didn't go on to 3rd level education aren't noted in the league tables so there is no way of knowing whether or not it was due to ability to pay for the 3rd level education

It is necessarily true, therefore, that the tables tell absolutely nothing about a parents' ability to pay for 3rd level education (point a)

Do you know many 17/18 year olds that have independent means and pay for their own college fees and upkeep? Of course finances have a huge impact on ability to go to 3rd level, unless you are living in some kind of ivory tower.

S.R.F.C.

Also The High School in Rathgar, just down from Stratford.

Surprised to see Newpark recommended.

TheVoodoo

New park has come on a lot recently, but i still wouldn't put it in the same bracket as the 'fee-paying' mixed schools.

Having left school in the past 5/6 years, i'd personally think that Andrews would be highest on my list on mixed secondaries, that is just from personal experience ( I went to an all boys school ). But knowing lots of people who went co-ed, the Andrews pupils/past pupils always seemed to have benefitted most< If thats the right way to put it?

RandolphEsq

SerialComplaint wrote: »

Do you know many 17/18 year olds that have independent means and pay for their own college fees and upkeep? Of course finances have a huge impact on ability to go to 3rd level, unless you are living in some kind of ivory tower.

That isn't what is told by the league tables though.

SerialComplaint

RandolphEsq wrote: »

That isn't what is told by the league tables though.

That's exactly what it told by the league tables - which students are able to go to college, i.e have the funds and have the results required.

They certainly tell you very little about the quality of the school and the quality of the teaching.

Coláiste Íosagain (all-girls though) is one of the most popular schools in South Dublin, it's non-fee paying. I believe it has an excellent reputation both sportingly and academic in the area. It's all-Irish speaking though, which could be off-putting.

RandolphEsq

SerialComplaint wrote: »

That's exactly what it told by the league tables - which students are able to go to college, i.e have the funds and have the results required.

They certainly tell you very little about the quality of the school and the quality of the teaching.

That's an assumption you are making, and I know it is a true assumption but not because of the league tables.

HavingCrack

There's actually a massive lack of mixed secondary schools in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area when you think about it.

HavingCrack

HavingCrack wrote: »

There's actually a massive lack of mixed secondary schools in the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown area when you think about it.

I think in dun laoghaire rathdown there's only cabinteely, holy child sallynoggin, and newpark. That's it isn't it? Not such a fantastic choice.

Fratton Fred

Deleted User wrote: »

I think in dun laoghaire rathdown there's only cabinteely, holy child sallynoggin, and newpark. That's it isn't it? Not such a fantastic choice.

and St Laurences in Ballybrack.